Name: Almond Amaretto Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 large sweet potatoes (peeled, cut into chunks); 2 medium sweet onions (chopped in 1" chunks); 2-3 tablespoons olive oil; ¼ cup amaretto liqueur; 1 large orange (zest and juice); 1 teaspoon dried thyme; salt/pepper (to taste); ¼ cup sliced almonds (toasted)

^{These boozy sweet potatoes are a sinful side to any adult dinner party. Who knew?! Liquor coated potatoes are super easy to make and pack such bold flavors with only a few simple ingredients.}

Stop everything you’re doing and save this recipe right now! Liquor and potatoes, two of man’s favorite foods, are making their way into one dish and these tots are insanely delicious! Besides the fact that you probably have all these ingredients in your pantry (and behind your bar), these are easy to make for pretty much any occasion.

My family used to make this recipe during the colder months as sweet potatoes were in an abundance. It then turned into a Thanksgiving/Christmas staple for both my brother and me. Let me tell you, you become wildly popular at a Friends-giving/Christmas dinner if you bring the carbs doused in alcohol. And now it’s St. Patty’s week and this recipe makes sense on sooooo many different levels.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that these still hold some nutritional value too. Sweet potatoes are packed with tons of vitamins, potassium and beta-carotene. The crunchy almonds are perfect for a little added protein and fiber. These are also baked with a small amount of healthy fat, so, there’s little harm done when making these potatoes.

Seeing that Amaretto has an almond-like flavor, it is super versatile in cocktails, desserts, and now savory side dishes. It can be pungent if sipped alone, that’s why added sweetness or creaminess in a recipe or drink can balance it out. The added orange in this recipe also mellows out the liquor flavor while still adding a bright freshness to the sweet potatoes.

Once you make this recipe for the first time, you really will see how easy it is to make over and over again. There aren’t a ton of ways to mess this up. In fact, it lends itself to a lot of flexibility too. If you want to add more sweetness to balance the amaretto, drizzle on some honey. To add more warmth to the flavor profile, a dash of cinnamon would also do. Although it’s cooked and served in very small amounts, if you’re not interested in adding raw alcohol to this recipe, there are non-alcoholic versions of amaretto as well!

I’m telling you, this is such a unique potato side dish that will truly impress your guests. Never be the friend that shows up with the same boring mashed potatoes or marshmallow loaded sweet potatoes again. Treat your friends and family to these drunken potatoes and I assure you, they’ll be a hit!

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Almond Amaretto Sweet Potatoes

Print Recipe

These boozy sweet potatoes are a sinful side to any adult dinner party. Who knew?! Liquor coated potatoes are super easy to make and pack such bold flavors with only a few simple ingredients.

Prep Time:10 mins

Cook Time:50 mins

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes peeled, cut into chunks
2 medium sweet onions chopped in 1" chunks
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup amaretto liqueur
1 large orange zest and juice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt/pepper to taste
¼ cup sliced almonds toasted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°.
In a shallow, medium sized baking dish, toss all ingredients together minus the almonds.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender. Remove from oven.
Sprinkle with almonds. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

How long does it last and where?

I am a big believer that the longer they sit in the fridge, the more flavor they develop. After baked and completely cooled, these will last in the fridge for up to 4-5 days if sealed in a container.

Can you freeze this recipe?

No, there is no need to freeze these.

Substitutions?

Not feeling the alcohol? Not a problem. There are alcohol-free versions of amaretto or you can nix it all together.

Yams or sweet potatoes, although debatable if there is a difference, can both be used in this recipe. I would not recommend using anything other than fresh. Canned substitutes are packed full of sweetness and are super mushy.

If you don’t have almonds, chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios or even hazelnuts could probably all work for a swap. Lightly salted roasted almonds or even honey roasted almonds would work for this as long as they are sliced or chopped.

As for onions, red, white or yellow are all decent options. I would stick with any onion that can be cut into large chunks.

You can always add a drizzle of honey, extra orange juice or even balsamic glaze at the end to enhance the sweetness. The fresh orange juice and zest are there to compliment the flavors.

Tips and tricks

I highly recommend peeling the sweet potatoes. Sometimes the skins can be too chewy and it’s not worth the risk.

When cutting the sweet potatoes I would suggest 1-2” cubes. Make sure all the potato pieces are equal in size for even cooking. Same for the onions. The onions can be slightly smaller in cuts, or, you can peel apart the layers of the pieces after cutting so they cook faster.