Loaded Vegan Baked Potatoes
The best vegan baked potato recipe creates a perfectly crispy potato crust with a soft and fluffy inside, all loaded with the best toppings.
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You’re gonna love this vegan baked potatoes recipe! Not only is it easy and nutritious, but baked potatoes are also satisfying too. Add vegan chili, cheese, and sour cream to load your potatoes just right!
I learned after my sister did a DNA test that we are over 50% Scottish. This, I’ve decided, is the reason I’m so in love with potatoes. I’ve got no shortage of vegan potato recipes, including Vegan Scalloped Potatoes.
But to me, there’s nothing like a baked potato. Before I met my husband, I made baked potatoes for dinner almost every day. Throw in some steamed broccoli and add some vegan cheese and sour cream and you’ve got yourself a feast!
I’m like Forrest Gump when it comes to potatoes. I can eat them fried, boiled, baked, scalloped, twice baked, and many other ways.
But loaded with all these great ingredients? This has to be my absolute favorite…at least for the moment.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:
- Potatoes — You’ll need 4 large russet potatoes for this dish.
- Vegetarian chili — You can use canned vegetable chili, but why not make this super easy vegan chili at home!
- Vegetable broth — I recommend using Better than Bouillon Vegetarian combined with water to create a high-quality broth.
- Vegan butter — Use your favorite dairy-free butter or margarine for this recipe.
- Green onion — You’ll need one or two green onion stalks.
- Vegan cheese — There are a variety of vegan cheeses available these days. We use either Daiya or Follow Your Heart Cheddar Cheese on these vegan potatoes. Here are tips on melting vegan cheese.
- Vegan sour cream — You can find vegan sour cream at health food stores, most major grocery store chains, and even places like Target and Walmart. Substitute cashew cream or plain vegan yogurt (unsweetened).
- Veggie bacon — Use store-bought veggie bacon or substitute vegan bacon bits (most of them are accidentally vegan), tempeh bacon, or bacon-flavored almonds.
What Potatoes Are Best for Baked Potatoes?
Russet potatoes are the best choice for baking due to their starchy, firm texture, and low moisture content. This ensures light, fluffy insides and crispy skins. While red potatoes and Yukon Gold have higher moisture content, making them denser, they can be used in a pinch. To speed up baking, poke a metal skewer through the center of a russet potato. Use tongs to check for doneness; if the potato yields to gentle pressure, it’s ready.
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- Flavorful: The combination of hearty veggie chili, creamy vegan cheese, and tangy vegan sour cream creates a symphony of tastes in every bite.
- Nourishing: Packed with plant-based protein and fiber, this loaded baked potato is both satisfying and nutritious, making it a perfect meal.
- Comforting: The tender baked potato with its fluffy interior and crispy skin provides a cozy, comforting base for the delicious toppings.
How to Make Loaded Vegan Baked Potatoes
The trick to this recipe is baking the potatoes to get a nice, crispy, flavorful crust. I’m providing a microwave option as well, but oven-baked is by far the best. Of course, you’ll also want to use baked potato toppings that are vegan.
- Prepare the potatoes by washing and patting them dry. Then prick each with a fork.
- Place potatoes in the oven and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Heat vegan chili in the microwave or stovetop until warmed through
- Cut a vertical line on top of each slightly cooled potato.
- Gently mash vegan butter and vegetable broth into the potato flesh.
- Add heated chili, green onion, vegan sour cream, and shredded vegan cheese.
- Place potatoes on a plate and microwave them until the cheese is melted.
I love this tip from America’s Test Kitchen on soaking potatoes in a salt brine before baking.
Quick Fix Tip
Many microwaves include a potato setting. This can be a great way of cooking potatoes in a microwave. You can also cook potatoes half-way in the microwave and then transfer them to the heated oven to finish baking and get a crispy crust.
Oven-Baked Potatoes
Baking potatoes in the oven is best for achieving that perfect crispy crust. Here’s how:
- Place prepared potatoes directly on the oven racks.
- Bake at 375°F for 60 to 75 minutes, until tender.
- Use tongs to remove the potatoes and let them cool until they can be handled
Vegan Baked Potato Toppings
Here are the vegan toppings for baked potatoes that I’m recommending: veggie chili, vegan sour cream, and vegan cheese.
- Prepare the Chili: While the potatoes are baking, heat your veggie chili. If you haven’t prepared it, my easy Vegan Chili recipe can be ready in minutes. Transfer the chili to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
- Get Ready: Set out vegan butter and vegan cheddar shreds to come to room temperature.
- Prepare the Potatoes: Once the potatoes are done and cool enough to handle, cut them down the middle. Add a bit of vegan butter and pour a little vegetable broth inside each potato. Use a fork to gently mash the broth and potato flesh together.
- Top and Melt: Top each potato with veggie chili, green onions, and shredded vegan cheese. Microwave for 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts. For a twist, add some vegan cream cheese or some vegan feta crumbles.
- Finish: Top with vegan sour cream and, if desired, vegetarian bacon bits. Enjoy!
Vegan Add-ins
Making your baked potato vegan is easy with the right add-ins. Consider these great vegan toppings to either add to or replace the suggested ones:
- Up to a 1/2 cup of black beans per potato
- Drizzle with Vegan Alfredo sauce
- Add Steamed Broccoli and then drizzle with vegan broccoli soup.
- Add some tempeh bacon crumbles
- Chopped green onions.
Hosting a party? Create a vegan baked potato bar with these toppings for guests to customize their own potatoes. No matter what you choose, these vegan stuffed potatoes are delicious!
More Vegan Potato Recipes
If you’re like me, you are in love with these vegan loaded potatoes! So, how about some more vegan potato recipes! Here ya go:
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Loaded Vegan Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes washed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups vegan chili
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon green onion finely chopped
- 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds
- 1 cup vegan sour cream
- 4 teaspoons vegan bacon bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Wash and dry potatoes, then prick each with a fork several times (around 6 pricks per potato)
- Microwave Baked Potatoes: Place prepared potatoes in a microwave and either use the baked potato setting on your microwave or cook for 10 minutes. Use tongs to turn potatoes and cook for 5 additional minutes. Use a fork to see if the center is tender enough. If not, cook in two-to-three-minute increments until done. Leave potatoes in the microwave to cool or use oven mitts to remove the hot potatoes. They will need to cool for several minutes before they are cool enough to touch.
- Oven-Baked Potatoes: Preheat oven to 375°F. Place prepared potatoes in the oven and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Use oven mitts to remove potatoes from the oven. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Pour the vegan chili in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for a minute or two until warmed through
- Once the potatoes are done and have cooled enough to handle, use a fork to make a dotted vertical line on top of each potato. Press in the sides together to open the potatoes. Use the fork to push the potato flesh up and out.
- Place a little bit of vegan butter and some vegetable broth on the inside of each cut potato. Use a fork to gently "mash" the broth and butter into the potato flesh a bit. This step makes the potato flesh fluffier and moist.
- Top each potato with warmed vegetarian chili, green onion, vegan sour cream, and shredded vegan cheese. Place potatoes on a plate and microwave them in 30-second to 1-minute increments until the cheese has melted.
- Finish by topping with vegetarian bacon bits, if desired.
(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2013 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
About the Author
Hi! I’m Marly McMillen. I’m the founding editor, author, recipe developer, vegan home chef, and food stylist behind Namely Marly. I’m so grateful to you and every member of my audience for your support and dedication. More about Namely Marly ›
8 Responses to Loaded Vegan Baked Potatoes
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The picture shows a whole potato as a serving, yet the recipe says it yields eight servings from four potatoes. Which is it ?
Also, for four potatoes (and eight servings), only 1/2 cup veg broth, 1 T green onion, and 4 tsp vegan bacon bits. Very confusing recipe. Please help.
Hi there, Nina! Great questions — I’m happy to clarify.
The recipe yields 4 fully loaded potatoes, and we’ve listed the nutritional estimates based on 8 servings because many people enjoy half a potato as a side or lighter portion. If you’d prefer to eat the whole potato (which I often do too!), you can simply double the nutritional info per serving.
As for the topping amounts: the vegetable broth is used to fluff up the inside of each baked potato (along with a little vegan butter) before adding the toppings. It’s not meant to drench the potatoes — just to enhance the texture and flavor.
The green onions and vegan bacon bits are meant to add a hint of flavor without overwhelming the dish, but feel free to increase the quantities to your taste! Recipes are just a jumping-off point — I always encourage adjusting to what you love most.
Hope that helps, and thanks again for your thoughtful comment!
I fall right down the middle of Myers-Briggs too!!! (Although my favorite test now is the Enneagram.) 😉
But I always love loaded potatoes. These sound fantastic!
That looks so tasty and fabulous – love all the toppings!
So satisfying!
Loaded is the only way to go : )
This looks fabulous. I don’t think I’d miss the real cheese!
Wow, what a potato!