Baked Sweet Potato Fries
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Last updated on Dec 10, 2024
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Learn how to make the best oven baked sweet potato fries with this simple recipe! They’re absolutely addictive and make for the perfect healthy snack or side dish.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a potato girl. When it comes to carbs I’ll take potatoes over bread any day and I’ll eat them just about any way you cook them. I grew up eating the not-so-healthy type of potatoes like fast food fries, chips and my mom’s fried potatoes.
Now I still eat potatoes, but I usually choose sweet potatoes over regular (even though I do love my air fryer baked potato) and skip the fried stuff for the most part — I’ll occasionally indulge in regular sweet potato fries because they’re just too good to pass up sometimes.
That said, I rarely have a craving for the fried version because I make these baked sweet potato fries (and sweet potato croutons) at home all the time and they’re just as tasty! Trust me, these sweet potato fries are sure to satisfy your craving.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Fries
- Perfectly crispy – These sweet potato fries bake up with a golden, crispy outside while staying tender and fluffy inside—no sogginess here!
- Healthy alternative – Baked, not fried, these are a light and wholesome way to enjoy fries with all the flavor.
- Simple ingredients – You only need a handful of basic ingredients to make this crave-worthy snack or side.
- Versatile seasoning – Whether you like them sweet, spicy, or classic, you can easily adjust the seasoning to match your mood.
Ingredients Needed
- sweet potatoes – the star of the show! Look for medium to large ones so you get plenty of crispy fries. Thinly slice them to get that perfect crunch.
- avocado or olive oil – just a little drizzle helps these fries get that golden, crispy goodness in the oven.
- arrowroot powder or cornstarch – this is the magic ingredient for getting an extra crispy coating without any frying.
- garlic powder, black pepper, & salt – simple seasonings that really finish these sweet potato fries off perfectly.
Flavor Variations
- Paprika and cayenne pepper: Spice it up by adding 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Cinnamon: Play up the savory + sweet flavor by adding 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Taco seasoning: Add a sprinkle of taco seasoning to the fries before baking and then squeeze fresh lime juice on after baking for a Mexican-inspired side!
How to Make Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Toss the sweet potato slices in a bowl with oil, arrowroot powder, garlic powder, and pepper until evenly coated.
Step 2: Spread the fries on the baking sheet in a single layer, leaving space between them (use two sheets if needed). Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for another 15-20 minutes, watching closely during the last 5 minutes to prevent burning.
Brittany’s Tips For Crispy Fries
The one thing about baked sweet potato fries is that they’re not usually as crispy as fries that are fried, BUT I’ve found a couple tricks to help baked fries crisp up!
- Add starch: Tossing your fries with a little arrowroot powder or cornstarch before baking helps absorb moisture and makes them crispier.
- Don’t overcrowd: Give your fries space on the baking sheet, or they’ll steam instead of crisp. If you’re making a big batch, use two baking sheets.
- Salt after baking: Wait until your fries are baked to sprinkle on the salt—this keeps them from getting soggy.
- Skip soaking: Some recommend soaking fries in salted water to remove starch, but with sweet potatoes, it doesn’t make much of a difference. Save yourself the extra step!
- Go easy on the oil: Less is more! About 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of oil per sweet potato is ideal. Too much oil can make your fries soggy instead of crispy.
- Flip halfway: About halfway through baking, grab a spatula and flip each fry over. This little step helps get both sides golden and crispy. It might feel like an extra task, but that minute or two makes all the difference for those perfectly crispy edges!
How to Serve Sweet Potato Fries
I’m a firm believer that sweet potato fries go with just about anything. I know it sounds weird, but I love pairing a meal sized salad with side of fries, but I also like serving sweet potato fries alongside burgers like these sweet potato black bean burgers (double dose of sweet potatoes) or this spinach feta turkey burger. Or eating them straight from the baking sheet dipped in ketchup…
Seriously, give me a baking sheet full of sweet potato fries and I’m a happy camper. A happy camper that’s loading up on vitamin A, vitamin C and antioxidants like beta-carotene. 🙂
Oh and I should note that it’s crazy easy to eat a full potato’s worth of these fries by yourself so double the recipe if you’re serving a few people.
How to Store Leftovers
If you decide to make a bigger batch and have leftovers store them in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. To reheat, just place them in the air fryer in a single layer and cook at 375°F for 1-2 minutes. You can also reheat them in a toaster oven, regular oven or microwave. Just note that the potatoes will get soft if you reheat them in the microwave
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting sweet potato fries crispy can be tricky! Make sure you’re slicing them thin and evenly, about ¼ inch thick, and tossing them with just a light coating of oil—too much oil can make them soggy. Spacing is key, too, so spread them out on the baking sheet; if they’re too close together, they’ll steam instead of crisp up. Flipping halfway through baking also helps both sides get golden.
Yes, baked sweet potato fries are super nutritious! Sweet potatoes are packed with fiber, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants. Baking them instead of frying keeps them lower in fat and calories, so you can enjoy them as a wholesome side or snack without the extra oil from frying.
After you cut your potatoes into fry-shape, lots of people recommend soaking them in salted salted cold water for about 15-20 minutes before baking to pull out extra moisture and remove extra starch. I honestly tried this trick and didn’t feel like it make that much of a difference with the sweet potato fries. Maybe it works better with baked white potatoes since they’re starchier?
More Sweet Potato Recipes:
- Sweet Potato Chips
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
- Perfect Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sweet Potato Hash
- Sweet Potato Frittata
- Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
Be sure to check out all of the side dish recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 2 medium – large sweet potato, cut into thin slices (about 1/4 inch)
- 2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- sea salt, to taste (added after baking)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Place sweet potato slices into a large bowl and toss with oil, arrowroot powder, garlic powder and pepper.
- Spread the fries onto your prepared baking sheet, making sure the fries aren't crowded. You may find that you need to use two baking sheets. The fries can't be crowded or else they will start to steam and get soft rather than crispy.
- Bake for 15 minutes, take them out of the oven and flip, then bake for another 15-20 minutes.
- Keep an eye on them the last 5 minutes as some of the smaller pieces might start to burn.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, use an air fryer at 375°F for 1-2 minutes, or a toaster oven or regular oven for crispiness; the microwave will make them softer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I want to make a large batch and freeze some. Any thoughts or suggestions on how to do that?
Hi Erin – Are you wanting to freeze them before or after baking?
Will this work with butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes?
Yes, you can totally make butternut squash fries instead. Click on the link to see my recipe for them. 🙂
Sweet potatoes and yams are totally different. Yams are orange, sweet potatoes are white and hard to find. I will make this recipe with the sweet potato since I have some, look forward to it thanks for the recipe.
We have made these several times and they are delicious! We also add some coriander and WOW! Last night, I tried with butternut squash wavy fries which we bought at Trader Joe’s but the arrowroot powder created a gooey, sticky film which was kind of gross. Would you recommend using less arrowroot or just omitting it completely for BN squash which is so much more moist and tender than sweet potato?
I just made these fries and they are so good!! I love how simple this recipe is, and that is uses common household ingredients!
Yay! This recipe is one of my favorites. So glad you enjoyed it, Natalie.
Making these tonight!
I absolutely love sweet potato fries! I’ll be sure to try out your recipe, hopefully to change the traditional flavor of mine.
Ah see I’m a bread girl over potatoes any day! I do love sweet potato fries though, I feel like that’s my exception…
http://www.thesundaymode.blogspot.com.au
I would LOVE a side of these with your hearts of palm BBQ sandwich!! Those have been on my to-try list this summer. Sweet potatoes cooked any way are my thing!
Sweet potato fries are a favorite for me! These look delicious!
Can never go wrong with sweet tater fries… mmm.
We can’t get enough sweet potatoes right now! I love them!
I need to make sweet potato fries more often! These look and sound amazing. I love the mixture of spices too!
I love sweet potato fries!
These look so yummy!
Izzy | https://plantbasedizzy.wordpress.com/
I love sweet potato chips and have been experimenting with oil-free cooking recently… they work really well without oil, too! I like to add a little nutmeg and smoked paprika to mine.
Sophie
Those look so frekaing yummy!
I make sweet potato fries just like this, all the time! They are such a huge favorite and I could really make a meal out of them!
You can’t go wrong with baked sweet potato fries! They are the perfect side dish to any meal.
Hands down one of my favorite foods.
What a cute apple bag! I’m definitely going to look it up!
Oooh yum!! I just made those Crispy Sweet Potato Fries. Yum!!!
HI BIRITANNY GONNA MAKE THOSE SWEETPOTATOE FRIES NEVER HAD THEM B4? BUT LETME ASK U SOMETHIN? SHOULD I GET SWEET POTATOES OR YAMS? I DONT KNOW THE PIC SORTA LOOK OTANGE LIKE YAMS? PLEASE LET ME KNOW GOING TO THE STORE 2DAY TO PURCHASE? THANKS LOAD TONS MILLIONS!!!!!!!!!
I think they are called sweet potatoes and yams interchangeably. But you’ll want to get the potatoes that are orange so if that’s yams where you are, then yes get those. 🙂
I have never made sweet potato fries for my guys before, but I think I need to. That burger looks so good…and with those fries…YUM! I love the idea of the reusable produce bags…I am going now to enter! Thanks for sharing and have a safe trip!
Wasabi peas = happy mouth.
Thanks for showcasing the reusable bags. Reusable bags = happy planet (probably will take a little bit more than just that, but awesome step 🙂
Enjoy NC – I miss it already!
Love you site doll!
The kale chips from the last post look freaking amazing!
I really love wasabi peas….and could eat them all day long!
I think i shall make some sweet tatter fries tonight!
XXOO
YUUUM – fabulous eats as always, Brittany!
Thanks for the lovely recipe – can´t wait to try it on my own!
Have a great weekend 🙂
Brazilian XOXO´s,
Gabriela
I love sweet potato fries too! Makes me wonder why anyone would ever want regular fries lol. I’ve been upping my protein intake hard as well – but the results have been amazing so far so I’m quite pleased! Your cherry smoothie looks delicious! 🙂
Your daily eats look wonderful! I’m traveling now, and I’m missing being able to prep my own healthy food. I am also trying to eat more protein, and greek yogurt is one of my favorite sources!
cherries and cherry juice has been shown to be an amazing recovery drink post workout too!!! i love it!! oh yeah, you want to build muscle gotta up that protein! Ok i thinkits time for me to try the 2% i dont know why I never have, but i have heard from so many that it tastes amaazing and its still lower in fat, so yes i gotta try it!
I saw meghanns artical too!
I love the idea of using coconut oil for the fries – mmm! Rolling them in ground flax is super yum too.
I have the same issue with leaving a few bags in the car + then not replacing them when I go to the grocery store. I literally feel guilty when I go in the store without them, so I buy more. I must half like 100 of those freakin bags!
I have to make a conscious effort when it comes to my protein intake. I don’t really crave it a lot of the time, at least in my mind, but my body definitely likes it when I’m eating more. I think I should add that book to my summer reading list! (Which is growing unrealistically long for one summer, but what can ya do?)
That’s me!! 🙂
Salad looks gorgeous. I’m definitely adding cumin to my sweet potato fries next time I make them. Sounds like a delicious addition to an already tasty meal.
Love wasabi peas – I’m going to have to try the edamame!! Sweet potato fries are one of my favorite things!!!!
Have a great day Miss Brittany!
Wow! All your food yesterday is on my favorites list 🙂 I’ve been snackin’ on the wasabi peas that have been in my cupboard for weeks. I just found out they’re gluten free, despite the “glutinous flour” in the ingredient list.
Turns out glutinous just means “sticky” 😀
Yeah, NROL4W is a great program! You go girl!
My hubby got me a Chico bag last year and I love it!!! The baggers at stores are always amazed because of how small it compacts and how well it stretches.
I just tell them, “cram as much as you want in there-it stretches alot!”
That salad is gorgeous–so many jewel tones!
Man, I wish I were still in RDU so we could have a meet-up. Someday, I hope!
Hey Brittany, thanks for visiting my site and for the coconut water tip. I had no idea. I’m adding you to my reader 🙂 I’ll have to try the shake and the 2% Fage. I ate the 0 fat for a while, but I’m pretty sick of it now. Anyway, I have to confess, I’m not a real wellness coordinator. I’m an editor for a women’s organization, and our ED is really into health, so I plan all kinds of health and wellness stuff for our office. I can only assume it’s a good way to someday get into the field. I plan events and work with a group affiliated with a hospital in the area, so I have some contacts now, but I haven’t made any kind of leap yet. I’d be happy to talk more about it though. And I loved the New Rules of Lifting for Women 🙂
Those bags are adorable, I’ll have to check them out to buy 🙂 I think black bean burgers and sweet potato fries are among my favorite foods!
sweet potato fries are seriously the best, the sweet with the savory/spicy combo is fabulous! these bags look great too!
I have actually never had wasabi peas or edamame. I really need to get some next time at TJs. And I totally agree – 2% tastes so much better!
Omg 🙂 I don’t know where to begin, everything looks delicious and so so fresh!! I feel like a little extra protein never hurt, and I love that you’re incorporating WASABI PEAS while doing so! Those are my absolute favoriteeee. Especially with some dark chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc –the salty/sweet trail mix combo is killer! Promise.
And that choco cherry bomb is my new thing! I’ve been adding a little extra cocoa powder/stevia & xanthum gum to the mix and it seriously tastes like a big bowl of chocolate fro yo to me! Love. it.
I love sweet potato fries!! I feel stronger and more energized when I eat more protein (and less carbs/bread).
The reusable bags are a great idea. I keep at least two in my car, but can always use more!! Going to head over to that website now.
need to pick up shape magazine ASAP!
oh man i just love this post.. has so many of my favs… cherries, chocolate, protein, sweet taters, beets, salmon OH MY! but i totally thought the wasabi peas were mouldy.. like the white stuff around them.. glad theyre just normal.. the ones ive seen are pretty wimpy tho and really small.. but i LOVE WASABI like crazy!
xoxo
I have been hearing a lot about this weight lifting for women book, I think I may need to pick it up. I LOVE weight lifting, but I am thinking I should be researching it more to get the full effects.