Looking for a delicious and visually appealing side dish that will charm your loved ones at the Thanksgiving dinner table? These Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups are one of the most kid and adult friendly holiday sides you can make! This charming twist on a classic sweet potato casserole is not only a treat for the taste buds but also an eye-catching addition to any holiday gathering.

Sweet Potatoes In Orange Cups from weelicious.comPin

Why This Is The Best Way to Serve Sweet Potato Casserole

  • Eye-Catching Display: Elevate your Thanksgiving table with sweet potato casserole served in orange cups, creating a memorable dining experience and a conversation starter.
  • Kid-Friendly Appeal: Delight young diners with sweet potatoes in orange cups, creating a playful and interactive Thanksgiving treat. Kids might even mistake them for cupcakes!
  • Citrus Touch: Enhance sweet potato sweetness with a hint of citrus from the orange cups, adding a special touch to your Thanksgiving feast.
  • Personal Portions: Enjoy the charm of individual servings, making this beautiful dish all the more special for each guest.
  • Deliciously Nutritious: Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse, offering both delectable taste and nourishing benefits, making this dish a hit for health-conscious diners.
Sweet Potatoes In Orange Cups from weelicious.comPin
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!

I’ve been making these Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups for years and years. They’re a staple on our Thanksgiving table. These heavenly treats only take minutes to prepare, and they make quite a visual and edible impact on the kids and adults alike. This recipe is also a time saver when you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner, because the orange pulp that you scoop out goes right into the Orange Cranberry Sauce! Add a green vegetable, a succulent brined turkey and you have a perfect meal for the entire family!

Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups from Weelicious.comPin

How to Make Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups

The Ingredients

  • Sweet Potatoes. You’ll want to use potatoes that are really orange, also known as yams. Other varieties of sweet potatoes (white or purple) won’t work as well for the velvety smooth texture
  • Butter. Unsalted butter is best. If you want to make this dish vegan you can opt for coconut oil or vegan butter.
  • Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup. This boosts the sweetness of the sweet potato casserole just a bit.
  • Evaporated Milk. I use evaporated skim milk because it makes the potatoes really fluffy without adding extra fat from heavy cream, but you can use any milk you prefer. Make this dairy free by using oat, coconut or almond milk.
  • Kosher or Sea Salt. Because salt is always welcome.
  • Mini Marshmallows. The marshmallow topping makes this side dish extra fun, especially for kids. I don’t usually serve foods with tons of sugar, but there are exceptions, and this is one of them. With that said, they aren’t imperative to the recipe so you can leave them off if you prefer.
  • Navel Oranges. The bowls! These give that extra special presentation while infusing the sweet potatoes with a bit of citrus essence. Use the scooped out flesh to make Cranberry Orange Sauce!
The ingredients for Sweet Potatoes in Orange CupsPin

The Directions

  1. Bake the Sweet Potatoes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Poke the yams several times with a fork or knife to pierce the skin. Place on foil or a sheet tray in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
  2. Make Sweet Potato Filling. Let yams cool for several minutes, cut in half and scoop out the fluffy insides (P.S. I love eating the high fiber skin as a snack). Mash the yams with butter, maple syrup, evaporated milk and salt until creamy and fluffy.
  3. Make the Orange Cups: Cut the oranges in half and slice a very thin disk from the bottom so they rest flat. The skins are actually going to be the “bowls”. With a pairing knife cut around the inside rim of the orange removing the orange sections and pulp. Place any of the orange juice and pulp in a bowl and discard the white membranes and seeds. Save the juice and pulp for cranberry sauce recipe or just enjoy as a snack.
  4. Fill and Bake: Fill each orange cup with 1/4 cup of sweet potato puree and top with several mini marshmallows. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place on a sheet tray and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve.

Can Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups Be Made Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! This recipe is designed to save you time on the big day. You have a couple of options for prepping ahead. You can make the sweet potato filling and store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to assemble the orange cups and bake. Alternatively, you can build the cups, fill them, and then refrigerate them covered fully assembled until you’re ready to pop them in the oven. For both scenarios, let the sweet potatoes come to room temperature before you bake. Making this dish ahead of time means you can spend more time enjoying the festivities and a little less time in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day!

Sweet Potatoes In Orange Cups from weelicious.comPin

What to Serve with Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups

Sweet Potatoes In Orange Cups from weelicious.comPin

Make this Thanksgiving extra special with delicious Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups! They’re easy to prepare and a guaranteed hit that will create heartwarming memories around your holiday table. Leave any questions in the comments below and tag me on social media if you make this recipe!

Pin

Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups

This charming twist on a classic sweet potato casserole is not only a treat for the taste buds but also an eye-catching addition to any holiday gathering.
4.60 from 5 votes
Course: Side
Servings: 6
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke the sweet potatoes several times with a fork or knife to pierce the skin.
  • Place on foil or a sheet tray in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
  • Let yams cool for several minutes, cut in half and scoop out the fluffy insides.
  • Mash the yams with butter, maple syrup, evaporated milk and salt until creamy and fluffy.
  • Cut the oranges in half and slice a very thin disk from the bottom so they rest flat. The skins are actually going to be the “bowls”.
  • With a pairing knife cut around the inside rim of the orange removing the orange sections and pulp. Place any of the orange juice and pulp in a bowl and discard the white membranes and seeds. Save the juice and pulp for cranberry sauce recipe or just enjoy as a snack.
  • Fill each orange cup with 1/4 cup of puree and top with several mini marshmallows. You can cover and refrigerate these overnight at this point if you're prepping in advance.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place sweet potato filled orange cups on a sheet tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.
  • Serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 310mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 17g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These are so good. I made them for Thanksgiving and the entire family loved them. The mini marshmallows make such an impact, especially when toasted. Thank you for the amazing recipe! Five stars all the way.

  2. I would place them in a baking dish covered with foil or plastic wrap! You could wait until you get there to brown the marshmallows on top if there will be oven space available, too!

  3. Do you have any suggestions for transporting these to a Friendsgiving potluck I will be attending?

  4. Can this be made as a non dairy treat? My nephews would LOVE this, but they are allergic to dairy.

  5. […] with a fun twist like Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry “Ice Cream” Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups, Frosted Pumpkin Cupcakes and Pumpkin Smoothies. I’m pretty sure the adults will want to […]

  6. This looks like a fun (and healthy desert...even with the marshmallows) to make for kids and company alike! - fantasticsausage | fantasticsausage says:

    […] Source […]

  7. Delicious!! I mean Weelicious! My 2 years old daughter couldn’t stop eating them in Thanksgiving and my parets in law love them. The presentation is amazing but better is when you taste them..

  8. WOW! The puree is delicious. I replaced the butter with coconut oil and the evaporated milk with almond milk. SO.GOOD. Can’t wait for Thursday to share it with the family. Thanks for another great recipe! 🙂

  9. Kat, I used coconut oil to replace the butter and unsweetened vanilla almond milk to replace the milk. We’ve yet to assemble them with the orange cups and marshmallows, but the puree is absolutely delicious!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating