Vegan Baked Potato (Loaded and Delicious)

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.

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Hey Internet, I know at first it seems silly that I am creating a whole recipe post for a vegan baked potato. I mean, potatoes are already vegan--just throw them in the oven, right?

For the longest time I was afraid to bake a whole potato, and it wasn’t until I started making them a few times a week that I was confident in that skill. I know that sounds silly, but we all have our quirks in the kitchen!

So if you’re just here to figure out how to make a really delicious baked potato that just happens to be vegan, that’s cool and I’m gonna help you.

But there’s also the question of what do you put on it? Butter’s out. Sour cream’s out. Cheese and bacon? We can do better.

In the UK, this would be called a vegan jacket potato--which I think is super cute and it kind of does look like it has a little jacket, right?

Ok nevermind. Anyway I’ve got a great vegan loaded baked potato recipe for you today. It’s loaded with stuff you can a.) make from home; b.) buy from a store; or c.) do a mix of the two -- whatever’s easiest for you or whatever you prefer.

I like to give folks the option because I don’t know how much time you have to make things from scratch, BUT I know there are folks who like to make stuff from scratch (like me!) and folks who are avoiding certain things common in store-bought vegan foods like oil or nuts.

So for the things like vegan sour cream, cheese, etc. I’ll give you some recipes if you want to make them yourself, but I’ve tested this recipe both with homemade and store-bought and it works with either or a combination. Do what works best for you and your family.

Technically these are vegan twice baked potatoes because we are baking them twice… but it isn’t like the recipe where you scoop out the potato innards, mix it with stuff, and then add it back in. But you could do that if you want to.
No, this recipe just involves baking the potato, cutting it open, topping it with some awesome stuff, baking it again just to melt everything, and then you’re done. They’re super delicious and easy to make.

And while this dish does take a little longer to make because most potatoes take around 40-60 minutes to bake, that leaves you enough time to make something to go with it like a veggie such as air fryer brussels sprouts or a protein such as my vegan steak. These would also be great with my portobello mushroom steaks.

Alright let’s get on with my recipe and then some topping ideas.

What You’ll Need to make a Vegan Loaded Baked Potato

Keep in mind this recipe is just what is shown in the photos and video on this page--you can top a baked potato with whatever you like. See my vegan baked potato toppings section below.

• Potatoes: What potatoes are best for baked potatoes? I recommend using large Russet potatoes, as when they are baked they retain a nice skin that can get crispy, the insides get fluffy, and it has a good hearty taste which is perfect to add a bunch of toppings to. Red potatoes or gold potatoes will work if that’s what you have, but they tend to be a little waxier, making them better for roasting or mashing. Oh, and you could definitely use sweet potatoes instead, which may have a somewhat different flavor, but they have similar texture to a Russet potato.
• Olive oil, optional: A little olive oil on the outside of your potato will help the skin crisp up and give it some nice flavor, but it’s entirely optional.
• Sea salt: I like to add a sprinkle of salt to the outsides of my potatoes before roasting as it gives a lot more flavor to the finished potato, but it’s also optional. If you’re oil-free, you can wet your potatoes with a little water and then sprinkle the sea salt to get it to stick.
• Vegan sour cream: I love my homemade tofu sour cream recipe for a delicious but low fat sour cream substitute. However, you can also use store-bought vegan sour cream. I really like the Kite Hill brand.
• Vegan shredded cheese: If you want to go homemade, try my vegan nut-free cheddar block and shred it against a box grater. For store-bought, I love Violife cheddar or Follow Your Heart Cheddar but anything should work. You can also just drizzle on a cheese sauce, like my nut-free vegan cheese sauce which is crazy delicious.
• Vegan bacon bits: I like to use my homemade vegan bacon bits because they’re super easy and crazy good. But you could also chop up store-bought vegan bacon (I recommend pre-cooking it before adding it to potatoes) if you prefer.
• Green onions: Some fresh green onions (also called spring onions or scallions) or chives will be great in this recipe. I used green onions--just the top green part--and sprinkled them on just before serving (they can burn in the oven).

Vegan Baked Potato Toppings

So what are you to put on a vegan baked potato? Here’s lots of different ideas--mix and match, or make a baked potato bar for your next fun dinner idea.

• Any kind of vegan cheese, of course
• Vegan feta would be great for a mediterranean-style baked potato, maybe with some olives, fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, and some tomatoes?
• Vegan bacon bits or portobello bacon
• Guacamole or just avocado
• Ooh, everything but the bagel seasoning
• Black beans--maybe you use canned or something fabulous like my Instant Pot black beans, then throw some corn or salsa on there, some cilantro, vegan queso (coming soon!), etc.
• Canned baked beans would be great on a baked potato with some vegan cheese.
• Steamed or roasted veggies -- now I want to try roasted brussels sprouts in a baked potato, drizzled with my nut-free vegan cheese sauce.
• Pizza style with marinara, vegan mozzarella cheese sauce, maybe some vegan pepperoni.
• Caramelized onions and mushrooms, yesss
• Roasted broccoli with the nut-free vegan cheese sauce, oh yeah, that’s going on next week’s meal plan.
• Vegan cashew pesto
• Crunchy roasted chickpeas
• Tofu scramble
• Vegan twice baked potatoes all mixed together and then added back and baked--that sounds good too but I also love it just like a vegan baked potato that’s topped with a bunch of stuff like this one.
• If you’re using a sweet potato, try nut butter, berries, banana, maple syrup or agave or vegan honey, etc.
• The possibilities are endless!

How to Make a Loaded Vegan Baked Potato

• Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 degrees Celsius) and lining a baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. You don’t have to line it, but if you’re going to oil and salt your potatoes, it saves on pan cleanup. I find the baking mat easier to clean than the tray.
• Pierce cleaned potatoes with a fork a few times--I don’t know for sure that the potato won’t blow up, but I do think it helps it cook more evenly. 
• Optional step: Rub potatoes with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle on a bit of sea salt. Rub the salt around so it doesn’t concentrate in one spot. You don’t need to go crazy with it--we’ll be adding more flavor later.
• Bake potatoes for 40-70 minutes--this entirely depends on just how big your potatoes are. The way to tell if they’re done is to pierce them with a fork--if the fork easily goes through, they’re done. Mine took about 42 minutes. That’s kinda precise, but it was a guess and I was right, lol.
• Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them rest a few minutes--they’re pretty hot right now anyway, obviously.
• Turn up the oven heat to 475 degrees Fahrenheit (246 degrees Celsius) or so. I find this heat is good for melting the vegan cheese.
• Cut open the potatoes. If you want, use a fork to gently mash up some of the inside. I just drag the fork back and forth a few times on each inner side of the potato to kind of fluff up the innards a bit.
• Stuff the potatoes. You can add a little vegan butter right now if you want, but I didn’t find it necessary with all the other stuff I added. Add the vegan sour cream and a generous layer of vegan cheese. Since I precooked my homemade vegan bacon bits, it worked better to add them after the second baking. I also wait till the end to add the green onions or chives since they’ll burn at this temperature.
• Place the potatoes back in the oven and cook just until the cheese is melted. I find 5-10 minutes is sufficient. You can use the broiler if you prefer.
• Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, sprinkle with vegan bacon bits and green onions or chives and enjoy!
• Refrigerate leftover baked potatoes in an airtight container for 3-4 days. I recommend reheating in the oven but the microwave will also work. I just think the texture is best when reheated in the oven, but I don’t always have that option if taking leftovers to work.

More Vegan Potato Recipes

I love potatoes. I use them in any way I can think of.

• Vegan Potato Kugel
• Vegan Potato Nachos
• I like to dip potato wedges or oven “fries” in this vegan cauliflower cheese sauce
• Also great in this vegan cauliflower gratin
• Vegan Smoky Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Potato Topping
• And vegan garlic mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy
• Of course vegan latkes and/or vegan spinach artichoke latkes
• Oh and a potato hash brown crust on vegan quiche
• And they’d be a great base under Vegan Swedish Meatballs which reminds me I need to rephotograph and film that recipe with mashed potatoes. Yum.

Anything Else?

As always, I hope you love these--I know I do, and Mr. Zardyplants does, too. He kept complimenting my cooking while he was eating. 

He said he couldn’t wait to get these on the blog so we could share with our readers! Exactly how I feel! :)

These vegan loaded baked potatoes are

• Fun
• Delicious
• Customizable
• Savory
• Healthy
• Satisfying
• Great for kids to help build their own
• And perfect for a family dinner, main or side!

Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)

Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!

<3 Liz

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