These crispy loaded potato skins are overflowing with black beans, vegan sour cream, cheese, and veggies. They’re a delicious plant-based appetizer that doubles as dinner!

Overhead view of loaded potato skin topped with chives, vegan bacon, and sour cream

Ah, potato skins (or loaded sweet potato skins). They’re a bar food classic! Unfortunately, most baked potato skins recipes are definitely not vegan with all that cheese, sour cream, and bacon on top. And if you ask for all the non-vegan toppings to be left off, you end up with a plate of potato skins and green onions. Womp womp.

I set out to reinvent loaded potato skins, making them vegan-friendly and a bit lighter, too. First, we swap all the dairy ingredients with vegan versions. Easy! I add black beans and veggies for texture and flavor, and bake the potato skins for the perfect crispy exterior.

What Makes This Loaded Potato Skins Recipe So Great

  • Vegan. The loaded potato skins on the menu at your favorite bar might be off-limits, but this vegan-friendly version can be enjoyed by all.
  • Flavourful. These crispy potato skins are overflowing with spicy jalapeño, tangy tomatoes, creamy vegan yogurt, tangy lime juice, and more.
  • Versatile. Because these loaded potato skins are packed with veggies and black beans, they’re not just an appetizer or even a side dish—you can make them into a full meal!
Overhead view of ingredients for loaded potato skins with labels

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

  • Russet potatoes – Because you’re going to be eating the skin, be sure to scrub the potatoes well.
  • Oil – Any cooking oil you have on hand.
  • Onions – These can be red, yellow, or white onions, or shallots.
  • Garlic – If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves, substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
  • Bell peppers – Whatever color you prefer.
  • Diced tomatoes – Freshly diced. I like Roma tomatoes and cherry tomatoes as they aren’t overly watery.
  • Black beans – You can use canned beans or cook them yourself. Dry off the beans afterward. If you’re using canned, be sure to drain and rinse them first.
  • Vegan sour cream or Greek yogurt – Here’s how to make your own vegan yogurt if you don’t have sour cream, or you can buy it from the store. Make sure it’s plain.
  • Vegan mozzarella shreds – Choose your favorite brand of vegan mozzarella.
  • Paprika – In addition to salt and pepper, I like to season the potato filling with paprika. It can be sweet or smoked.
  • Jalapeño pepper – Use more or less, according to your heat preferences.
  • Lime – A squeeze of lime juice brightens up the flavour!

How to Make Vegan Loaded Potato Skins

These vegan loaded potato skins are great for making in advance. You can bake the potatoes ahead of time and finish the rest of the recipe just before you’re ready to eat.

Overhead view of whole potatoes on parchment-lined baking sheet
Bake the potatoes.
Overhead view of cooked vegetables in skillet
Sauté the vegetables.
  • Prepare to bake. Preheat your oven to 375ºF (if you’re using an oven instead of an air fryer). Prick the potatoes with a fork, then rub them with salt and oil.
  • Bake the potatoes. In the oven, bake the potatoes for an hour; in an air fryer, bake them for 30 minutes at 400ºF. Cut the potatoes in half and let them cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile, cook the vegetables. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Cook the onions, garlic, bell peppers, and tomatoes until they’re slightly softened, about 8 minutes. 
Overhead view of hollowed out potato halves on baking sheet
Hollow out the potatoes.
Overhead view of filling for loaded potato skins
Make the filling.
  • Scoop out the potatoes. Use a spoon to scoop the insides out of the potato halves, leaving about ¼-inch of flesh inside the skins. Add the insides of the potatoes to a large bowl.
  • Finish the filling mixture. To the bowl with the potato insides, add the cooked vegetables, along with the black beans, sour cream, cheese, salt, pepper, paprika, and jalapeño. Stir everything together.
Overhead view of upside down potato halves on parchment-lined baking sheet
Crisp up the skins.
Overhead view of unbaked loaded potato skins on parchment-lined baking sheet
Fill the potato skins and bake.
  • Crisp the potato skins. Next, rub the bottoms of the potato skins with the remaining oil and place them bottom up in the air fryer basket or on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or air fry at 400ºF for 7 minutes.
  • Fill the skins and bake. Divide the filling mixture into the potato skins, then top each with cheese. Return the potato skins to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese on top melts.
  • Finish. Top with vegan bacon, chives, extra sour cream or yogurt, and lime juice.

Air Fry Method

While the oven is better for melting the cheese, you can bake your loaded potato skins in the air fryer at 375ºF for 10 minutes. If the cheese doesn’t fully melt, place the skins under the broiler afterward for a few minutes, or until melted.

Overhead view of vegan loaded potato skins on parchment-lined baking sheet

Recipe Tips

  • Use starchy potatoes. Russet potatoes are perfect for potato skins because the interior is fluffy and the exterior gets extra crispy when it’s rubbed with oil and baked.
  • Thoroughly oil the exteriors. This is key to getting them crispy in the oven! Make sure every bit of potato skin is well-coated with the oil.
  • Use a cheese that melts well. Most vegan shreds are formulated to melt smoothly, as opposed to blocks of cheese, which are sometimes developed for slicing and snacking.
  • Pack the filling in. Your potato skins will be overflowing with filling, and that’s okay! You can use the back of a spoon to press it into the potato skin shells.
Overhead view of loaded potato skins on parchment-lined baking sheet

Easy Variations

My version of loaded potato skins has a Tex-Mex twist with black beans, but you can customize them however you like! Here are some ideas for other flavor combinations:

  • Classic – Omit the black beans and veggies and go with a simple vegan cheddar and sour cream filling. Once they’re done baking, top them with coconut bacon or tempeh bacon, extra sour cream, and sliced green onions or chives.
  • Greek – Use vegan feta cheese, oregano, and Greek yogurt in the filling, but skip the black beans and jalapeño. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
  • BBQ – Mix vegan chicken or chickpeas with barbecue sauce into the filling, top with crispy onions, and serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
Loaded potato skins on parchment paper with cup of vegan sour cream and lime wedges

How to Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerate. Refrigerate leftover loaded potato skins in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, bake them in the oven at 375ºF until heated through. Alternatively, you can also pop them back in your air fryer for about 5 minutes. The microwave works too, but the exterior won’t be as crispy.
  • Freeze. You can freeze these loaded potato skins. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for about 1 hour. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.

More Vegan Potato Recipes

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Overhead view of healthy loaded potato skin topped with chives, vegan bacon, and sour cream

Loaded Potato Skins

Servings: 12 potato skins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
These crispy loaded potato skins are filled with veggies, black beans, vegan cheese, and sour cream. An easy vegan appetizer that doubles as a meal!
5 (from 7 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 6 russet potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon oil, + 1 teaspoon for brushing potato skins
  • 2 tablespoons chopped onions
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup bell peppers, chopped
  • ¼ cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup cooked black beans
  • 2 tablespoons vegan sour cream, or vegan Greek yogurt
  • ¾ cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds, + ½ cup or more for topping
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ jalapeño, finely chopped
  • ½ lime, for serving

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F or use an air fryer basket.
  • Prick potatoes with a fork, oil and salt and bake for 1 hour in the oven, or until fork tender. If using air fryer like I did, bake at 400F for 30 minutes.
  • Slice potatoes in half and allow to cool slightly.
  • While cooling, in a pan over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and cook down onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes until slightly tender, about 8 minutes.
  • Scoop out the flesh out of the potatoes, leaving a thin but sturdy enough layer of potato inside. Add the filling to a bowl with the onions, garlic, bell peppers, diced tomatoes, black beans, sour cream, cheese, salt, pepper, paprika and jalapeño. Stir together and set aside.
  • Rub the bottoms of the potato skins with the rest of the oil, place bottom up, and bake for another 5-10 minutes until crispy OR in air fryer at 400F for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and fill with the potato mixture.
  • Top evenly with the cheese and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes in the oven at 375F until cheese is melted. If using air fryer, I recommend using the oven for this step to ensure your vegan cheese actually melts, but you can do 370F in the air fryer for 10 minutes either way.
  • Remove from oven and top with coconut bacon or other veggie bacon option and chives.
 Serve with vegan sour cream or vegan yogurt and the lime half to squeeze over. Enjoy!

Notes

To store: Refrigerate leftover loaded potato skins in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, bake them in the oven at 375ºF until heated through. Alternatively, you can also pop them back in your air fryer for about 5 minutes. The microwave works too, but the exterior won’t be as crispy.
To freeze: Place the potato skins on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for about 1 hour. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
Calories: 157kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Sodium: 281mg, Potassium: 518mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 132IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American
Course: Appetizer, Dinner
Author: Jessica Hylton