These vegetarian black bean stuffed sweet potatoes featured delicious sweet potatoes baked to perfection and stuffed with spiced black beans and corn.

Overhead view of three sweet potatoes stuffed with black bean, corn and bell pepper and topped with sour cream, cilantro and avocado.

Why Make this Recipe

Looking for an easy plant-based meal that’s packed with flavour and nutrition? Then look for further than these black bean stuffed sweet potatoes!

You’ll love the black bean, bell pepper and corn filling piled in a baked sweet potato and topped with yogurt or sour cream, avocado, cilantro and fresh lime juice.

These are super easy to customize with different toppings (like cheese!) and make the perfect meatless meal the whole family will enjoy. They are filling, very easy to make, loaded with flavour and super nutritious too!

Sweet potato and black bean is a classic combination. You can also try them together in Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos and Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili.

Recipe Highlights

  • They’re super easy to make for a healthy weeknight meal.
  • If you bake the sweet potatoes in advance the recipe takes just 15 minutes to make.
  • They’re vegan (dairy-free and egg-free), naturally gluten-free, nut-free and can be made oil-free.
  • They’re low in fat and high in fiber and plant-based protein.
  • Make them in advance for a healthy meal prep idea.
  • They can be customized with your favourite toppings like cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or scallions.

Ingredients & Substitutions

All the ingredients gathered for making a black bean and corn stuffed sweet potato topped with sour cream and avocado.
  • Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need 4 single-serving sized sweet potatoes. Whatever size works for you for eating the whole thing. You can also do half a large sweet potato. You can also use regular potatoes!
  • Olive Oil: A little olive oil is used for cooking the veggies but you can use water if you prefer the recipe to be oil-free.
  • Onion: You can use red, white or yellow onion.
  • Red Pepper Pepper: This can be substituted with any colour of bell pepper or even poblano pepper (green pepper, yellow pepper, etc.).
  • Spices: You’ll need cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder to season the black bean and corn filling. Don’t have all these on hand – try taco seasoning!
  • Black Beans: Canned black beans work. You can also cook your own but that would be done separately from this recipe. Chickpeas, pinto beans and lentils work as a substitution.
  • Corn: Canned or thawed frozen corn works.
  • Serving: Try avocado, any plain dairy-free yogurt or sour cream, lime and cilantro. You could also make this cashew garlic lime cream, tofu-based lime crema, avocado sauce or chipotle cashew sauce.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Bake the sweet potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray and poke a couple times with a fork.

Bake them for about 45 minutes until you can easily piece them with a fork and they’re cooked through. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of the sweet potatoes.

Quick Note: For easy clean up, line the baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

4 baked sweet potatoes on a baking tray.

Step 2: Make the filling.

When the sweet potatoes have about 10 minutes of baking time left, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.

Onion and bell pepper cooking in a skillet.

Add all of the spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Quick Note: Love spice? Add up to 1 tsp cayenne or red chili flakes along with the rest of the spices. You could also top your stuffed sweet potatoes with your favourite hot sauce.

Onion and bell pepper cooking with spices in a large skilet.

Finally, add the corn and black beans and stir to mix it all up. Cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through.

Black beans, corn and bell pepper cooked in spices in a large skillet.

Step 3: Stuff the sweet potatoes.

Slice the sweet potatoes open lengthways with a sharp knife.

4 baked sweet potatoes sliced open lengthways on a baking tray.

Divide the corn and black bean mixture between the sweet potatoes.

4 baked sweet potatoes stuffed with a black bean, corn and bell pepper filing on a baking tray.

Add whatever toppings you like, such as sour cream and avocado, and enjoy your meal!

Quick Note: Want them melty, cheesy and extra delicious? Spinkle with grated cheese before adding the other toppings and pop them back in the oven on broil for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

Baked sweet potatoes stuffed with a black bean, red pepper and corn filling and topped with sour cream, avocado and cilantro.

Notes & Tips

  • If your sweet potatoes are on the large side and you only want to use half for each serving. Slice in half and bake cut side down until tender. You can find more details on how to bake sweet potatoes this way here.

FAQs

Is it okay to eat sweet potato skins?

Absolutely! Sweet potato skins are very nutritious and once they’re baked, they’re crisp, caramelized and delicious.

Can I use regular potatoes instead of sweet potatoes?

Yes! The recipe instructions are the same for using regular potatoes such as Russet.

Can I use a different kind of bean in this recipe?

Yes. Other beans that work well are kidney beans, pinto beans or chickpeas. You coudl also use canned or cooked green or brown lentils.

Three black bean loaded sweet potatoes topped with sour cream and avocado on a small plate.

Variations

Cheesy Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

For cheesy stuffed sweet potatoes, either:

  • Sprinkle grated cheese over the black bean mixture in the skillet and let it melt before scooping it into the sweet potatoes.
  • Sprinkle grated cheese over the stuffed sweet potatoes (before other toppings) and put them back in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

Spicy Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

For spicy stuffed sweet potatoes, you have a few options:

  • Serve with your favourite hot sauce or add hot sauce to the black bean mixture.
  • Add 1 minced jalapeno when you add the onion and bell pepper. Some thinly sliced jalapeno served on top is good too!
  • Add up to 1 tsp cayenne pepper or red chili flakes when you add the other spices.

Adding Extra Veggies

  • Other vegetables that work well in this recipe are poblano pepper, cabbage, zucchini, carrot, diced tomatoes, spinach and kale.
  • If you’re adding zucchini, poblano pepper, cabbage or carrot, add them with the onion. If you’re adding diced tomatoes, spinach or kale, add them with the black beans.
  • You can also cook the kale or spinach separately and stuff into the sweet potato underneath the black bean mixture.

Adding Grains

For a heartier filling you can mix in up to 1 cup cooked grains like quinoa, farro, rice or cous cous along with the black beans and corn. I think this rice and lentil filling, cranberry quinoa filling or Mediterranean quinoa filing would all be good for stuffed sweet potatoes too!

A baked sweet potato sliced open and stuffed with a black bean, red pepper and onion filling and topped with yogurt, avocado and cilantro.

Topping Ideas

Fork lifting some sweet potato with black bean and corn from a black bean stuffed sweet potato on a plate.

Making Ahead & Storing

  • Cool before storing.
  • The sweet potatoes can be baked up to 4 days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat them in the oven or microwave until heated through then stuff and serve!
  • The stuffed sweet potatoes without the toppings can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until heated through, add your toppings and enjoy.
  • The stuffed sweet potatoes are not suitable for freezing.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Overhead view of three sweet potatoes stuffed with black bean, corn and bell pepper and topped with sour cream, cilantro and avocado.

Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Black bean stuffed sweet potatoes are easy to make and fun to eat! This easy recipe makes a delicious vegetarian meal the whole family will enjoy. Serve with any toppings you enjoy!


Ingredients

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes (single-serving sized)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 white or yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can corn kernels, drained and rinsed

For Serving

  • diced avocado
  • sour cream or plain yogurt
  • fresh cilantro
  • lime wedges
  • hot sauce, optional

Instructions

  1. Bake Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°c. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray and poke 1-2 times with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes, or until soft and cooked through. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of the sweet potatoes. 
  2. Cook Onion and Bell Pepper: When the sweet potatoes have around 10 minutes baking time left, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat.  Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, for around 5 minutes or until softened.
  3. Add Spices: Add the cumin, paprika, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  4. Add Corn and Black Beans: Add the corn and black beans and stir to mix. Cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
  5. Stuff Sweet Potatoes: Slice the sweet potatoes open lengthways using a sharp knife. Divide the black bean corn mixture between the sweet potatoes.
  6. Serving: Top with the avocado, yogurt, sour cream or another sauce of choice, and cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges and hot sauce, if desired.

Notes

Nutrition facts do not include toppings and will vary depending on the size of sweet potato used.

See post above for topping and sauce ideas, substitutions and recipe variations.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 341
  • Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 72 g
  • Fiber: 15 g
  • Protein: 13 g