First, you'll need to bake the sweet potatoes at 375℉ for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half. Once softened, allow them to cool so that you can handle them.
After cooled, slice the potatoes in half. Scoop out a portion of the sweet potato but do not dig or scoop all the way to the skin. You need to leave some sweet potato for stability.
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
In a bowl, add in the maple syrup, cinnamon and butter. Then, salt to taste. To the side, mix together the ingredients for the topping.
Next, fill the potatoes back up with the filling. Then, top all the potatoes with the pecan topping.
Place back in the oven for 20 minutes or until top has browned a little.
Lastly, allow to cool before serving. During the cooling process is when the top will turn crispy.