I made these for the first time on a Tuesday when I needed a side dish and didn’t feel like heating up the whole oven. Boiled some baby potatoes, smashed them flat, threw them in the toaster oven — and that was it. Forty minutes later I had something way better than I deserved for a weeknight. The edges get this almost chip-like crunch while the inside stays creamy and soft, and the whipped herb cream cheese on top makes the whole thing feel intentional rather than improvised.
You really don’t need much equipment here. A small saucepan, your toaster oven, and something heavy and flat to smash with. If you don’t already have a toaster oven baking sheet with a rim, grab one — it makes a difference for anything you’re trying to get crispy, since the heat circulates better than on a flat tray.
The herb cream cheese comes together while the potatoes roast. It’s just cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, dill, chives, and a squeeze of lemon — nothing fancy, but the combination is really good. Cold cream cheese is a problem though. It stays lumpy and annoying. Leave it out on the counter before you start.
This works as a side dish for just about anything, or honestly as a snack with drinks. If you’re cooking for more people, most large capacity toaster ovens can handle a double batch if you use two trays and rotate them halfway through — though you might need to add a few extra minutes.
Toaster Oven Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes with Whipped Herb Cream Cheese
Smashed baby potatoes roasted until shatteringly crispy in the toaster oven, then topped with a quick whipped herb cream cheese. Ready in under 40 minutes and honestly better than fries.
Ingredients
Potatoes
Whipped Herb Cream Cheese
Instructions
Boil the Potatoes
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Put the baby potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold salted water by about an inch. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender all the way through — a fork should slide in with almost no resistance. That's usually about 12 to 15 minutes depending on size. Drain them and let them sit for a couple minutes to steam off any extra water.
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While the potatoes are boiling, preheat your toaster oven to 425°F. Line the toaster oven baking tray with foil and brush or drizzle it with a little olive oil.
Smash and Season
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Spread the drained potatoes out on the prepared tray with a little space between each one. Using the bottom of a heavy mug or a flat-bottomed glass, press down on each potato until it flattens to about half an inch thick. Don't panic if a few fall apart a bit — those crispy broken pieces are honestly the best part.
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Drizzle the smashed potatoes with the olive oil, then sprinkle over the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Try to get a little seasoning on the sides too.
Roast
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Slide the tray into the toaster oven and roast at 425°F for 22 to 28 minutes. Don't flip them. Just leave them alone and let the bottoms get deeply golden and crispy. Check around the 22-minute mark — you want real color on the edges, not just pale gold. Every toaster oven runs a little different, so yours might need the full 28.
Make the Whipped Herb Cream Cheese
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While the potatoes roast, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream together with a fork (or a hand mixer if you want it really fluffy) until smooth. Stir in the grated garlic, chives, dill, lemon juice, and salt. Taste it. Adjust salt or lemon as needed. I usually end up adding a tiny bit more lemon.
Serve
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Pull the potatoes out of the toaster oven and let them sit for just a minute. Either pile the whipped cream cheese on top of the whole tray or serve it on the side as a thick dip. Finish with extra chives and a small pinch of smoked paprika if you want it to look nice. Eat immediately — they're best hot.
Notes
The cream cheese needs to be genuinely room temperature or it won't whip smoothly. I take mine out about 30 minutes before starting. If your toaster oven runs hot (some do), check the potatoes at 18 minutes. For extra crunch, you can crank the toaster oven to broil for the final 2 minutes — watch them closely though. Leftovers reheat well at 400°F for about 8 minutes, though the cream cheese is better made fresh.
Nutrition
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Written by
Emma is a home cook who loves coaxing big flavor out of a toaster oven — from crispy roasted vegetables to easy weeknight dinners and sweet treats. She develops and tests Toastera's recipes for small-appliance kitchens.
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