Chickpea Sweet Potato Boats

These Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are filled with protein-rich chickpeas, savory marinara, and topped with fresh sprouts. Enjoy them for lunch, dinner, even breakfast, if desired! Bake and stuff then dig in!

If you love Vegan Twice-Baked Potatoes, you’re going to love these Stuffed Sweet Potato Boats! They’re even easier to make, yet are just as satisfying to snack on any time of day. Tender sweet potato, crispy chickpeas, marinara sauce, and fresh sprouts. It’s one of my favorite ways to use up extra potatoes!

Why You’ll Love These Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

• Meal prep friendly. If you’re like us, you usually don’t have a ton of time to prepare a healthy meal during the work week. These potatoes can be prepped on Sunday night and enjoyed throughout the week for an easy plant-based meal. 
• Oil-free option. These stuffed sweet potatoes are easy to make oil-free and are also naturally gluten-free and vegan. They’re suitable for a Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet and many types of eaters. 
• Easy to customize. Don’t have chickpeas? Try black beans! No marinara sauce? Use any other sauce of choice. Switch things up to suit your pantry and taste buds. 
• A great source of fiber. Sweet potatoes and chickpeas are an excellent source of plant-based fiber and are great ingredients to incorporate in any diet!
• Made with just 4 simple ingredients. ​Prepping healthy, delicious food doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming or expensive. These chickpea-stuffed sweet potatoes are made with just 4 ingredients with 10 minutes of prep time. You won’t regret it!

The Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes: Fresh, whole sweet potatoes or pre-baked sweet potato halves will work. I haven’t tested this stuffed potato recipe with russet potatoes and cannot guarantee it will work, but feel free to experiment! 
• Oil: Use a neutral cooking oil. I recommend olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil. If oil-free, omit – the recipe will still work without it.  
• Chickpeas: An excellent source of plant-based protein that will help keep you full and satisfied. I used a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas for a quick prep. If cooking beans from scratch, use 1 ¾ cups of cooked beans. 
• Marinara sauce: Adds flavor, savoriness, and compliments the sweetness in the baked sweet potatoes. If you don’t love marinara sauce, I’ve listed a few flavor variations to try below! 
• Sunflower sprouts: Adds a boost of freshness and texture to the finished dish. Feel free to replace with your favorite fresh herbs like fresh basil, green onion, or omit the sprouts entirely.

Add-ins and Variations

• Microwave your sweet potatoes: ​Baking sweet potatoes takes about 30 minutes. For a shorter prep, learn How to Microwave Sweet Potatoes and have them soft and fluffy in a fraction of the time.
• Chickpea substitutes: Swap the chickpeas with any other legume such as black beans, pinto beans, white beans, or green lentils. 
• Use air fried chickpeas: If you’re short on oven space, use our Air Fryer Chickpeas recipe instead of the oven-baked instructions. 
• Taco stuffed sweet potatoes: Replace the marinara sauce with enchilada sauce and add your favorite taco toppings such as vegan sour cream, Roasted Red Salsa, hot sauce, diced red onion, fresh cilantro, romaine, vegan cheddar cheese, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. 
• BBQ stuffed sweet potatoes: Swap the marinara sauce for BBQ sauce and replace the chickpeas with chopped BBQ Tempeh or Vegan BBQ Jackfruit. Top with Vegan Coleslaw and fresh cilantro, then serve with a side of Spicy Collard Greens. 
• More sauce variations: ​These potatoes can be served with virtually any sauce of choice. Try Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce, Creamy Vegan Garlic Sauce, Chili Cashew Sauce, or Avocado Green Goddess Dressing.

How to Make Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

• 1) Start by prepping the potatoes. Slice the sweet potatoes in half and brush the exposed flesh with oil. Place the sweet potato halves face up on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and easily pierced with a fork.

• 2) Next, prep the chickpeas. Spread the chickpeas on a separate baking sheet and season with salt and paprika. Bake the chickpeas for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. 

• 3) Once the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are ready, remove from the oven and begin to assemble. Spread the tops of the sweet potato halves with marinara sauce, then top with fresh sunflower sprouts, roasted chickpeas, or as desired. 
• 4) Serve while warm. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

Top Recipe Tips 

• Use large sweet potatoes. ​The larger the sweet potatoes, the easier they will be to stuff and scoop the filling from. 
• Adjust the bake time as needed. ​Larger potatoes will require a longer bake. The best way to test if your sweet potatoes are cooked through is to pierce the flesh with a fork. If the fork goes through easily, the potatoes are ready. If there is any resistance, they need a longer bake. 
• For a more caramelized sweet potato, bake cut side down. Place the potato halves face side down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. This allows the flesh of the potatoes to caramelize and become more sweet and flavorful.

Serving Suggestions 

Sweet potato skins can be served as a delicious appetizer or a healthy plant-based main for lunch or dinner. It even makes a great, quick snack on-the-go. 

I personally love serving these stuffed sweet potatoes with simple veggie sides like Sautéed Asparagus, Vegan Fried Cabbage, or Vegan Brussels Sprouts. 

They’re also delicious with Vegan Appetizers like Crispy Breaded Tofu Sticks, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, or a Tomato and Silken Tofu Caprese Salad.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover stuffed sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat stuffed potatoes in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through.

More Vegan Sweet Potato Recipes 

• Sweet Potato Burritos
• Vegan Sweet Potato Salad
• Easy Sweet Potato Toast
• Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce with Spaghetti
• Healthy Sweet Potato Fried Rice
• Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Photos by Alfonso Revilla