Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Posted on January 22, 2008
My husband doesn’t like sweet potatoes. He won’t eat them. He turns his nose up when I mention them. It’s one of many veggies that he just doesn’t like. So the other night, I whipped up a batch of Super Easy Low-Fat Oven Fries and made a batch of Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries for Will and I. Yum! Two kinds of low-fat fries with dinner . . . perfect.
Did I mention that my husband hates sweet potatoes? Okay, just checking. That’s important. See, you can imagine my surprise when Shawn saw me plating the food and asked for some of the sweet potato fries too. He asked to eat them. Of course, I couldn’t say no (even though I wanted to eat them all myself. Mine! All mine!). How can you say no to that?
Perhaps better than his requesting some, he ate the whole handful I plopped on his plate and declared them “not bad.” High praise, ladies and gentlemen. High praise.
Will and I, of course, ate a bunch. These were really yummy. I’ve tried to make sweet potato fries before, but they never came out as tasty as these. I hand cut mine, but I recommend using a mandolin to ease the prep time. I am just glutton for punishment. Seriously. Who hand cuts fries when they OWN several devices that will do it for them? Geez.
Now, a bit about sweet potatoes before I fork over the recipe. According to World’s Healthiest Foods, sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A and vitamin C – both powerful antioxidants. It also is considered an antidiabetic food, which means that it can stabilize blood sugar and lower insulin resistance.
Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
serves 4-6
Several people have mentioned that their fries didn’t come out crispy. Please note that cooking times are an estimation. Different ovens cook differently so you may need to increase the time to reach desired doneness. Ovens should also be regularly calibrated to ensure that the temperature inside the oven is the temperature on the dial.
1 – 1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (preferably the easy release kind).
Peal the sweet potatoes. Cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.
Place the sweet potatoes into a resealable plastic bag. Add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon. Seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries. Spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.
Cook for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until slightly browned. Transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.
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These tasty, low-fat fries are healthy too. And that makes them a great submission for Sweetnicks’ ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays, an event that challenges us to cook and eat more antioxidant rich foods.
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122 Responses to “Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries”
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One word – YUM!!! I love sweet potatoes and am definitely having these with my smoked haddock fish cakes at the weekend
These sound great! I’ve been meaning to try making sweet potato fries for years. Thanks for the inspiration. The idea of adding at touch of cinnamon is very intriguing. : )
[...] Sarah from Sarah’s Cucina Bella converts her husband over to the wonderful world of sweet potatoes with her Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries: [...]
[...] many vegetables that he turns his nose up to. It was even more of a surprise when he liked those sweet potato fries. Yes, and the moral of that story is that if you treat a picky man like a two-year-old and [...]
My daughter has Pancreatitis and we’ve heard that sweet potatoes are the super food for the pancreas. We are trying these fries for a different take on the sweet potatoe!
Hi, I made these last night and let me say yummy,yummy,yummy. So easy(as long as you use a potato cutter that is.) I’ve tried to make sweet potato fry’s before but they didn’t come out crispy. These were perfect!. I listened to the other suggestions made and I think the key was making sure they were sufficently separated on the baking sheet Crispy on the out side, soft and creamy inside.
The recipe is perfect, the only thing I changed was using coconut oil instead of olive oil… just adds a touch of sweetness.
Take the fries OUT of the bag before you spread them. I missed that implied step, and my dad won’t stop making fun of me.
[...] Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries from Sarahs Cucina Bella [...]
Coconut oil would be delicious I’m sure, but it’s high in calories and cholesterol.
I made them with evoo instead and mine burned like crazy on the side they were sitting on during the first 10 min.
Is that supposed to happen or was it because of the evoo
Shivani, that’s unusual. Try adjusting the cooking time for your oven — every oven is different, so perhaps yours may need to cook for a short time.
Did you know that you are supposed to calibrate your oven temperature every so often? It’s true. The accuracy of oven temperatures varies over time and you are supposed to use an in-oven thermometer to ensure that your oven is heating to the temperature it says it is.
Loved the use of paprika and cinnamon together as in the past I haven’t used paprika before. Superb flavor – my boyfriend and I have decided this is our favorite sweet potato fry recipe! Thanks. We’ll be making them again very soon!
My husband made these tonight and they were a HUGE hit. I could have eaten the entire batch myself
but we all loved them and will make them weekly! Thanks for the great recipe.
p.s. Sorry, Sarah, but your ‘tip’ made me laugh really hard!
Delicious and easy. My two year old would have eaten them all if I hadn’t been fighting her for them.
FABULOUS!!! My family loved these babies!!!
Thanks everyone for the great feedback! Keep it coming. And I am working on a new sweet potato fry recipe that combines cinnamon and chipotle pepper — I’ll let you all know when it goes up.
Valerie, that gave me a giggle too!
This is so great! This is the second time I am making this, and its truly a hit! To make it easier for me, I cut them in disc size like but not as thin as potato chips.
Delicious and healthy! Can’t beat it
Thanks!
Wonderful recipe! Me and my bf are just beginning to cook and these taste delicious! They have such a unique smell when they cook too. Thanks for this!
just a side note sweet potatoes are the #1 healthiest foods.
I will try the sweet potato spuds….hey, how’s about putting the caloric content? I keep reading how healthy, etc., they are, but I’d like this information.
Coconut oil may be high in calories but it’s very good for you. It can’t possibly be high in cholesterol because it’s a plant food, so by definition does not contain any.
I can’t keep it in the pantry, I use it so much in cooking. It ranks up there with evoo, and unlike the not-so-good-for-you vegetable oils it does not turn into plastic when you cook with it.
Plus, if you make a mess and get it on your hands, just rub it in. It is wonderful for your skin.
I made them last night loved them and I am making them again tonight.
The fries were amazing – and easy to make!
oh wow!!! in a word: PERFECT!!! I’ve tried so many recipes and this is hands-down the best. THANK YOU!!
Thank you, thank you, tahnk you, everybody! I am so glad you love the recipe … and I love the feedback!
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I tried making it this afternoon but my fries didn’t come out crispy at all. I followed the instruction and left the fries in the oven for 30+ minutes. I must’ve done something wrong…
These were awesome. I messed up by baking them at 350 instead of 425, so i baked them for about 15 more minutes at the higher temp and they were still really good. I’m betting if I make them right next time they’ll be out of this world. Even turning out not exactly right, I still ate the entire pan of them because they were so yummy!
Hi,
At school my children were served sweet potatoe fries for lunch for the 1st time,and they LOVED them, is there a store bought brand that they come in? I can’t imagine the school serving “homemade” sweet potatoe fries…If I have too,LOL, I will have my hubby attempt to make these..Janelle…P.S. What is a potatoe cutter? You mean a vegetable slicer?
Janelle,
I know McCain’s makes frozen ones, though they are loaded with preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients. Making them at home is really not much harder.
And Delia did mean a potato cutter. There are specific kitchen tools like this French Fry Cutter
on Amazon that make the job super easy.
Requisite disclaimer: I haven’t tried the one I linked to, but am ordering it to try. Great idea.
These sound amazing, one question though. About how many sweet potatoes makes 1-1.5 lbs?
Cori, you really need to weigh them. Weights vary based on size and density of the potato — when you are buying them, just use the store’s scale to determine how many you need. (Ask an employee if you can’t find a scale. They have them.)
I was looking for an easy recipe that my husband will eat and found this… I can’t wait to try it!! Great blog!
Yummy! i’m pregnant and i’m CRAVING sweet potatoes and squash so these are hitting the spot, we will be eating them A LOT and my husband and toddler love them too! Thank you!
[...] second vegetable was these delicious sweet potato fries from Sarah’s Cucina Bella. I had planned to make a dish of sweet potatoes on the stove top, but was very surprised to find I [...]
It says to turn every 10 minutes, but when I touch the fries they just break into mushy pieces. How do I avoid that?
My son loves sweet potato fries so I can’t wait to try this recipe but … turning each single fry every 10 minutes? If I make a tray full of fries, wouldn’t that seem like a big chore?
Thanks
Zara, make sure you are using a spatula with a thin edge. I prefer a metal one in this case.
Lynn, if you make these, be sure that your tray isn’t overcrowded because if it is, they won’t get crispy. And the flipping every 10 minutes is necessary for crispness. Personally, I don’t see it as a chore at all. It’s just part of cooking. If you do, then this might not be for you.
The trick to this recipe in my opinion is soaking the fries in cold water for 30 seconds before coating with the oil & seasonings. I drizzle the rest of the mixture from the bag on the fries and they come out perfect every time! My 9 month old loves them!
I made these tonight, and they were YUMMY!!!!
I think I almost ate two whole sweet potato’s myself!!!!!!
Thanks for the recipe, I will definately be making these again.
cant wait to try these sounds great i love to cook and sarah has great recipes like itlian zesty zuppa soup fast and easy WONDERFUL MY WHOLE FAMILY LOVE IT THANKS
Thank you for the recipe! My doctor told me to eat more sweet potatoes and to use coconut oil as much as possible. Your recipe came up at the top of my Google search and I am thankful for the reader comments (esp. the suggestion about coconut oil!). I will be making these tomorrow and I’m excited to post a review.
And, to Dana – aren’t you supposed to keep coconut oil in the fridge? That’s how it came when I bought it and I haven’t used it yet because it’s like parafin wax. Do you scoop out some the night before for a recipe? The doctor wants me to use it as lip balm, too, but I can’t imagine how if it’s always in the ‘fridge as a solid. Just curious.
Thanks all!
MMM!!!!! These were amazing!!! I’d make them again and again…it was weird though because my sister hated them
Shes crazy!!!!
I made these for my boyfriend last night and he must have eaten 3/4 of the bowl before I even finished my salad. Wonderful (and healthy)recipe!!
I have a question about this recipe. If I peel them and put them in the bag the night before and let them sit would they still work out?
Thanks!
Do you think that grapeseed oil will work on these? It has a low smoke point as well. I’m making them soon!
Wow, this recipe was fantastic! I didn’t even use “regular” sweet potatoes; I had to settle for Japanese white yams because that’s all I had available when shopping (we live overseas). I was a little nervous about the cinnamon and paprika combination, but they were perfect together. My husband and one-year-old loved them, though my 5 year-old wasn’t quite as convinced.
I’m looking forward to trying the Parmesan and rosemary sweet potato fries recipe, too.
Hope you don’t mind but I linked your site and recipe on my blog, so I could share it with my friends.
Very yummy, but next time will flip them more often near the end (not every 10 min), since they got burnt on one side.
love the fries… Great tip about turning the fries every 10 minutes.
These were awesome. A new year and a new resolution to lose additional weight only made these jems sweeter (although the salt made them awesome!). Thanks.
Another store bought brand available in some areas is Trader Joes, they are very good. But I am going to attempt homemade tonite.
Absolutely perfect recipe! This was the first time trying to make these myself, what an easy and quick recipe!
OMG!! These are sooo fabulous!!
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! =)
just made these
damn.
absolutely amazing
another healthy meal to the repertoire
going to try these fries for the first time
because everyone is drooling over these fries..
will let you know HOW GREAT THOU ART??????
Will EVOO really cause it burn?
I’m making them for the second time. My family, even my husband, loved them the first. I’ve had them before with a honey mustard dipping sauce, any ideas on that?
It’s funny because my boyfriend is the same way he hates sweet potatoes, but I made these and they were AWESOME, and of course my boyfriend LOVED them!! You should submit this recipe to the Oxygen magazine.
I have to admit, I am one of those picky non sweet potato liking husbands. We were trying to think of something to make for dinner tonight and realized we were out of potatoes, the regular kind that is. I was thinking we could fry the sweet potatoes. I searched for “sweet potato fries” on google and yours was the very first listing. Very easy to make and yes it was tasty.
For those of you who like it a little spicy, sprinkle some cayenne pepper on it when served. Absolutely delicious. The only other sweet potato dish I ever liked was mashed sweet potatoes with cheddar cheese and jalapenos. Great job !
Came out great. I put a little chili powder in mine because I like the spice. Worked well. This is an excellent recipe that look forward to using again. Thank you.
These were so yummy, but mine turned out a little soggy. How do I make them crispy?
This recipe is amazing! I’m so glad I found it! You were in the top three of my google search. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for the lovely recipe. I used the recipe to make garlic potato fries to go with my favorite veggie sandwich and mango milkshake. The fries turned out fantastic. I will ‘have’ to try the sweet potato fries next. Can’t wait!
I loved loved loved these sweet potato fries. I have never liked sweet potatos and when I made these for my husband he just fell beside himself. they come out so crispy on the outside and nice and mushy on the inside. They smell amazing and taste even better.
My only comment is that I have to leave them in the oven for almost an hour to get done. It all depends on what type of oven you have.
But an amazing recipe non the less. You are great for posting this!
I made these tonight and they turned out soggy. Am wondering what went wrong. The taste was ridiculousy yummy anyways, but want to try again & see how much yummier they are crisp. I sprayed some cooking spray on the aluminum foil and took another reviewer’s suggestion and drizzled the extra liquid on top of the fries. Do you think one or both of those did it?
These are so delicious! Perfect and crispy with a great taste!
These sound and look delicious. Thanks!
There is also another company named Alexia that makes sweet potato fries that are low fat.
They tasted great-at least the ones I didn’t burn. I turned then every 10 minutes. What did I do wrong? Even burned my teenage son thought they were great!
Googled for sweet potato fries and up popped yours. Hubby has to increase his beta carotene because of his eye diseases. I’m tired of just baking them so I’m looking forward to a go at this. I’m going by the reviews and they sound great.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! They turned out perfect, crispy, not soggy at all and not burned,they were so delicious! Plus, they made my kitchen smell wonderful while cooking!!! My 3 year old scarfed them down, as well as her 4 year old friend who was over to play. Even my 9 month old loved them! Thanks again!
This recipe is awesome. I’ve cooked it several times, although I reduce the oil a little.
My 14 year old daughter, who just recently became vegetarian, has been bugging me to make theses. I wish I had done it sooner. OMG! They were so delicious. Everyone scarfed them up. Little brother wasn’t too wild about them, but said they were ok. I think I might try a little less oil next time too. I even forgot to flip them, and they were still amazing! Thanks so much for posting this. Had no idea sweet potatoes could be this yummy!
Could you deep fry in veg or peanut oil, etc., like regular french fries ? Had them at a restaurant but they were kinda hard and didn’t seem to have much flavor ? Restaurant is a fantastic place with home style made foods – especially BBQ.
To the coconut oil person, all oils have the same amount of calories: 120 per tablespoon. Olive oil may be “healthy” but it’s just as caloric as coconut, peanut or any other oil.
Thankyou so much for this recipe. We are on a low carb program , changing our eatting habits. Sweet potatoes are high in potasium which i am defficeant in.so this works for us .they are Soooo000000 good.
I just made them last night, I love them more than regular old fries. You have won my stomach over.
I love this recipe and have made them several times…my boyfriend however likes fries that are crispier (these always turn out a little limp for me) any suggestions on how to get these a little crispier or is this just a trait of sweet potatoes?
Try using Cumin instead of the cinnamon, it needs about twice as much, but makes for great variety!
Mine, too, came out soggy. Delicious but soggy
These are great!! To answer some of the questions, I think if you overcrowd the pan with too many sweet potatoes, they wont cook correctly and will get soggy instead of crispy. Be sure to leave space between each one, and turn them every 10 mins, so they get crispy on all sides. Yum
[...] we eat a lot of potatoes — in fry form. Sometimes I grill them, other times I make delicious sweet potato fries (or my fave: Parmesan Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries) … and of course there are oven fries. Mmm. [...]
First and foremost let me tell you Ikea knives are not the way to go about cutting potatoes into fry like shapes. Part of my finger may or may not be cooking with these fries! haha. Other than that, I followed the recipe, might have cut them a little thick but we’ll see how they turn out. Just put them in the oven. I’ll let you know how I did in about 30 mins.
These were really good. I made them for myself thinking that my BF won’t like them, but I think he will. I made it because sweet potatoes are one of the 10 super foods listed.
Mines burnt, but the parts that weren’t burnt were awesome
Thanks for the recipe… it’s so easy
Just made these and they were fantastic! I reduced the amount of olive oil, but still fantastic!
I tried my own version and they came out great!
Took 2 sweet potatos and cut them into strips. I used 3 egg whites and dipped all of the fries in the white then layed them on a greased baking sheet. Seasoned with a mix of paprika, greek seasoning, chili powder and garlic powder. Sprinkled the seasoning mix all over. Baked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, while flipping the fries every 10 minutes. Let them cool and served with ketchup and fat-free mayo. Soo good and crispy! This is so simple and quick! I wanted to make another batch! Hope this helps and thanks for the inspiration!
YUM! Mine burned a little but it gave it a nice crunch. Thanks for the recipe
These were GREAT! Thanks for the recipe! Like others, it was the first hit on Google. Hubby liked them a lot as well and we’ll be trying sweet potato fries more often!
Note to self: Go buy a mandolin! My hands hurt after trying to cut 2 by hand.
These are REALLY good! Finally, something more ’savory’ to do with the sweet potato. I’ve made them a few times with EVOO, I actually like the way they taste with the burned edges. My interest is peaked with the mention of coconut oil, I think I will try that next time! Thanks again for a fantastic recipe
Just a note about the coconut oil…I saw that some people thought that it was not high in cholesterol because it is not an animal product. However, coconut oil is a fat consisting of about 90% saturated fat and will contribute to raising your LDL cholesterol. It is not something that I would recommend cooking with on a regular basis. Canola oil is a healthier option as it does not have any saturated fat, but is full of “good” fats (mono and polyunsaturated). Just a tip from a nutrition student!
THANK YOU! I inhaled them. Amazing.
Absolutely wonderful! Thank you!
Great simple recipe for sweet potato fries, and healthy alternative to deep-frying in olive oil (my guilty pleasure). Personally, I think they’re best eaten with Annie’s organic ketchup and Hellmann’s mayo… mmmmm.
Here’s a tip for those who want to maximize the health benefits of the sweet potato – Don’t peel them when cutting up for plank style fries or potato wedges – makes for additional fibre and lots quicker and less fuss when making your own.
[...] been meaning to try these Sweet Potato Fries* and finally did tonight. They were [...]
I’m from the south and we have been frying these thangs for a very long time. It’s good to see some of you yanks noticing our food a little more each day now. legitamizes our existance here south of the Mason Dixon line. Thanks
Made these last night – Great Flavor, but like others, they came out soggy?
from Julie:
“Coconut oil would be delicious I’m sure, but it’s high in calories and cholesterol.”
you may be interested to read a book by Paul Chek : How to Eat, Move, and be healthy. You may find calories and cholesterol to be a good thing from the correct soure, i.e. non-processed, whole, organic foods.
headed off to try this recipe using coconut oil right now. yum~
Thanks so much for the recipe. First time that I’ve ever tried to make these and a great success. Tastes really amazing!
Love this recipe! I use canola oil, though, because it is healthier and I like the taste of it better as well. I also use Lawry’s Seasoning Salt instead of using just paprika. I use a lot of cinnamon too. Makes them taste sooo good. I love when I get crunchy ones, but I don’t mind if they’re a little soft.
Great….. One thing I did to switch it up a bit was rather than use the cinnamon I used Cayenne Pepper!
On the nutritional properties of coconut oil, there’s no cholesterol as Dana noted. But, it’s EXTREMELY HIGH in saturated fat (12 grams per Tbsp) – canola & vegetable have the least (1 gram per Tbsp), then olive & peanut (2 grams per Tbsp). Saturated fat will clog arteries the same as cholesterol. Let’s be careful out there!
try dipping them in maple syrup! Yumm!!
Have made these 4 or 5 times and they are great. I have also shared the recipe with friends.
I wounder how you could bake a batch and then reheat them on an outdoor barbecue grill???????
Hi,
I’m not sure what happened, but the fries were all soggy and my kids wouldn’t even touch them…..What did I do wrong???
I have 3 kids (7,5,& 4) and a husband that does not eat vegetables. This is one of the few foods that the whole family eats!!! Thanks a bunch for sharing the recipe. Sometimes mine are soggy too but I hand cut them and they tend to be the larger ones, I need to get a mandolin I suppose for more even cutting. Course my daughters prefer the soggy ones, weird kids
we made them tonight and they were absolutly delicious:) but i used hot spice and it was still delicious and with a kick
I loved these. For those with soggy issues I found that those I baked on an airbake cookie sheet where soggy and those on a regular cookie sheet were more crisp. Hopefully that is helpful.
wow! these sound great! as a matter of fact, i’m making them right now, i love sweet potatoes. mmm, and sweet potato fries are even better!! thanks for the recipe!
No coconut oil..it will kill you…
so good! best recipe ever!!!!
[...] this recipe from here. It was ok. Benjamin loved them, so that’s all that really mattered (since they were/are for [...]
SIMPLY WONDERFUL SWEET POTATO FRIES !!!!!
CALABASH, NC
Instead of aluminum foil I used parchment paper. Easy to turn fries and no sticking.
This was my first attempt at making sweet potato fries. I will never have to look for another recipe. This one was AMAZING. My fries came out a bit burnt-looking on the outside, but that’s probably b/c of my oven. The cinnamon adds a nice touch and great flavor. thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this! I also made a combo of fries tonight and used your cinnamon and paprika combo with olive oil on the sweet potato fries. Didn’t measure anything though, just coated lightly with olive oil, tossing about a bit in the bowl, and then shaking paprika and cinnamon and salt on until it felt right. Came out great! Baked at 425 for 30 minutes or so, turning now and then.
[...] Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries [...]
[...] Stuffing (stovetop with onions and sausage added), Green bean casserole, Sweet potatoes, Corn on the cob, Mashed potatoes, Acorn squash, Cranberry sauce, Rolls, [...]
[...] For the sweet potatoes, I sprinkled with salt, cinnamon and paprika, as inspired by Sarah’s Cucina Bella blog. [...]
Made them tonight.. and they were AWESOME!! A little soft though…. I read about not to crowd them and YES, to keep turning them. That should help next time I make them which I WILL be doing!
Left out the paprika, extra cinnamon, baked, and dipped them in low fat vanilla yogurt. A very yummy, healthy alternative to pumpkin pie! My fries also come out not soggy, but not really crunching, unless a little burnt, which I actually kinda like.
As to the coconut oil debate… I know a few people who swear by the health benefits of the “not over processed” “more natural” coconut oil against the “very over processed” vegetable oils. Nature vs Science… who should one believe? from an undecided who is waiting for her first shipment of coconut oil to try.
You people freaking out about coconut oil need to read a bit more about the subject.
Brenda, I just started using coconut oil and I wish I’d started sooner.