Baked Sweet Potato Fries (original) (raw)

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

The best Baked Sweet Potato Fries! This recipe for Crispy Sweet Potato Fries is easy to make in the oven – healthy and delicious!

An overhead shot of baked sweet potato fries on a parchment lined platter with a white bowl of ketchup on the platter on a grey background

These crispy baked sweet potato fries are the best addition to any meal! Add them to a plate with a healthy turkey burger, healthy chicken nuggets, or enjoy them alongside a honey mustard chicken salad for an indulgent yet healthy side.

While we love traditional oven baked fries, sweet potato fries can be such a delicious alternative, not only because of their taste but also for their nutritional benefits.

An overhead shot of oven baked sweet potato fries in a round platter that is lined with parchment paper with a white bowl of ketchup on the platter

If you’re looking to satisfy your cravings while nourishing your body, you’re in for a treat with these crispy and nutritious fries.

Why you’ll love Homemade Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients for Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

For these baked sweet potato fries you’ll need:

Ingredients for oven baked sweet potato fries on a white background: sweet potatoes, tapioca starch, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, avocado oil spray

SUBSTITUTIONS FOR SWEET POTATO FRIES

Sweet Potatoes – USE sweet potatoes that are about the same diameter throughout the length of the potato with no weird shaped knots or lumps. This will allow you to cut even-sized fries which will help them cook evenly!

Oil – You will want to use an oil that can tolerate high heat for this recipe. Refined olive oil is better at high heat, however, even EVOO can tolerate baking at 425 F. Avocado oil is another neutral flavored cooking oil that will work well for this temperature.

Cooking Oil Spray – The cooking oil spray is used to add just a light coat of oil after the fries have been placed on the pan (too much oil can make the fries soggy). I had the best results using a combination of oil and cooking oil spray in this recipe; however, you can an additional 2 teaspoons of oil to the fries while they are in the Ziploc bag and omit the cooking oil spray. Traditional cooking spray (Pam) is not recommended because it’s made with vegetable oil. Select a clean label cooking spray made with avocado oil or olive oil. You can also use a good olive oil sprayer that you fill yourself. The more evenly the oil disperses the better. Here’s the avocado oil spray we like.

Starch – The starch absorbs some moisture from the potatoes, giving the fries a light, crispy texture. You can use Tapioca starch, potato starch, or cornstarch.

How to make Sweet Potato Fries in Oven

  1. Peel and trim the sweet potatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise, lay the halved potato on its flat side, and cut into about 1/3-inch pieces. Slice those pieces into about 1/3-inch strips.
  2. Add the fries to a Ziploc bag. Add the starch to the bag, seal, and shake to evenly coat.
  3. Add the oil, garlic powder, and salt to the bag, seal, and shake again until lightly coated.
  4. Divide the fries between 2 parchment paper lined baking sheets ensuring no fries are touching. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
  5. Bake at 425° for about 32-38 minutes. Flip the fries after about 18 minutes. Once cooked, crack the oven door and turn off the heat, allowing the fries to cool partially in the oven for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

An overhead shot of uncooked sweet potato fries and a knife on a marble cutting board with a bowl of the fries, olive oil, tapioca starch on the side

An overhead shot of fry sliced sweet potatoes in a ziploc bag with small bowls of olive oil, tapioca starch and spices on the side on a marble counter

An overhead shot of fry sliced sweet potatoes tossed in tapioca starch in a ziploc bag with small bowls of olive oil and spices on the side on a marble counter

An overhead shot of a parchment lined baking sheet with unbaked sweet potato fries on a marble background

An overhead shot of crispy oven baked sweet potato fries on a parchment lined baking sheet on a marble background

Sweet potato fries on a parchment lined platter with a white bowl of ketchup on the platter on a grey background

How do you cut sweet potato fries?

You don’t need a fancy fry cutter to cut sweet potatoes for fries. Peel the sweet potatoes, trim the ends, and cut them in half lengthwise. Lay the halved potato on its flat side and cut into about 1/3-inch pieces, then slice those pieces into about 1/3-inch strips, taking care to make sure the fries are as close to the same thickness as possible for the perfect french fry shapes!

How long to bake sweet potato fries

Bake your sweet potato fries at 425° for 32-38 minutes, flipping about halfway through.

What type of sweet potato should I use to make sweet potato fries?

Sweet potatoes with a red or orange skin, like Garnet or Jewel are great options to use for sweet potato fries because they have the traditional orange flesh and sweet taste.

For something a little different, you can use tan or purple skin varieties (like Japanese, Sweet Hanna, or Purple) which are more starchy and a little less sweet.

How to serve Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

These sweet potato fries go with pretty much anything! We love to serve them with:

Best Sauces for Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato fries go well with a variety of sweet and savory dips and sauces. Pair them with hot honey, pesto, regular ketchup, or any of the fun dips below:

Fry Sauce – Combine 1/3 cup of avocado oil mayo, ¼ cup of ketchup, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and a sprinkle of paprika for a classic combo.

Honey Mustard – Mix together ¼ cup of Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp. honey and 2 tbsp avocado oil mayo for a sweet and tangy honey mustard sauce.

Sriracha Dipping Sauce – Combine ¼ cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup avocado oil mayo, and 1 tbsp sriracha for a creamy sauce with a kick.

Healthy Ranch Dressing – Mix together ¼ cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup of mayo, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp fresh minced dill, 1 tbsp fresh minced chives, ½ tsp honey, and salt to taste for a healthier version of this favorite.

Pro Tip:

Weigh your potatoes: Because sweet potatoes can vary in size, it is helpful to weigh them after they have been peeled and cut into fries. You will need about 900 grams of fries for the amount of starch and oil used in this recipe.

Cut evenly: When cutting the fries, make sure they are all about the same thickness. Thinner/smaller fries will burn more easily.

Use parchment paper to keep the fries from sticking to the pan and help pull moisture away from them as they cook.

Avoid cooking the sweet potatoes alongside another vegetable, especially something that emits moisture when roasting (like broccoli or mushrooms).

Separate the sweet potatoes so that no fries are touching, and they are all in a single layer.

Flip every fry individually to ensure all are flipped and none are touching. This takes more time but really helps to get them crispy.

Watch the fries and rotate the pan if needed to prevent some fries from burning.

Check on the fries regularly to prevent them from burning. The sugars in sweet potatoes cause them to burn more quickly than regular potatoes, especially at the higher temperature required to get them crispy.

A hand holding up a single crispy sweet potato fry that has been dipped in ketchup with a platter of the oven baked sweet potato fries in the background

Can I make air fryer sweet potato fries?

This recipe will work similarly in the air fryer as it does in the oven as long you are using an air fryer with trays/racks instead of a basket.

Most air fryers will not accommodate the full recipe so you will most likely need to halve (or even quarter) the recipe to ensure the fries are in a single layer when baking.

Bake at 425° for 35-40 minutes, but check regularly to prevent burning, especially if your air fryer tends to cook things quickly.

Sweet Potato Fries (Oven Recipe) FAQs

Why don’t my sweet potato fries get crispy?

Sweet potato fries might not get crispy due to excess moisture, improper thickness, overcrowding on the baking sheet, inadequate oil coating, low baking temperature, or not baking long enough. To achieve crispiness, ensure you toss them in the tapioca starch, cut them uniformly, space them out on the baking sheet, use enough oil, bake at a high temperature, and give them enough time to cook until golden brown.

Why are my sweet potato fries always soggy?

Your fries may have too much moisture, be too large, or not be cooked at the right temperature or baked long enough to get nice and golden brown.

Are sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?

No, sweet potatoes and yams are not the same. They are both root vegetables; however, sweet potatoes are typically orange with a sweeter taste, while yams are more starchy, can be white or purple, and are less sweet.

Are sweet potato fries any healthier?

Sweet potato fries are generally considered healthier than regular potato fries because they are lower in calories and fat, and have a lower glycemic index. They are also a good source of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries storage

Storing: These baked sweet potato fries work best when enjoyed fresh. If you don’t need 4 servings of fries, consider halving the recipe. Leftover sweet potato fries can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but they will soften as soon as they are stored.

Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing these baked sweet potato fries. They will be very soggy and never get as crispy once frozen!

Reheating: Reheating these fries will work best in the oven or air fryer. They will not get quite a crispy as the first time, but it will be much better than reheating in the microwave. Watch carefully to prevent burning since they are already fully cooked.

An overhead shot of crispy sweet potato fries in a round platter that is lined with parchment paper with a white bowl of ketchup on the platter

An overhead shot of baked sweet potato fries on a parchment lined platter with a white bowl of ketchup on the platter on a grey background

Homemade Sweet Potato Fries (Oven Recipe)

The best Baked Sweet Potato Fries ! This recipe for Crispy Sweet Potato Fries is easy to make in the oven – healthy and delicious!

Prep Time : 15 minutes

Cook Time : 35 minutes

Serves : 4 1 cup servings

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Serving: 6oz cooked sweet potqtoes | Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 415mg | Potassium: 764mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 31921IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg