The skins come out of the air fryer looking ready before the centers are always tender, so I check each sweet potato with a knife rather than guessing from its color. Once it slides easily into the middle, these air fryer twice baked sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows turn into a different kind of comfort food: soft filling, buttery brown sugar, and a puffed marshmallow top.
I leave a little flesh inside each skin when I scoop, which gives the halves enough support to hold their filling. The sweet potato gets mashed with butter, milk, cinnamon, and salt until smooth, then spooned back into the shells. A short second air-fry at a lower temperature gives the mini marshmallows time to puff and turn lightly golden without losing the sweet potato underneath.
Kitchen Note
The marshmallows can go from puffed to golden quickly, so I start checking them at the 2-minute mark. Pull the halves when the tops are lightly golden; waiting for a deep brown finish can leave them scorched.
Save these air fryer twice baked sweet potatoes for their soft brown-sugar filling and lightly golden marshmallow tops.
The 8-to-10-Ounce Sweet Potato Is What Makes the Timing Work
Air fryers move hot air around a compact basket, but sweet potatoes still cook at different speeds when their sizes vary. I use medium potatoes in the 8-to-10-ounce range so the 35-to-45-minute first cook gives the centers time to soften without leaving the skins collapsed and difficult to fill. If one potato is much larger than the other, it may need longer; use tenderness, not matching appearances, to judge each one.
Turning the potatoes halfway through helps expose both sides to the moving heat. The finish line is a knife that slides into the center without meeting a firm spot. A potato that looks wrinkled outside but resists the knife needs more time before you scoop it; otherwise, the filling can be difficult to mash smooth. That first cook is where the potato’s size matters most, because the marshmallow finish is intentionally brief.
Why Mini Marshmallows Make the Best Top for These Stuffed Skins
- Sweet potatoes — Firm potatoes with unbroken skins are easiest to scoop and fill. Similar-sized potatoes cook more evenly, and the specified medium size keeps the first air-fry timing predictable. There isn’t a close substitute that gives the same sweet, earthy filling and sturdy shell.
- Unsalted butter — Butter adds richness and helps the mashed flesh turn creamy. Unsalted butter is useful here because the salt can be measured separately; standard grocery-store butter works well, so there’s no need for a specialty brand.
- Light brown sugar — Its mild molasses note fits the sweet potato without overtaking it, and the packed sugar blends into the mash. Dark brown sugar works in its place in the same amount, with a deeper molasses flavor.
- Milk — A small amount loosens the mash so it spoons back into the skins instead of sitting in stiff clumps. Use the milk you normally keep; adding much more can make the filling loose rather than fluffy.
- Ground cinnamon — Cinnamon brings warmth that keeps the brown sugar from tasting one-note. Fresh, fragrant ground cinnamon makes the biggest difference; there’s no need to add a spice blend.
- Mini marshmallows — Their small size spreads across the filling and puffs quickly during the short second air-fry. The familiar bagged kind is fine. Large marshmallows don’t cover the tops as evenly, so minis are the better fit for this method.
From Tender Potato to Puffed Marshmallow Tops
Air-Fry the Potatoes Until the Centers Give
Preheat a 5- to 6-quart air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork, then place them in the basket and air fry for 35 to 45 minutes, turning halfway through. A knife should slide easily into the center; if it catches on a firm spot, keep cooking until the potato is tender all the way through.
Scoop Without Breaking the Skins
Let the potatoes rest for 5 minutes before cutting each one lengthwise. Scoop the flesh into a medium bowl and leave about 1/4 inch inside each skin. That thin layer helps the skins keep their shape while you fill them, so take care not to scrape right down to the skin.
Mash the Filling and Refill the Halves
Mash the sweet potato flesh with the butter, brown sugar, milk, cinnamon, and salt until the mixture looks smooth. If you leave firm chunks, they’ll stay in the filling rather than disappearing during the second air-fry. Spoon the mash evenly back into the skins, then press the mini marshmallows lightly over the tops instead of packing them down.
Finish at 350°F Until the Tops Puff
Arrange the filled halves in a single layer in the air fryer basket, working in batches if needed. Air fry at 350°F for 2 to 4 minutes, until the marshmallows are puffed and lightly golden. The lower temperature gives the topping time to soften and color while keeping the finish short.
Two Easy Ways to Change the Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Balance
Make the Filling Dairy-Free
Use dairy-free butter in place of the unsalted butter and unsweetened oat milk instead of the milk, keeping the same amounts. The filling stays smooth, though it won’t have quite the same buttery richness as the original.
Leave Some Halves Without Marshmallows
For a less-sweet serving, top only the halves you want with marshmallows and leave the rest as brown-sugar cinnamon sweet potato. The plain-topped halves skip the marshmallow finish and keep the filling’s buttery, spiced taste in the foreground.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store covered for 3 to 4 days. The marshmallow topping softens as it sits, but the sweet potato filling keeps well.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing the assembled halves; the marshmallows turn sticky and the skins soften after thawing.
- Reheating: Microwave one half at a time until the center reaches 165°F. The topping will soften, but this warms the filling without browning the marshmallows further.
Questions That Come Up While Making These Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Air Fryer Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Marshmallows
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat a 5- to 6-quart air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
- Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork.
- Place the sweet potatoes in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 35 to 45 minutes, turning halfway through, until a knife slides easily into the centers.
- Let the sweet potatoes rest for 5 minutes.
- Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh inside each skin.
- Mash the sweet potato flesh with the butter, brown sugar, milk, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into the skins.
- Press the mini marshmallows lightly over the tops.
- Air fry the filled halves in a single layer, working in batches if needed, at 350°F for 2 to 4 minutes, until the marshmallows are puffed and lightly golden; check them after 2 minutes.