How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries in the Oven

If you're looking for a healthier alternative to traditional french fries, look no further than baked sweet potato fries. They're delicious and easy to make – just slice up some sweet potatoes, toss them in olive oil and spices, and bake in the oven. You'll love how crispy they turn out!

So if you're looking for a tasty and nutritious snack or a healthy side dish, give this recipe a try!

These homemade baked Sweet Potato Fries are salty, crispy, and delicious. They are a healthy alternative to deep-frying that you can feel good about eating!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Are sweet potatoes healthy?
• How to make crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• How to serve
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Expert tips
• FAQ
• Related recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

It's no secret I love sweet potatoes; I love them in this Vegan Sweet Potato and Bean Stew and these Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins.

If you bake them long enough, they'll get crispy at the ends, and they might almost look burnt with caramelization on the outside, but they'll be deliciously soft and sweet on the inside, almost like candy.

I've tried many methods to make these baked sweet potato fries, and I'll share my best tips with you!

These fries are delicious with this Vegan Horseradish Aioli and 4-Ingredient Guacamole.

Ingredients

Here are the simple ingredients to make this delicious baked sweet potato fries recipe!

• Organic sweet potato - These are also known as garnet yams at the grocery store. Keep the sweet potato skins on for maximum nutrition and fiber.
• Olive oil - I used extra virgin olive oil in this case, although avocado oil or grapeseed oil is fine too.
• Organic corn starch - You can use arrowroot powder or arrowroot starch instead to help achieve a crispy exterior.
• Fresh parsley - to add color, freshness, and extra texture for garnish.
• Cold water for soaking the potato slices - not pictured.

See the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Are sweet potatoes healthy?

Yes, sweet potatoes have many health benefits! They are a fantastic source of vitamin A and beta-carotene, and they offer more antioxidants and vitamins than white potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, manganese, magnesium, and copper.

How to make crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Learn how to make crispy baked sweet potato fries! After soaking the sliced sweet potatoes, toss them with cornstarch, olive oil, sea salt, and seasoning, and bake for around 40 to 45 minutes. This recipe makes four side servings. See the recipe card for the full recipe.

If you're in a rush, you can skip the extra steps associated with soaking.

Prepare the sweet potatoes

• The first step is to wash and scrub the sweet potato, then dry it thoroughly. Cut the sweet potato into ¼-inch slices. If you have a large sweet potato like the one pictured in the ingredients photo, It's easiest to cut the sweet potato in half crosswise, then cut each half lengthwise into ¼-inch wide pieces, then cut each piece into ¼-inch wide sticks. We do this by hand, although you can use a mandolin.

Soak the sweet potatoes

• Place the sliced sweet potatoes in a bowl of cold water. Let them soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F while the sweet potatoes are soaking.

• Drain the sweet potatoes and rinse them with fresh water. Dry them thoroughly in a single layer by placing them on a lint-free kitchen towel and another towel on top.

Mix with oil and other ingredients

• Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with olive oil.

• Combine the cornstarch, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and sea salt. Toss thoroughly with the sweet potatoes.

• Cut parchment paper to fit your baking tray and set it aside. Place the empty baking tray in the oven to preheat it to get crisper sweet potatoes.

Bake the sweet potatoes

• Once your oven is hot enough, carefully remove the hot baking tray and place the parchment paper on it. Line up the sliced sweet potatoes carefully.

• Tip: Do not crowd them or let them touch each other—Bake for 25 minutes on the top rack.

• Take the tray out of the oven and flip the fries over with a spatula. Bake for another 15 minutes or until crispy. Observe the fries to prevent them from burning to a crisp!

• Repeat the baking process for the rest of the fries. You'll get the best results baking one tray at a time.

Hint: Check your fries often to ensure they don't overbake and burn. If you use two baking trays, rotate the trays and switch the placement in the oven. The top tray will crisp up much faster than the lower tray.

Let rest before serving

• Take the fries out of the oven and rest for five minutes. Transfer them to a serving platter and sprinkle them with black pepper and parsley.

Note: These aren’t super crispy like traditional regular french fries, but they are still tasty! It's not fair to compare these fries to those that are deep-fried.

How to serve

You can serve these tasty baked sweet potato fries with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce! Here are a few other ideas:

• Sriracha mayonnaise
• Vegan horseradish garlic aioli
• Chipotle aioli
• Plant-based yogurt mixed with lime juice and cilantro.

Substitutions

This recipe is flexible. Here are substitutions you can make:

• Cornstarch - You can use arrowroot powder instead.

• Seasoning- Any seasoning that appeals to you will work - you can try garam masala, sazón, etc.

• Oil - You can spray with oil instead of tossing with oil. You can use a flavored oil, such as garlic-infused oil, or infuse the oil yourself with garlic. Use enough oil to coat the potatoes.

• Sea salt - You can use kosher salt. I don't recommend table salt because it's highly processed and typically contains additives.

Variations

You can adapt this recipe in so many ways!

• Spicy - Add cayenne pepper.

• Flavoring - You can sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, garlic, cumin, Old Bay seasoning, or a mix!

• Deluxe - Make loaded sweet potato fries by topping with guacamole, chopped red onion, chopped tomato, cilantro, and vegan queso.

• Oil-free - Omit the oil entirely if you wish.

• Different shapes - Try cutting the sweet potato into sweet potato wedges or rounds. You may need to adjust the baking time.

Equipment

I always bake the sweet potato fries on parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet, it makes for easy cleanup, and there's less likelihood that the crispy fries will stick to the pan.

A sharp chef's knife is critical. Keep your knives sharp for the best results and for safety!

Storage

These baked sweet potato fries do not store well; they will lose their crispy texture. Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I don't recommend freezing.

Expert tips

• Make sure your oven is hot.
• Always preheat the sheet pan.
• I only bake one sheet at a time and only as many as can loosely fit on the sheet in one layer.
• Get your sweet potato fries as evenly sized as possible.
• Check the fries often, so they don't overbake and burn.
• Once the baked sweet potato fries come out of the oven, let them rest for five minutes on the baking tray and serve immediately. The longer they sit, the more likely they will lose any crispiness.

FAQ

Related recipes

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ★★★★★ below. I love to see your amazing creations on Instagram, make sure to tag me @resplendentkitchen and #resplendentkitchenrecipes. To get more ideas follow me on Facebook and Pinterest.

Recipe