Read about my favorite method for making Crispy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries! This healthy side dish is perfect alongside sandwiches or salads. A lightly spiced coating helps these stay crisp. Perfect for dipping in your favorite sauces!
If you adore sweet potatoes like I do, see this post on the Perfect Baked Sweet Potatoes, or try this quick method for Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes.
Contents
A Go-To Sweet Potato Fry Recipe
Once you’ve tried this fool-proof method for baking sweet potato fries, you won’t go back to messy frying!
These bake up with crisp edges, and are soft and sweet on the inside. A light seasoning mix adds flavor and helps dry out the exterior of the fries so they get brown and crisp.
Whether you’re looking for a healthier side for your hamburger night, or just want something indulgent alongside your salad, these fries are the perfect option!
What You’ll Need
- Sweet Potatoes (the potatoes with an orange exterior are the sweetest, and don’t dry out while baking)
- Olive Oil (or avocado oil)
- Arrowroot powder (organic cornstarch or tapioca starch work as well!)
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Paprika
- Sea Salt and black pepper, if desired
How to Cut Sweet Potato Fries
Whether or not you peel your sweet potatoes is entirely up to you! I prefer leaving the skins on. If I have some older potatoes sitting around in my fridge with skins that are starting to go bad, I will peel them.
1). Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise.
2). Cut in half in long strips.
3). Cut each strip into individual fry shapes, about 1/4 inch in width. You can also make larger “steak fries” if you prefer, but the thinner fries cook up more crispy.
Do I need to soak the sweet potatoes before baking?
Some cooks will tell you to soak your sweet potato fries for 30 minutes, then dry them off prior to coating them with oil and seasonings.
The theory is it helps draw starch out of the potatoes, making them sweeter and softer inside after baking.
I have tried this method several times, and I can honestly say I can’t tell the difference between sweet potatoes that have been soaked and ones that go directly into the baking pan!
Save yourself 30 minutes and an extra bowl to wash, and place cut sweet potatoes directly onto the baking sheet.
How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Step 1: Arrange 2 racks in the oven, about 6 inches above the bottom, and 6 inches from the top heat source. Preheat oven to 425º F.
Step 2: Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 3: In a small bowl, combine the arrowroot with the spices.
Step 4: Add half of the sliced sweet potatoes to a large baking tray lined with parchment. Drizzle the fries with avocado oil (or olive oil), and use hands to rub the oil evenly into the potatoes.
Step 5: Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with the spice mixture, then use hands to rub the spice mixture into the oil, evenly coating the potatoes.
Step 6: Arrange the sweet potatoes on the baking tray, leaving space in between each. Allowing space around the potatoes is what crisps them up. If the sweet potatoes are crowded, they will steam instead of dry out and crisp up around the edges. Repeat with the remaining sweet potato fries on a 2nd baking sheet.
Step 7: Add the two baking trays to the oven, one on the top rack and one on the bottom rack. Bake the sweet potato fries for 22 minutes.
Step 8: Use a large spatula to flip the fries over, and then quickly spread them out to give the fries space to continue crisping. Bake for another 10-14 minutes, until the fries having begun to brown and look crisp on the ends.
FAQ & How to Store and Reheat Leftover Sweet Potato Fries
How to Reheat Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potato fries are the best hot out of the oven!
If you have leftover fries, store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Cold sweet potato fries are great thrown into salads.
To reheat, preheat oven to 450º F, place fries on a lined baking tray, and reheat for 10-12 minutes.
Recipe Substitutions
Type of Oil: If you don’t have olive oil, avocado oil is my other favorite oil to use for roasting vegetables. Avoid seed oils like canola and soy oil, which are highly processed.
Arrowroot Starch: Tapioca starch and organic corn starch are great substitutions for arrowroot. If you don’t have any of these, gluten free all purpose flour (or regular AP flour for not gluten free) will work!
Spices: I don’t use a lot of spices on my sweet potato fries because I think they have such incredible flavor on their own! You can add additional spices, like cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder, or blackening seasoning, to give them a spicy twist.
Only Need 1 Pan of Sweet Potato Fries?
This recipe makes enough sweet potato fries for several people. If you are only baking 1 pan of sweet potato fries, follow the instructions as written, except adjust the baking times.
Add 1 baking pan to the top rack of the oven, and bake for 18 minutes. Flip the fries over, and return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes.
Should I add sugar to my sweet potato fries?
Some recipes and restaurants do add sugar to the coating for sweet potato fries. I think the potatoes are plenty sweet all on their own!
Adding sugar will help the fries caramelize on the exterior and perhaps add a little more crunch. Add 1 tablespoon of white sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar to the spice mixture, if desired.
Other Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes
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Oven Baked Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch sub tapioca or organic corn starch
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Arrange 2 racks in the oven, about 6 inches above the bottom, and 6 inches from the top heat source. Preheat oven to 425º F.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the arrowroot with the spices.
- Add half of the sliced sweet potatoes to a large baking tray lined with parchment. Drizzle the fries with avocado oil (or olive oil), and use hands to rub the oil evenly into the potatoes.
- Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with the spice mixture, then use hands to rub the spice mixture into the oil, evenly coating the potatoes.
- Arrange the sweet potatoes on the baking tray, leaving space in between each. Allowing space around the potatoes is what crisps them up. If the sweet potatoes are crowded, they will steam instead of dry out and crisp up around the edges. Repeat with the remaining sweet potato fries on a 2nd baking sheet.
- Add the two baking trays to the oven, one on the top rack and one on the bottom rack. Bake the sweet potato fries for 22 minutes.
- Use a large spatula to flip the fries over, and then quickly spread them out to give the fries space to continue crisping. Bake for another 10-14 minutes, until the fries having begun to brown and look crisp on the ends.
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