The Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes (Vegan)

These are the ultimate twice-baked potatoes that had us talking for days! Fresh russet potatoes are baked to perfection and then carefully scooped and swirled with plant butter, delicious creamy vegan cheddar cheese, and a few other of our healthy vegan favorites. These vegan twice-baked potatoes are covered in cheese sauce before the baking finale.

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The Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes (Vegan)

We fought over the last potato half and in the end we agreed to share it. I am the one that cut it so I obviously cut it over the line and gave myself the biggest half. Don't tell anyone that.

These vegan twice-baked potatoes were seriously good. And, as someone who is actively trying to trick my kids and my older parents into being vegans, this recipe is A+, one for the books. I already tricked my husband enough times to bring him on board, so that's why I believe this kind of trickery works and is well-rewarded when someone agrees to eat more plant-based recipes.

After those gorgeous potatoes were gone, we talked about them for the rest of the day, and I agreed to make them again tomorrow night for dinner. It's a win for everyone.

Do you have to poke holes in potatoes before baking?

Yes. You totally do. You have to poke holes in potatoes before baking them. A potato is around 80% water. When you heat the potato the water turns to steam, and just like in a kettle of boiling water that steam needs to escape. Since the skin of the potato keeps that water vapor in, poking holes before baking gives the steam a way to escape without exploding the whole potato. And trust me, you will want to follow these ultimate twice-baked potatoes through to the end instead of stopping to clean your oven.

Can you make twice baked potatoes in the microwave?

Here's my short answer: I guess.

Here's my long answer: There are many better ways to cook potatoes than in the microwave. For one, the potatoes almost always dry out in the middle at best. At worst, the ends become gummy, hard, and totally dehydrated. Microwaves generally (in my experience) cook foods fairly unevenly. It's important for these to be cooked evenly since you will be scooping out the cooked potato. Once you do that step, there is less of a chance to cook the volume of scooped potato evenly again.

If you want to make these faster, you can cook them in the air fryer at the same temperature in 40 minutes, to begin with (saves 20 minutes at the front).

INGREDIENTS AND BRANDS I USED FOR THIS RECIPE:

I find it helpful for bloggers to share the brands that they use when making recipes. As a vegan, we all have our favorites but not all vegan brands taste the same. I hope you find this resource helpful!

• Russet potatoes: These are the biggest for making my ultimate twice-baked potatoes. The skin is thick for crisping and the flesh becomes fluffy for whipping.
• Olive oil: I usually buy the best I can afford, always extra virgin.
• Sea Salt: Nothing beats course sea salt, especially for potato skins.
• Vegan Cheddar Shreds: My favorite is Daiya, and I have found this in most supermarkets. It melts creamy and has a cheesy flavor without the weird flavors of other brands.
• Almond Milk: I don't have a favorite, any unsweetened, unflavored almond milk will do.
• Vegan Butter: I use Country Crock Plant Butter (Sticks). These come in stick form just like regular butter with measurements on the side. Tastes and cooks just like butter.
• Vegan Cream Cheese: I use Kite Hill Almond Milk cream cheese. This is cultured cream cheese, so it has a similar tanginess to dairy cream cheese.
• Nutritional Yeast: I don't have a favorite brand, I am currently using Anthonys.

How To Make These Delicious Cheesy Twice Baked Potatoes

Cheesy, creamy, delicious (ultimate) twice-baked potatoes are so easy to make! The full printable recipe can be found below, this version includes a few extra notes from me.

1. Start by cleaning the potatoes really well. I use a strong bristled scrubber that I keep by the sink just for this purpose. You really want to get as much dirt as possible off the potato skin.
2. Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. This will give you the crispiest skin possible, and we are here for the crispy skin right?!?
3. Wrap them in aluminum foil making sure oil can't escape. I like to roll the potato and then fold the sides in and keep rolling (like a burrito).
4. You are going to pop the potatoes in a hot oven (450°F), straight on the rack...no baking sheet. Double-check that oil can't drip out of the foil.
5. Find something to do for an hour, or work on making the rest of the meal.

The second bake:

1. Take the potatoes out of the oven and CAREFULLY unwrap them, they will be hot. Cut them in half.
2. With a spoon, carefully scoop out the soft inside of the potato, starting about ¼ inch away from the edge where the skin is. Scoop it out into a mixing bowl. If you aren't careful, the skin will tear and the insides will melt out during the second bake. I'm telling you this from experience.
3. Next is the fun part, you will go ahead and combine the cooked potato you have scraped out with the butter, cheese, cream cheese, almond milk, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Whip it all together with a hand mixer. Get those beaters going until it all smooth and creamy.
4. Scoop the creamy potato mixture into the skins (they will be overflowing, that's a good thing). Stand them up in a casserole dish and cover the dish with foil.
5. Back in the oven for 30 minutes.

The cheesy sauce:

1. Make the cheese sauce when there are about 5 minutes left before the potatoes come out. Stir together vegan cheddar cheese, with almond milk, and crushed red pepper (optional), until fully melted and creamy.
2. Take the potatoes out of the oven and cover each one equally with cheese sauce.
3. Set the oven to broil at 500°F, and place the potatoes under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Keep the oven door open and watch them closely to make sure the cheese sauce doesn't burn.

SERVE THESE ULTIMATE TWICE BAKED POTATOES WITH:

• Fennel Apple Salad with Orange Poppy Vinaigrette
• Kale Salad with Pomegranate and Wild Rice
• Instant Pot Panera 10 Vegetable Soup
• Easy Vegetable Soup in 30 Minutes

Hey- you’ve made it this far, and now we’re BFFs.  If you make these vegan twice-baked potatoes, I would love for you to give it a star rating below (scroll down to the comments).  P.S. What makes me happiest is hearing from you!  Make sure you follow me on Instagram (please tag me!), Pinterest, and Facebook too!  

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