Vegan Baked Potato Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can vegans eat baked potatoes? ›

Satisfying and delicious, making a Vegan Baked Potato has never been so easy. This post is loaded with tons of ideas on vegan baked potato toppings but also provides a recipe for a tasty but easy meal or decadent side. Skip to the Recipe! This post may contain affiliate links.

Check for Doneness

Simply slide the tip of a knife or skewer into the thickest part of the potato. If it pierces the center easily and meets no resistance, your baked beauties are ready to serve. You can also use an instant-read thermometer; inserted into the center of the potato, the temperature should read 208-211˚F.

Wrapping potatoes in foil does not hasten baking. On the contrary, since the foil itself has to be heated before the potato begins to bake, cooking times increase slightly. Not only do you get better baked potatoes when you bake them unwrapped, you also save money.

A: I would just skip poking the potato all together. It is very rare that a baked potato will burst if the steam can't escape.

Bread containing eggs, honey, royal jelly, gelatin, or dairy-based ingredients like milk, butter, buttermilk, whey, or casein isn't considered vegan. You may also come across these ingredients that are usually — but not always — vegan: Mono and diglycerides.

Lighten up your meal by swapping the fries in any Wendy's combo for apple bites or a plain baked potato, both of which are vegan.

We recommend baking potatoes at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Smaller spuds might take a little less time, while larger baking potatoes over 1 pound might take a little more.

Baking at 450 degrees F is way too high and the potato will have a wrinkled skin. Baking for an hour and a half is too long, the potato will be overcooked. Of course it can take that long if potatoes are stacked on top of each other.

Raw potatoes contain solanine and lectins, two compounds that can cause gastric distress and potentially make you sick. Additionally, raw potatoes contain resistant starch, which is difficult to digest, and their overall taste and texture is nothing like the potatoes you know and love. When in doubt, cook that potato.

Some say wrapping baked potatoes in aluminum foil helps them cook faster (aluminum conducts heat, then traps it), and it does keep them hot for longer once they come out of the oven, which is why we think restaurants use this method. Wrapping potatoes will also give you a softer, steamed skin, if that's what you like.

Should you poke holes in potatoes before baking? ›

Poke the potatoes with a fork just enough to pierce the skin so the potato won't burst when baking, especially in the microwave. Four or five times should be plenty. A potato is composed mainly of water, so poking them helps release steam as it cooks.

Baking potatoes generally requires a moderate to high oven temperature to ensure they cook through evenly and develop a crisp skin. The ideal temperature for baking potatoes is around 375°F to 425°F (190°C to 220°C). Preheat your oven to around 375°F to 425°F (190°C to 220°C).

We actually don't do anything special to keep the potatoes from exploding in the oven. Some people prefer to poke holes in their potatoes (which is said to let the steam out of the potatoes, preventing explosion), but because we've never ever experienced a potato explosion, we skip that step.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

You should certainly rinse the potatoes — we prefer russets — to remove any dirt and debris. You can even give them a quick scrub with a vegetable brush. But you need to dry the spuds well after the bath. Excess moisture on the skin can seep into the potato during baking and cause soggy skins.

For a healthy vegan diet: eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates (choose wholegrain where possible)

Potatoes absolutely can be part of a healthy plant-based diet!

You probably have far more options for local baked goods than you realize. To start, French bread and baguettes are nearly always vegan, and excellent regional brands are available almost everywhere. Your local bakery probably has a few vegan items as well, even if it makes no particular effort to cater to vegans.