Best Vegan Baked Potato Topping Combinations
I have several of the best vegan baked potato toppings that everyone will love! From classic steakhouse-style baked potatoes to rich combinations and everything in between. I have the perfect topping idea for you!
What I love about baked potatoes are the endless topping ideas! You can go traditional with a steakhouse-style potato loaded with butter and sour cream (vegan). Or get creative and go international with a pizza-style potato. There are so many great options, but I limited this list to my top 12 recommendations.
All the recipes below are vegan but are easy to modify to vegetarian with simple swaps. For example, use dairy cheese instead of vegan cheese.
Baked Potato Basics
I will cover the ins and outs of how to bake a perfect potato. If you know this, go ahead and skip to the ideas. You won’t hurt my feelings. (wink)
How to Bake the Perfect Potato
Start by preheating your oven to 425°F (220°C). You want the oven to be hot before you put the potato in. This creates an optional cooking environment.
Wash and dry your potatoes. And when I say dry, I mean DRY. If there is water on the potato, it will steam instead of baking.
Then stab it with a fork a few times; four to six is perfect. The holes that you create from pricking let the steam escape. Without the holes, you risk the potato exploding in the oven!
Next, rub the outside with olive oil and dust with salt. This will create a crispy, salty skin like steakhouse potatoes. Then place on a baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes.
How to Test if Your Potato Is Baked
Pierce your potato with a fork. If it slides out easily, your potato is baked. If you feel resistance, let it bake longer.
Storing and Reheating
Before storing your baked potato, let it cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container for up to five days. Once stored, the crispy outer shell will soften. You can reheat your potato in the microwave for 1- 2 minutes or in the oven at 400f for 20 minutes.
Now, on to the good stuff: vegan baked potato topping ideas!
Best Vegan Baked Potato Topping Combinations
- Vegan Loaded Steak House Style Baked Potato is by FAR my favorite. Bake the potato as outlined above to create the same crispy, salty skin as in steak houses. Then slice it open and serve with vegan butter, cheddar cheese, and green onions. If you can find vegan bacon bits, sprinkle those on top too!
- Colorado Green Chile is the perfect topping! It’s true; I am biased on this one. I am from Colorado, and we put green Chile on everything! But pour Colorado green chile on an open baked potato and top with cheese, sour cream, and green onions. It’s similar to the vegan steakhouse potato but smothered in green chile!
- Make vegan taco-flavored baked potatoes using soy meat crumbles. You can use traditional crumbles and taco seasoning. My favorite is Morning Star chorizo crumbles. They have a great flavor, and no seasoning is necessary! Then top with cheese and sour cream.
- French onion-style potatoes are great for cozy feels on cold days. To make this, saute sweet onions in vegan butter. Add a stout beer to give the onions the flavor of beef broth. Then, put the onions on top of an opened potato and top it with vegan cheese that melts easily. I like to use Chao cheese for smooth melting!
- Vegan twice-baked potatoes. I don’t know about you, but saying that makes my mouth water! To do this, bake the potato as normal. Then, let it cool to where you can easily handle it. Scoop out the inside of the potato and place it in a bowl. Add milk, butter, and sour cream and mash until smooth. Fill the baked potato with the filling, top it with cheese, and bake until the cheese melts. (I now know what I am making for dinner!)
- Making vegan cheese steak potatoes is so easy! Saute strips of portobello mushrooms, green bell peppers, and onions. Once they are tender, add in Chao cheese. Add the mixture to the baked potato, and you will have a vegan cheese steak baked potato. Instead of mushrooms, you can use vegan steak strips. They are in the freezer section of most grocery stores.
- Pesto! Mixing in pesto adds flavor. You can stick with traditional Genovese pesto or add sun-dried tomato pesto. Personally, I think sun-dried tomato pesto is the way to go! The flavor is deep and rich!
- Salsa adds a fun twist to your baked potatoes. Because salsa is cold, have your potato warm but not hot. You can stick with a traditional pico or opt for a more unique salsa. I like pineapple mango in the summer and mango habanero all year long!
- Vegan Hassleback potatoes are the perfect cross between a baked potato and crispy chips! I like to cook mine in the air frier to give them an extra crunch! If you have not tried a vegan hassleback potato, you need to get on it. They are soooo good!
- Pizza-style potatoes are always fun! Once baked, top with your favorite tomato sauce (I recommend San Marzano tomato sauce). Then add vegan mozzarella and your favorite pizza topping. Place in the oven until the cheese is melty. Ideas for pizza toppings include vegan proportion, tomato slices, mushrooms, and onion. If topping with basil, add it as a garnish after baking.
- Baked Beans give your potato a Western feel. Top with warm baked beans. Sprinkle with diced white onions on top for extra garnish!
- Goat Cheese and Blue Agave create a rich baked potato. Sprinkle goat cheese on top and then drizzle with blue agave. For a substitute, you can use maple syrup! Above is a list of combined topping ideas. For something simpler, here is a quick rundown of simple toppings. Add, mix, and match in any combination that sounds best!
Single Baked Potato Toppings
Use this list to create a personalized baked potato. You can use one topping or mix and match to create something unique!
Vegetables
- Avocado
- Corn
- Jalapenos
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
Beans and Legumes
- Baked beans
- Black beans
- Garbanzo beans
Cheeses (Vegan)
- Blue
- Cheddar
- Feta Cheese
- Goat
- Mozzarella
Sauces and Condiments
- Chimichurri
- Enchilada or Red Chile Sauce
- Chile
- Green Chile
- Marinara Sauce
- Pesto/Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- Sour Cream
- Tahini sauce
- Tzatziki sauce
Garnishes Flavor Bombs
- Chives
- Green Olives
- Green Onions
- Jalapenos
- Kalamata Olives
- Yellow Onions
- Red Onions
Potato Bar
It’s fun to make baked potatoes with toppings mixed between the potatoes to create a baked potato bar. I love doing this during family get-togethers in the summer and football season. It is always a crowd-pleaser! Watch to see how easy it is!