Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato fries are like French fries healthier, overachieving cousin. 

They’re perfectly crunchy with a touch of sweetness. And yes, they’re just as addictive.

I just love the earthy but sweet flavor they give, plus a little extra fiber, too.

So, if you want a healthier spin on French fries, you have to give this sweet potato fries recipe a look!

Ingredients

To make your very own baked sweet potato fries, you’ll only need four ingredients.

• Sweet potatoes. You can choose to bake these peeled or unpeeled. I like mine with the skin for a bit of texture, but always make sure to clean your sweet potatoes thoroughly before slicing.

• Italian seasoning. Store-bought and ready-made Italian seasoning works great for this, but it’s also easy to make your own with some dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried parsley, dried thyme, and garlic powder.

• Salt and pepper. With my sweet potatoes, I like to use sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

• Olive oil. If you really want to make sure these are the healthiest possible fries, use extra virgin olive oil!

How to Make Sweet Potato Fries

Ready to make your very own sweet potato fries? Here’s how to do it.

1. Prepare. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Slice sweet potatoes. Cut your sweet potato into evenly sized-fries.

3. Season the potatoes. Place sweet potato fries in a bowl and add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss to be sure fries are coated with other ingredients.

4. Arrange on a baking tray. Place fries in one layer, making sure they are spaced evenly and are not touching.

5. Bake. Place potatoes in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Be sure to flip at the 15-minute mark for even browning. 

6. Rest. Let cool for 5 minutes, serve, and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks for the Best Fries

For extra tasty and perfectly crisp sweet potato fries, here are some things to keep in mind!

• Cut in even slices. You’ll want your fries to cook evenly, so be sure you cut them up into even slices! If you want them thick but still crispy on the outside, cut ½ to 1-inch fries. For extra crispy sweet potato fries, you can make them as thin as ¼ inch.

• Make them ultra-crispy. Here’s a tip for making extra crispy fries: wait until after you’ve baked them to add the salt! Salt can bring out some moisture in the sweet potatoes, so save it for last.

• Arrange in a single layer. Another way to ensure that each piece is cooked properly is to spread them out evenly on your pan. If they get too close, they might stick together or burn. Never stack your sweet potato fries! 

• Flip halfway. Be sure to flip them over halfway through baking! Sweet potatoes burn more easily than regular potatoes. You won’t want one side to be wonderfully crisp only to find that the other side is blackened and burned.

• Always use parchment paper! Some say a greased pan is fine, but I find that parchment paper helps a lot with getting them nice and crisp and avoids overcooking.

• Let them rest. When they come out of the oven, it will be hard to resist taking a bite right away. But be patient! Let them cool down for just 5 minutes to give them time to get even crispier. Trust me, the wait is worth it.

• Don’t wait too long. This fiber-packed snack is best served warm. You don’t want cold and stale sweet potato fries, so be sure to eat them within the day. I’m sure it won’t be a problem given how delicious they are!

Variations & Add-Ins for Sweet Potato Fries

This easy, tasty recipe might need a creative twist after multiple tries. Here are some variations and add-ins for your sweet potato fries.

• Make sweet potato discs. Instead of the usual fries, you can also cut your sweet potatoes into ¼ inch discs. I love to do this when I’ve made a dip with lots of herbs and spices!

• Super crispy fries. Coat your fries with cornstarch! It’s best to use the same amount as olive oil, so for this recipe, you can add in as much as 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

• Add garlic. If you’re craving a bit more flavor, try garlic powder! There might already be some garlic flavors in your Italian seasoning, but just a bit more just makes it taste even better.

• Go spicy. I love spicy food, so I’ll usually sprinkle over some cayenne pepper or even chili flakes on my sweet potato fries.

• Experiment with seasoning. If you’re not in the mood for Italian seasoning, you can also try adding in cajun seasoning, taco seasoning, or even curry powder.

• Make them cheesy. I will add cheese to almost any dish so if you’re a cheese addict like me, sprinkle some fresh parmesan right when you take your sweet potatoes out of the oven.

• Dessert sweet potato fries? Why not?! If you’re not feeling all these savory add-ins and want something sweeter, add in some brown sugar instead of the Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. You’ll love it!

• Bring on the dip. You might want to enjoy your fries with a dip. Some of my favorites are ketchup, spinach, cream cheese, garlic aioli, sriracha, or even honey.