Why they’re so good!
These loaded, mini baked potatoes will be a hit at your next party. They’re a fun twist on a traditional baked potato, addictively delicious and they make a hearty appetizer.
With all the classic ingredients you’d find in a loaded baked potato like cheddar cheese, spring onions, sour cream and bacon these miniature loaded potatoes are flavour packed double-bite sized snacks. You can even switch up the toppings and get creative.
You’ll love these parmesan smashed potatoes too.
Never Miss a Recipe!
Get the latest recipes straight to your inbox!
Ingredients notes
You’ll recognise the ingredients for these mini baked potatoes as the ones you’d use in classic loaded potatoes. They’re all simple ingredients that add loads of flavour.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
Baby potatoes: Known by many names like baby potatoes, mini potatoes, creamer potatoes or new potatoes you’re looking for potatoes around 1 ½ inches in diameter (and no more than 2 inches). You can use red potatoes or white potatoes. Even baby royal blue potatoes (my favourite) work great.
Bacon: I use rasher bacon here but any will work. You could even use finely chopped ham and skip the cooking that the bacon requires upfront. If you have leftover Christmas ham for instance or my pulled ham, yum, they all work great.
Spring onions: You might also know them as scallions or green onions. For these mini loaded potatoes, I like to use thinner ones so the pieces are nice and small but larger ones will work fine.
Sour cream: Use full fat sour cream for the irresistible tang and creaminess to the filling.
Cheddar cheese: I love a good everyday cheddar cheese here but you could kick it up a notch and swap it for some spiced cheddar like pepper jack cheese or get fancy with some Gruyere. On the other hand, if you want a more subtle cheese flavour, try using a gouda or edam (or even mozzarella for very mild). These will add a lovely creaminess and melt well without a strong cheddar flavour.
Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs: This totally optional topping, a combo of finely grated parmesan and panko breadcrumbs offers a little more cheese (because, why not) and a little crispness on top too.
You’ll need a little oil to help get the potato skins crispy and to make sure the salt sticks, but don’t use your best extra virgin olive oil here – just a simple vegetable oil will do the trick.
How to make mini baked potatoes
These miniature loaded potatoes are really simple to make. If you have a melon baller, scooping the inside of the potatoes out takes just minutes.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
1. Roast the potatoes
Wash and dry your baby potatoes, then dress them with oil and salt on a baking sheet. Give them a good mix up then bake for 45-60 minutes until fork tender. The time will depend on the size of your potatoes but I baked my 1 ½ inch potatoes in 50 minutes then a few minutes longer just to get extra crisp.
2. Cook the bacon
Chop the bacon up finely and cook it in a pan over medium heat until golden and crispy. If your bacon is very lean, add a little oil to the pan to help it along.
3. Make the filling
Once the bacon cools, you can make the filling. You can leave this all until the potatoes are baked and do it all in one hit or get it par-prepped like I do. Mix the bacon, spring onion, sour cream, cheddar, melted butter and some salt in a medium bowl.
4. Scoop out the potato
Once your roasted baby potatoes are soft enough for a skewer to go easily through, slice a small piece off the top of each one (about 5mm/⅕ inch). These can be the cooks treat or discard them as you won’t need it for the filling. Now use a melon baller or teaspoon (the sharper the edge, the better) to scoop most of the insides out of the potatoes, leaving just a thin layer intact around the inside.
5. Add the potato to the filling
Add all the scooped potato into the filling bowl and mash it into the filling, mixing well to combine.
6. Fill the potatoes up
Now spoon the filling into the potato cases, pressing it in well but being careful not to break the skins. Dome it up over the top. You’ll likely still have some leftover at the end but save this for a treat later.
7. Add the optional topping
Mix together the parmesan and breadcrumbs and sprinkle it over the top. Now bake them for another 12-15 minutes.
So they look pretty on the serving tray, I just garnish with a little more finely chopped spring onions and crispy bacon bits.
More flavour combinations
Mini baked potatoes are so fun to make and really versatile too. You can choose all your favourite baked potato toppings or fillings here and just make them mini.
- Hawaiian: Opt for ham and finely chopped pineapple. Leave out the spring onion and bacon.
- Herbed: Add some herbs to the seasoning before baking like thyme or rosemary.
- Spinach and feta: Use frozen spinach, thawed and mix it with crumbled feta. Leave out the bacon.
- Tuna: Add tinned tuna (drained first) and swap the cheddar for a milder cheese like gouda or edam. Leave out the bacon.
- Lox: Swap the bacon for smoked salmon, the spring onions for chives and the cheddar for cream cheese.
- Chicken and corn: Add tinned corn kernels (drained first) and some leftover chicken (or even turkey for that matter). You can keep some bacon or leave it out.
- Mushroom: Saute some finely diced mushrooms in butter, then mix those through, leaving out the bacon if you want to make them vegetarian.
- Taco flavour: Cook up some beef mince in taco seasoning, then mix that through with some jalapenos and finely chopped tomatoes (remove the seeds). You could have some fun topping them too with pretty little coriander/cilantro leaves or avocado cubes (make sure to squeeze a little lime juice over them to stop them going brown).
- Vegan: You can easily make these vegan too. Immediately, I think of mushrooms, corn or black beans and spring onions, leaving out the bacon. You’ll also need to swap the cheese and sour cream for vegan alternatives but you’ll still have a delicious little potato bite.
Serving
These mini baked potatoes are perfect served up as a party appetizer or finger food. They’re great for game day too.
They’re also great as a side dish for simply grilled steak or chicken where you may want to add a little more flavour on the side. They’re great for kids too. Make them up and freeze them for later, then simply bake or air fryer for dinner the kids will love.
Storage and making ahead
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. They can be reheated in the oven for 15 minutes or in the air fryer for around 8-10 minutes (sit them on a piece of aluminium foil to save on cleanup).
Can I make them ahead?
Yes, you can make them right through to stuffing them, ahead of time. Once stuffed and topped, cover the baking tray for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. When you’re ready for them, take them out of the fridge ½ an hour before baking (to prevent any damage to the pan).
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Did you try this mini baked potato recipe? Show it some love in the comments below.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to the newsletter for free recipes straight to your inbox. Also, follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Ingredients
- 700 g baby potatoes (1 ½lb / 12-14 potatoes)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (divided 50/50)
FILLING
- 120 g bacon, finely diced (~5 rashers)
- ⅓ cup sour cream (80ml)
- ½ cup finely grated cheddar (50g / 1 ¾oz)
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped (scallions/green onions)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
TOPPING (OPTIONAL)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan cheese (or more cheddar)
- 1 tablespoon panko bread crumbs
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Melon baller (helpful but not necessary)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan forced) / 375F. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Wash and dry the potatoes, then place them onto the baking tray. Poke each one, once with the tip of a paring knife. Add the oil and ½ the salt to the pan and give it all a good mix up. Bake for 45-60 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Cook until a skewer goes through easily.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat until turning golden brown. Transfer to paper towel to drain excess oil.
- To a medium bowl, add the sour cream, cheddar, spring onions, melted butter, drained bacon and half of the remaining salt. Mix well. Taste and add a the leftover salt if it needs it, remembering that the potatoes are already salted.
- Let the potatoes cool just a few minutes or until cool enough to handle, then slice the top of each one (only about 5mm/⅕ inch). Eat or discard those – you won’t need them in the filling. Use a melon baller to carefully scoop out the middle of the potatoes (leave a thin layer of potato inside for stability). Add the potato to the bowl and mash and mix everything well.
- Spoon the filling mixture back into the potatoes, stuffing them well and mounding it up over the top of each. You’ll probably have a little leftover.
- Combine the parmesan and panko in a small bowl, then sprinkle it over the top of the potatoes.
- Bake a further 12-15 minutes until lightly golden, hot and melty.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Salt Magic.
