These vegan twice baked potatoes are creamy, savory and so delicious! Makes for an amazing vegetable side dish recipe, but also can be served as a full meal! 100% plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan.
It is the holiday season and I thought I would share an amazing festive side dish to add to your Thanksgiving of Christmas menu. They can obviously be enjoyed all year long, but these vegan twice baked potatoes feel more special and definitely earn their spot at the holiday table.
They are so delicious! And you can make them as festive as you wish. I kept them on the healthy side using a whole food plant based tofu sour cream to turn their filling super creamy, but you can obviously add some vegan butter and even vegan cheese for more of a treat if you want.
And they are pretty easy to make, although they take some time. You will have to bake whole potatoes until tender, then scoop out their insides to mash it with sour cream until creamy and flavorful. We loved adding tempeh bacon or bacon bits and green onions for added texture and flavor. Scoop the mixture back in the potatoes and bake again! They were a huge hit!
They are meant to be a vegetable side dish, but we actually enjoy them as a full complete meal. The tofu sour cream load them with tons of plant-based protein and adding extra store-bought marinated tempeh also makes them super filling and satisfying. The tempeh is optional, but adds a nice bacon-ish smoky flavor that's so amazing.
Hope you like them! ❤️
Best potatoes for this recipe
A starchy potato works best when making baked potatoes in the oven. Starchy potatoes include Russet, Idaho or red potatoes.
I think Russet potatoes are the number one choice for twice baked potatoes: they come in a larger size, have a nice creamy texture when mashed and also, a sturdy and tougher skin that holds better when stuffing them. Red potatoes would create a tasty filling, but their skin is super thin and delicate, which would make it harder to stuff and bake them for a second time without falling apart.
Also, when choosing your potatoes, aim for evenly shaped potatoes so they stand better straight up after sliced in half.
Ingredient list
- Potatoes: I used 4 medium to large Russet potatoes.
- Sour cream: My homemade tofu sour cream is perfect to make this recipe! It is creamy, healthy and nicely tangy, which work out great to flavor the mashed potatoes. BUT, if you wanted to save some time, then feel free to use a store-bought sour cream. This sour cream from the brand forager would work well.
- Vegan tempeh bacon: I added this tempeh bacon from the brand Lightlife to add a delicious smoky flavor, although you could omit it. My vegan bacon bits would also be amazing in this recipe and add a fair amount of plant-based protein as well.
- Nutritional yeast: to add a subtle cheesy flavor.
- Plant-based milk: not shown in the ingredient picture, but you might have to add a little extra milk to the mixture depending on the size of your potatoes. Make sure it is unsweetened plain milk if using.
- Green onions: for a classic loaded baked potatoes flavor. Chives work great too!
How to make vegan twice baked potatoes
Prepare the potatoes and bake #1
Pre-heat the oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Start by cleaning the potatoes very well, especially since you will want to eat those delicious crispy skins! Rub to remove all the debris and clean them with plenty of water. Then, dry the potatoes very well using a towel.
Place the potato on the prepared baking sheet and rub them with a little olive oil using your hands to get it all over their skin. This step is optional if looking for an oil-free whole food plant-based recipe. Then, you can also sprinkle some coarse salt over.
Using a fork, poke the potatoes a few time through their skin and then bake for about 60 minutes or until fork tender.
Make the filling mixture
While the potatoes are baking, it is a good time to prepare the tempeh bacon, if using. Simply chop the slices into small cubes and roast in a pan on medium-high heat until crispy, about 7-10 minutes. Once done, set aside until ready to use. You can also follow this bacon bits recipe instead of using tempeh.
Once the potatoes are done, take them out and let them cool down for a few minutes. Then, slice them in half lengthwise.
Use a spoon and scoop out the flesh by leaving a thin wall of potatoes all around to help the "skin boat" to hold well and be more solid once stuffed (about ⅛ inch thick).
Transfer the potato flesh in a large bowl as you scoop it out and add the sour cream, nutritional yeast, green onion, tempeh bacon or bacon bits, salt and pepper to it. Use a hand held potato masher or a hand held electric whisk to mash until smooth to your liking. I like mine a little chunky, but you do you.
If the mixture still feels too dry (it will depend how much potato you had to mash), then you can add more sour cream or some plain plant-based milk. Just make sure to keep some extra sour cream for serving later as well. If you want to use vegan butter, now is a good time to add it.
Stuff and bake #2
Once the mashed potato mixture is done, scoop it back in the potato skins using a spoon.
Sprinkle some salt and pepper over and bake for 10-15 minutes.
If you wanted to include vegan cheese, then you could add some over the potatoes before baking them for a second time.
Garnish and serve
Serve the potatoes warm topped with more vegan sour cream, green onions and tempeh bacon.
Favorite vegan baked potato toppings
The twice baked potatoes are already very flavorful, but it is fun and appetizing to garnish them when serving.
Make sure to keep some extra sour cream to dollop over the baked potatoes to serve. It adds a cold and tangy final touch that's just so delicious. Feel free to make a double batch of the sour cream so you have plenty!
Also, top with more fresh green onions when serving, but chives or even finely diced red onion would work to add that nice pungent flavor and crunch.
I also like to keep some more crispy bacon bits or tempeh bacon aside for garnishing to add a pop of color as well.
More topping ideas include: finely diced red pepper, hot sauce, vegan cheese sauce, chopped fresh herbs, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese.
You could also really load it up with black beans, lentils or chickpeas to make this meal super filling. Or even a vegan chili for a saucy result. Yum!
Watch how to make them
Helpful tips
- Baking time will vary a lot depending on how large your potatoes are. It should take about 60 minutes, although you may want to check after 45 minutes or so if your potatoes are on the smaller side. For larger potatoes, then you might need to let them bake for 70-80 minutes.
- Since the size of your potato will vary, you will have to play around with the amount of sour cream and see if you want to add some milk as well to make them thinner. Try to avoid super runny mashed potatoes so they hold well in the potato skin while baking. When making this recipe, I start with ½ cup of sour cream, but often add about 2-3 tablespoons extra.
- Be delicate when scooping out the flesh so the skins stay as intact as possible.
Personalize this recipe
It is easy to make twice baked potatoes your own recipe! You can add so much more to the mashed potato mixture, especially if making this recipe as a full meal. Here are some ideas:
- Steamed broccoli or cauliflower
- Thawed frozen green peas or corn
- Crushed fresh garlic
- Smoked or sweet paprika
- Roasted mushrooms
- Fresh herbs such as dill, parsley or cilantro
Storage tips and freezing tips
Keep leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Keep any topping ingredients apart while storing.
If making them ahead or if you wanted to freeze them, then I recommend you store them just before the step of baking them for the second time.
Thaw in the fridge overnight and then, once ready to eat, simply put them in the oven to bake them for a second time. You might have to bake them a little longer if they were super cold when you added them to the oven.
How to reheat leftover twice baked potatoes
Simply bake them in the oven at 350-400º for about 15 minutes or until heated through. A mini toaster oven would be amazing for that!
I would also totally reheat them in a pinch using the microwave too.
More vegan potato recipes you might like
- Zucchini potato soup
- Mashed purple sweet potatoes
- Vegan leek and potato soup
- Spinach and potato soup
- Mashed potato stuffed mushrooms
- Vegan potato croquettes
- Lemon miso baked potatoes
- Mexican baked potatoes
Pairing suggestions for this recipe
- Vegan Swedish meatballs
- Caramelized onion gravy
- Lentil mushroom meatloaf
- Vegan "beef" tempeh stew
- Easy pan-fried tempeh
- Vegan corn and mushroom stroganoff
I hope you like these vegan twice baked potatoes as much as we do! If you try them, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how they were. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Vegan Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium size Russet potatoes
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- pinch kosher salt
- ½-¾ cup tofu sour cream or store bought sour cream - plus more for topping
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1-4 tbsp plain plant-based milk - optional, to make the potatoes creamier if needed
- ground black pepper
- 2 green onions - sliced, plus more for topping
- ⅓ cup vegan bacon bits or 6 oz chopped tempeh bacon
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spray or brush a little oil over the potatoes and poke a few holes in each of them using a fork. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle some coarse salt over.
- Bake for about 60 minutes or until fork-tender. Baking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes, so you may want to check for doneness after 45 minutes if they are on the smaller side. They might need to bake for 70-80 minutes if they are larger.
- While the potatoes are baking, make the tofu sour cream and the prepare the bacon bits. If you don't want to make the bacon bits, then you can also chop and roast in a pan some tempeh bacon until browned and crispy, about 10 minutes (stir often while roasting).
- Once the potatoes are done, take them out of the oven and slice them in half. Use a spoon to carefully remove the middle part of the potatoes leaving a thin wall of potato all around. Try to keep their skin as intact as possible so they can better hold the filling later.
- Transfer the potato flesh in a bowl and use a potato masher to mash them. Add ½-¾ cup of the tofu sour cream, nutritional yeast, the green onions, ⅓ cup of the bacon bit or roasted tempeh bacon and add some salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine. Add a little more sour cream for a creamier result and more nutritional yeast for a cheesier taste. The amount of seasoning will vary depending on how big your potatoes are. Also, you may need to add a little plain-based milk if your potatoes look too dry.
- Scoop back the potato mixture in the potato skin dividing the mixture in between them. Bake for 15 more minutes.
- Serve while still hot and top with more sour cream, green onions and vegan bacon bits or tempeh bacon over, if using.
Video
Notes
- Store the potatoes in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven at 350-400º for 15-20 minutes or until warm.
- More topping ideas include: hot sauce, fresh herbs or vegan cheese sauce.
- I made this recipe on the healthier side. But, you can also add a few tablespoons of vegan butter to the mashed potato mixture for a super creamy and rich result. Also, feel free to top the potatoes with some vegan cheese just before the second bake so it melts.
- Feel free to add more veggies to the mashed potato mixture such as steamed broccoli or cauliflower, green peas or corn (frozen and thawed), crushed fresh garlic, roasted mushrooms, etc.
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