The first time I ever had sweet potato fries was at a restaurant about 8 years ago. They had such a delicious sweet coating…it was kind of like eating a dessert! So I thought I’d try making some baked sweet potato fries, since I don’t eat fried foods much. I looked up some recipes and came up with a few different ways to make this yummy side dish. There are two “versions”–one that’s more spicy and salty and one that’s sweet and slightly spicy. I like them both ways…it just depends if you’re in a sweet or salty mood. 🙂 In my photo up above, the spicy fries are on the plate and the sweet ones are in the small bowl  (my “fries” actually look more like chunks, but you can cut yours into wedges or slices if you want them to look more like fries). They’re both very easy to make and sweet potatoes are so good for you, so you may want to give these two recipes a try!

SPICY BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks, wedges or chunky “French Fry” slices
• 1 1/2  Tablespoons canola oil or olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

And depending on how spicy you want your fries, you can add these if you like:

• 1-2 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut up potatoes (an easy way to make wedges is to cut each peeled potato in half lengthwise and then cut each half into 6 wedges). In a plastic ziploc bag, combine the cut sweet potatoes, oil, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper or chili powder, and (optional) taco seasoning and onion powder. Seal the bag and shake until the potatoes are evenly coated with the oil and spices. Spread the  potatoes out in a single layer on a large baking or cookie sheet (if you want easy clean-up, line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper).  Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 30 minutes or until the potato edges are crisp and potatoes are cooked through (halfway through baking time, turn the fries over using a large spoon so the potatoes will bake more evenly). The thinner  your chunks, wedges, or slices are, the less baking time you’ll need. These taste great just the way they are, but you can also serve them with honey mustard sauce or ketchup for dipping.

SWEET and SLIGHTLY SPICY BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks, wedges or chunky “French Fry” slices
• 1 1/2  Tablespoons canola oil or olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons honey or pure maple syrup, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut up potatoes. In a plastic ziploc bag, combine the cut sweet potatoes, oil, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper or chili powder. Seal the bag and shake until the potatoes are evenly coated with the oil and spices. Then add 1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup to the bag and coat potatoes evenly. Spread the  potatoes out in a single layer on a large baking or cookie sheet (if you want easy clean-up, line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper).  Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 30 minutes or until the potato edges are crisp and potatoes are cooked through (halfway through baking time, turn the fries over using a large spoon so the potatoes will bake more evenly). When potatoes are done, while still warm, coat the potatoes evenly with an additional 1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup (you can place the potatoes in a bowl and toss them with a large spoon to do this). Then serve immediately.

Here are a few more baked sweet potato recipes I’ve come across if you want to try them out…

OVEN SWEET POTATO FRIES (from EatingWell.com)

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 teaspoons canola oil (or olive oil)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss sweet potato wedges with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the wedges out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until browned and tender, turning once during the baking time. Makes 2 servings.

SIMPLE ROASTED SWEET POTATO FRIES (This is very similar to the above recipe, but it makes a bigger batch. I can’t remember the source–sorry!)

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. Lay each half flat, then cut the potatoes into wedges, about 1/4″ thick. Cut the wider wedges in half or so they are not more than 1/2″ wide. In large bowl, combine the wedges with oil, salt, and pepper (along with garlic powder and paprika, if you’re using those). Mix well, until wedges are well-coated. Lightly grease a baking sheet and roast the wedges at 420 degrees for 30 minutes, turning the wedges over after 15 minutes.

BAKED SWEET & SPICY SWEET POTATO FRIES (adapted from The Cooking Channel)

• 3 sweet potatoes, washed & scrubbed
• 3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2-1 Tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• a few grinds of coarse black pepper
• salt, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar (for garnishing)
• 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• PAM (olive oil flavor)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl whisk together oil, pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika.

Cut the potatoes into strips (french-fry size) and lay them on a baking sheet. Pour oil mixture over potatoes and toss until evenly coated. Spray with some pam and make sure each strip is hitting the baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over potatoes.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until darker and crispy, tossing every 10 minutes. Remove and cool. While cooling, sprinkle with remaining brown sugar and garnish with chives. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce–honey mustard is good with these. Makes 4 servings.

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