See 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!
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A Go-To Crispy Sweet Potato Fry Recipe
Once you’ve tried this fool-proof method for making crispy baked sweet potato fries, you won’t go back to messy deep 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!
Regular fries have nothing on these vitamin C and beta carotene-rich superfood fries.
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. We also love these Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Wedges.
What You’ll Need
- Orange Sweet Potatoes (Some people refer to these as yams. Pick up potatoes with an orange interior. They are the sweetest and don’t dry out while baking.)
- Olive Oil (or avocado oil. Some people enjoy coconut oil – it adds an extra layer of sweetness to the fries.)
- Arrowroot powder (organic cornstarch or tapioca starch work as well! This is the secret ingredient that allows the fries to really get crisp!)
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Paprika (or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to give these a little kick of heat!)
- Sea Salt and black pepper, if desired
To Serve: Ketchup, ranch dressing, fry sauce, or whatever your favorite dipping sauces are!
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 thin fries cook up more crispy. Choose what makes the best sweet potato fries for you!
Do I need to soak the sweet potatoes before baking?
Some cooks will tell you to soak your sweet potato fries for 30 minutes in a large bowl of cold water, 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 Crispy 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. Ensure the oven preheats to a high temperature to allow the fries to form a crispy exterior before they are softened.
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 in a single even layer, leaving a little space in between each. Allowing space around the potatoes is essential for baking crispy fries. 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. Overcrowding the pans will result in soggy fries.
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. Adjust the baking time until the fries have a crisped exterior and some browned edges and ends.
FAQ & How to Store and Reheat Leftover Sweet Potato Fries
How to Reheat Sweet Potato Fries
Homemade 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 Crispy 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.
How to Serve Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potato fries make a great snack served with a favorite dipping sauce.
If you’re looking for a delicious (and healthy) dinner combo, try serving them with:
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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