These sweet potato fries will change your life. I’m serious! They are salty-sweet, crunchy, and spicy if you wish. Baked sweet potato fries have been one of my favorite snacks since I first shared the recipe eight years ago.
These crispy fries beat their fast-food fried Russet cousins in simplicity and ease. They require fewer cooking steps because they’re baked rather than fried.
Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to make my sweet potato fries even more crispy. Crispy fries or bust!
You’ll learn all of them as you make the recipe, but I’m sharing my top tips in more detail below. Are you hungry for sweet potato fries yet?
How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Fries
I’ve tried baked sweet potato fries every which way, and these elements really do make a big difference in the crispy factor:
1) Slice your fries thinly.
You want your fries to be about 1/4″ wide, or close to it. Thick fries never get crispy.
Here’s how to slice a sweet potato into fries: Rest your sweet potato on its side on a sturdy cutting board. Working lengthwise, slice off a 1/4″ thick slab from one of the sides. Turn the sweet potato onto the flat side so it’s more stable. It gets easier from there!
Continue cutting the sweet potato into slabs, and then cut the slabs into thin fries. As you’re cutting the slabs, you’ll eventually want to turn the sweet potato onto the now-larger flat side to maintain stability.
2) Toss your sliced fries in cornstarch before oil.
Cornstarch really helps to get the outsides crisp! It’s a little trick I learned from a commenter named Jeni (thanks Jeni). I’ve played around with various amounts of cornstarch and olive oil and found the perfect ratio.
I’ve experimented with arrowroot starch as well, and it produced fries that were somewhat less crisp, but it’s worth using if that’s what you have.
3) Divide your fries between two pans and arrange them in even layers.
Overcrowded fries steam each other and never get crispy! You can fit one pound of fries per pan.
Be sure that each fry lies flush against the pan, not piled on top of other fries. The fries develop crisp edges when they’re resting on a hot surface.
4) Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Any lower, and your fries will be soggy. Any higher, and the oil will start smoking. Plus, at higher temps your fries will turn from crisp to burnt way too fast.
Halfway through cooking, you’ll flip the fries with a spatula and swap the pan positions (from lower to upper rack and vice versa). This helps ensure that they bake evenly, turning perfectly golden on the outside and cooking through on the inside.
5) Season last, if desired.
Add salt before baking the fries, but wait to add any spices until after baking. Otherwise, the spices will burn and lose their flavor. I love to balance the sweetness of the fries with a little cayenne pepper and garlic powder, and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Another benefit of seasoning last? You can add spices to taste, so you won’t overdo it.
The Great Soaking Debate
I wondered if sweet potato fries would benefit from a soak in water like my crispy potato wedges do. Those wedges are made with Russet potatoes, and soaking them for 10 minutes in hot water helps release some of the starch in the potatoes and lets them absorb moisture, which leads to ultra-crisp outsides and moist interiors.
So, I tried soaking batches of fries in hot water, and batches in cold water, and baking them with and without cornstarch. You know what? It wasn’t worth the effort. Hot water actually seemed to inhibit crispiness. When I compared a batch of cold water and cornstarch fries with un-soaked cornstarch fries, the un-soaked actually fared better.
I hate extra steps as much as you do, so I’m pleased to report that you do not need to soak your sweet potato fries for great results!
Sweet Potatoes are Nutritious
Unlike regular deep-fried French fries, these baked sweet potato fries have a lot of redeeming nutrition properties. Standard orange sweet potatoes provide an excellent source of beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A.
Sweet potatoes are also full of antioxidants and fiber, and have some beneficial blood sugar-regulating properties. Plus, they’re a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6 (source). Winning!
Serving Suggestions
- These sweet potato fries would be awesome with my sweet potato veggie burgers (if you have a copy of my cookbook, Love Real Food, check out the updated version on page 177).
- I bet they would be nice with black bean soup or pinto posole.
- I’m happy eating them with just about anything, but they’d be especially fun with Mexican food, like tacos and quesadillas.
Recommended Equipment
You’re going to need some basic equipment to make these fries. Chances are, you already have everything you’ll need! These links are affiliate links.
- Sharp chef’s knife: Essential for safely slicing the fries into thin shapes.
- Vegetable peeler: Optional. I always peel my sweet potatoes, but you can leave the skin on if you prefer. Just give your sweet potatoes a good scrub and pat them dry before slicing.
- Half-sheet pans: These are large enough to accommodate 1 pound of fries each, and they have rims around the edges so no fries fall off. Half-sheet pans are the professional standard—all legit chefs and recipe writers use these when they create recipes, so if your baked recipes don’t turn out right, it might be your pan!
- Parchment paper: I recommend lining your pans with parchment paper so the fries don’t get stuck to the pan (there go your crispy edges).
Watch How to Make Sweet Potato Fries
Please let me know how these sweet potato fries turn out for you in the comments! I’m obsessed with them and hope you are, too.
Craving more crispy and salt snacks? You do not want to miss my ultra crispy baked potato wedges!
Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side dish, snack
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Learn how to make crispy, oven baked sweet potato fries! Tossed with olive oil and sea salt, sweet potato fries are an easy and healthy homemade snack or side dish. Recipe yields 4 side servings.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium-large or 3 medium)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Optional spices: freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper and/or garlic powder
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven (make sure the top rack is about 6″ from the heat source and no closer). Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper so the fries don’t get stuck to the pans.
-
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into fry-shaped pieces about ¼″ wide and ¼″ thick. Try to cut them into similarly sized pieces so the fries will bake evenly. Transfer half of the uncooked fries to one baking sheet, and the other half to the other baking sheet.
-
Sprinkle the sweet potato fries with the cornstarch (use 1 ½ teaspoons per pan) and salt (¼ teaspoon per pan). Toss until the fries are lightly coated in powder. Drizzle the olive oil over the fries (1 tablespoon per pan) and toss until the fries are lightly and evenly coated in oil, and no powdery spots remain (use your fingers to rub visible cornstarch into the fries as necessary).
-
Arrange your fries in a single layer and don’t overcrowd; otherwise they will never crisp up. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the fries so they can cook on all sides. (The easiest way to flip them is with a metal spatula. Section by section, scoop up about ten fries and flip them with a quick turn of the wrist.)
-
Arrange the fries in even layers across the pans again, moving any particularly browned fries more toward the middle of the pan so they don’t get overcooked. Return the pans to the oven, swapping their positions (former top pan goes to the lower rack and vice versa).
-
Bake for 10 to 18 more minutes, or until the fries are crispy. You’ll know they’re almost done when the surface of the fries change from shiny orange to a more matte, puffed up texture. Keep an eye on them, as they can turn from crisp to burnt quickly. Sometimes the lower pan will be done a few minutes before the top pan. Don’t worry if the edges are a little bit brown; they will taste more caramelized than burnt.
-
If desired, toss the baked fries with seasonings, to taste. I like to use lots of freshly ground black pepper, and a scant ¼ teaspoon each cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Serve warm!
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Heather
Love it! Mmm I wanna try some!
Amy Cao
Hi Kate! Your write-up and photos are wonderful. I’m relieved they came out okay and cayenne pepper sounds like an excellent idea too. Thanks for sharing my video and the recipe xo
Lourdes
i love sweet potatoes! can’t wait to try this recipe out—looks so yum! thanks!
kris&kel
Holy moly!! These look DEEE-LICOUS! Sweet potatoes are my absolute favorite and I’ve attempted sweet potato fries several times, but they’ve never turned out looking these yummy. I’ll have to give them another shot with your recipe!
Lesley
Hi there! I tried these tonight and you’re right my life has been changed forever. I just have to work a bot more on the crispiness and then I might never eat anything else ever again.
kate
So glad to hear it, Lesley! Try sprinkling the fries with corn starch before mixing it all up with olive oil. It really does help!
Elle Sees
i love mine with sugar on top and dipped in ketchup
Sarah
Yum! They look perfect. I love them with a nice and simple garlic aioli, too – my fave!
kate
Hey Sarah! I have yet to try these fries with garlic aioli (I’m a ketchup fiend), but they are definitely amazing when baked with minced garlic!
oscar falcon lara
Oh I am making these TOMORROW.
Thanks for sharing this wonderfully written and photographed recipe.
Love your site BTW.
erica
Whenever I bake mine they do not turn out nearly as good as your look. I have made a mental note of what you did, and will definitely be making them your way. Thanks for sharing. I am your newest follower.
xo
Mary
Noooo. I yam the newest follower!
★★★★★
Jeni
no need to tell me twice! i LOVE sweet potato fries! best part is that you don’t ever have to actually fry them! i discovered that a little corn (or potato) starch will help them crisp up just enough! so delish!
Laurel
Yum, yum! My kids would love these too. We’re featuring side dishes at the M&T Spotlight this week and I’d love for you to submit this: http://www.makeandtakes.com/spotlight
Isabel
I found this on foodgawker and it has become my go-to fry recipe! For me though, I find that baking them for only 15 minutes on one side is enough :)
Sara
Thanks for the tip about cornstarch to get them crispy (I’ve been searching for the secret to getting them crispy for awhile). I also have a tip to share: use a metal baking rack over top of a pan (in case any should fall through), and you shouldn’t need to flip the fries :)
crystal
luv the idea of using a metal baking rack w/pan underneath. especially because parchment paper only stands temps up 420 degrees..mine started browning w/in 5mins, turned the heat down & are baking 20mins befor first flip..dont have a baking sheet as of now. Question: recipe says sprinkle in corn starch at the end after oil & seasoning..then in a response to a person comment , you (Kate) say to sprinkle on befor olive oil & seasoning… which is it?.. or does it make a difference?.. thankyou!
Kate
Hi Crystal, how did the sweet potato fries turn out on the baking rack? I haven’t tried that trick yet. I don’t think it matters when you sprinkle on the corn starch, just be sure it’s mixed into the olive oil so there aren’t powdery white patches.
Amy
I do these with aleppo pepper and it adds a smokey, spicy character to the potatoes. One of my favorite snacks!
Trifle Recipe
I usually end up burning the fries trying to get them crispy. I can’t wait to try your method with the corn starch! Thanks for the great tip.
Alyssa
My sweet potato fries were always a bit mushy instead of crisp like a french fry, until I prepped them the day before I made them (cut into fry size) and salted them. I left them overnight in the fridge and the next day when I baked them they were much crisper than when I had made them in the past.
Also nice for busy people. Prep the potatoes when you have time, bake them the next day when you are hungry.
★★★★★
kate
That is a really interesting technique, Alyssa! I bet the salt helps draw out some of the moisture. I’ve come across a technique for crispy oven-baked fries made with regular potatoes that required soaking the cut fries in salt water (I think it was from America’s Test Kitchen). I’m intrigued.
Alyssa
accidental discovery of a busy single mom. :)
ben
Another method that I have found works well is that I bake for a half hour at a low temperature around 275-300 degrees. This is mostly to remove some of the moisture. Then I crank up the temperature to 450 degrees and cook 10 minutes and then flip and cook for another 10 minutes and then they are nice and crispy. This works well for both sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. Sweet potatoes tend to have more moisture in them than regular potatoes and so it may take a little longer.
Stan
I put a cookie cooling rack on my cookie sheet and placed the fries on the cooling rack. I didn’t have to turn the fries and my cooking time at 450 was reduced to 20 minutes, and still nice and crispy.
Kate
Great idea, Stan! I’ll give that a try.
JanetM
If I hadn’t read this I was going to suggest it. I do my reg. fries this way, and other things that were previously fried, now baked. The rack is the way to go for sure! But glad to read that they CAN come out crispy… with a little patience, and I’m sure the rack will help. The reg. fries always come out crispy with no special treatment. I put foil on the baking sheet. You don’t HAVE to turn them, but I find they’re even better if turned. LOVE that I don’t HAVE to use corn starch! Making them tomorrow!
Ellen
Oh thank you for your tip. I made these tonight and they were not crispy at all (even with the corn starch)… I was wondering what I did not do right.
Will try the tip next time. :)
Jenny P
I cut the fries, put them inside a bag with salt for a few hours, baked them on a cooling rack on top of a cookie pan, and it turned out awful. :( It was super hard and had a weird taste to them. I’ll try the cornstarch method next time.
★★★★
Autumn
Made these a few nights ago as a side with these Green Chili Chicken Burgers http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/04/green-chili-chicken-burgers/ and I took your advice and used the 1/2 tsp of cornstarch and they were crispy and delish! Super easy and will be making these many more times!
Jessica
I am about to put these in the oven, When they come out wonderful, I am totally posting about it on my site! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Bryson
yes perfect great idea planning a dinning exp. with my fiance and my brother and his roommate havin good ol country fried catfish,talipa,your sweet tater fry recp,brwn beans,sweet corn (grilled), and good ol NDN frybread mmmmmthnk you for a wonderful recp. AHO!!!
★★★★★
Bekah
I don’t know what I did wrong, but my fries were completely stuck to the pan. I used foil and plenty of olive oil and after 15 min, they were so stuck that I couldn’t flip them. What could I try differently next time?
kate
Uh oh, I’m sorry to hear that! My fries stuck to the foil one time when I tried using another method that called for egg whites. I blamed the egg whites, but maybe it was the foil! Contrary to the photos above, I usually bake my fries directly on my non-stick baking sheet or on parchment paper. I have never had my fries stick to parchment paper. I just edited my recipe to reflect these tips, hope your next batch turns out great!
Bekah
Thanks! Yeah, I’m guessing it was the foil. I usually bake on parchment, but I saw foil in the picture and went for it. I guess I learned the hard way. :) I’ll try the same method but with parchment next time!
kate
Yeah, I’m sorry about that! I took down that photo since it’s misleading.
Christina
Must try sweet potato fries with a marshmallow cinnamon dipping sauce!! Sounds weird but think sweet potato casserole! Dee-lish!!
★★★★
Mark K
Hi Kate – tried these a few times and had varying results, but love sweet potatoes and will keep trying to perfect this.
First two times I put fries directly on an aluminum heavy duty baking sheet, but did not have significant issues with sticking or cleanup. This time I used same pans and used the parchment paper, but also varied by using the convection bake feature of our oven which I hoped would crisp them even more.
This time they came out very soggy and not sure what went wrong.
kate
Hmm. I do not have any experience with convection ovens so I can’t say anything about that. I know I have had success using parchment paper so I don’t think that is the cause. I would guess that either the fries were overcrowded in the pan or that they weren’t baked long enough, but maybe it was due to the convection oven feature? I wish I knew!
Triana
I am going to try this recipe tonight. Hopefully is turns out well and I like them because it will be the first time I’ve ever tried a sweet potato. Fingers crossed!
Brian J Watson
Ok, so do I buy Sweet Potatos or Yams? I always get confused!
kate
Sweet potatoes! Yams might work, never tried them.
Ginny
Yams have significantly less sugar according to a vendor I talked to at the Farmers’ Market yesterday. I think they won’t be as tasty.
JJ
Just tried the recipe with yams and it was fantastic! Not as crispy as I hoped, but I didn’t have any cornstarch. Will try it next time.
Served with the yam fries with a garlic mayo and everybody loved them.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, JJ! Glad you enjoyed the fries. Garlic mayo sounds delicious.
Emmett
Yams work and taste great as well.
doreena
I have my grandchildren here for two weeks and want to feed healthy meals that they would eat so I am going to try these wonderful looking fries,wish me luck
Kate
Doreena, I hope the fries turn out well! Your grandkids might also enjoy my banana oat pancakes, I know they are popular with the little ones!
Mike
I just made this recipe. for the seasonings I used pepper, garlic salt, and some parmesan cheese. they turned out AMAZING. Will definitely be making this again
Kate
Glad the fries turned out well, Mike!
Sereana
These came out delicious!! During the cooking process, I was so busy thinking about how excited I was for sweet potato fries, that I forgot the corn starch, but they turned out crispy and wonderful. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
To tell you the truth, I don’t usually add cornstarch, either! Glad you enjoyed the fries, I eat them for dinner more than I’d like to admit. :)
Emily
Just made these tonight and they were fantastic!! First time sweet potato fries actually came out crispy as promised! Thank you for sharing!!!
Kate
Glad to hear it, Emily! I eat these sweet potato fries for dinner all the time, seriously. :)
Jerrelle
Beautiful Blog!
I find that whenever I bake sweet potato fries, they don’t have enough of a crunch to them. I’ll definitely try the cornstarch idea! Thanks :)
Tami
To add a bit of extra crunch, what about scoring the chips lightly with a fork to rough up the edges before baking? It works a treat with my baked potatoes every time I do a roast dinner, might work for this too!
Kate
Great idea, Tami! I’ll try that next time.
Tammy
If you have not tried Old Bay on sweet potato fries, you should. Old Bay is a Maryland seasoning used on blue crabs. Very good as a seasoning for fries.
D B Lawrence
GREAT Recipe for flavor. I am however, often surprised that we use organics and create healthy recipes..and put them on aluminum foil, so the foil is heated and contributes to our possibility of Alzheimer’s.
Sigal Kofman
Great recipe and flavor! I just made these for my roommates and they were amazing. The only thing that came out a bit different is that mine were not as crispy as I wanted them. I had to transfer them to my toaster oven for a bit. Any suggestions for next time?
★★★★
Kate
Sigal, my only suggestions would be to make sure there’s ample space around each fry (don’t overcrowd) and be sure to bake the fries long enough. You could always move them up to the top rack of the oven for a few minutes if they are not crispy enough. Did you try the corn starch trick?
Linda
I googled sweet potato fries and then looked for a private blog, i.e. not Paula Deen or Epicurious. Yours was the first I clicked and voila – these look great and mine are going in the oven as soon as I finish writing this. I added the cornstarch as you recommend – I’ll try to post and let you know how they turn out. Wish me luck!
Kate
Thanks, Linda! Hope you enjoyed those fries!
Linda
We ate every single one! They were great and when my husband looked for ketchup we discovered we were out. He ate his half happily anyway. I don’t care for ketchup on sweet taters!
Laura
Nice simple recipe. Thanks for posting. These are great for a snack.
Kate
Glad you’re enjoying the fries, Laura! Thank you for commenting.
Kristin
Just made these. Used white sweet potatoes as they are my favorite. They did not crisp up for me. I put the cornstarch on last as it said in the recipe. I put the cornstarch on first the next time I make them and see if they crisp then.
Meredith
These are amazing, I’ve made them 5 times in the last 2 weeks! I almost always find a way to somehow mess up a recipe, but these came out perfect the first time! I used parchment paper and the corn starch and they came out wonderfully. Thanks for posting this!
★★★★★
Kate
Awesome, Meredith! I bake these for dinner all the time. I’ll never get tired of sweet potato fries.
Sarah
I LOVE sweet potato fries. They are the perfect balance of health and comfort, sweet and spice. It’s hard for me to not like sweet potato fries, but these have been my favorite so far
http://trialbyfirewin.blogspot.com/2012/11/jerk-roasted-sweet-potatoes.html
Ginny
I make these for my dogs :-) I usually eat about half before the little guys get them though. It’s a good protein filled snack that they absolutely love and I know won’t make their allergies flare up.. I do eliminate the spices when I make puppy snacks. Everything else is the same.
Kate
Cookie does love sweet potato fries, but then again, she loves everything! I’ll give her a few extra next time now that I know that you feed them to your dogs.
Liz j
Wow- now you are an awesome doggy momma! You make your doggies real food!! Yay! I know they sell this stuff in vacuum sealed packs for 10x the price it cost to just do it yourself – good for you!!! Yay mommy!!
Laura
Hi, I just want to thank you for posting this recipe! Our whole family loves them! I like that my kids are getting extra veggies (not potatoes) and they taste SO good! Sweet Potatoes are a super food (vitamins). We serve them with BBQ sauce instead of ketchup. Thanks again!
Kate
I’m so glad your family loves the fries, Laura! I eat them for dinner all the time. (single girl life)
Sarah
I absolutely love sweet potato fries dipped in a combo of melted butter and warm honey. Heavenly!
★★★★★
Gabby
Just stumbled upon the recipe. Fries came out good! I used peanut oil instead since I’m out of olive oil. Turned out just fine :) Never will I buy the frozen kind anymore. Thanks!
Kate
I’m happy to hear that the fries turned out well. The frozen kind are so expensive!
Leslie
Made these tonight. So delicious!!! My 14 mo old gobbled them up. Will definitely be making these again and again! Thank you for the recipe.
Kate
I’m so glad to hear that, Leslie. Thank you for commenting to let me know!
Jackie
OMG! Cinnamon. Use cinnamon. Mmmmmm:)
★★★★★
Liz j
Yes!! I usually take sourcream and mix in cinnamon, garlic and parsley fo r a dipping sauce – yuuuuuuuummmmm!!!!!!
Becky
I made these last week and posted the link back to your blog on mine! Yum, thanks!
http://rookietorockstar.blogspot.com/2012/12/meal-plannin-monday_17.html
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed the fries. Thanks for linking over, too. Happy holidays!
Fred
Just tried these, thanks for a recipe that was easy to follow and produced great results. Used the corn starch and grape seed oil, salt and pepper…tasted great, looked like your pictures. Thanks again,
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Fred! Glad to hear the fries were a success.
Rose
I made these sweet potato fries tonight for dinner and they were so good. I will definitely be making a lot of them in the future. Thank you so much for your great web site.
Czarina
I put a generous amount of cornstarch but they did not turn out crispy enough for my liking. It turned out okay for me. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★
Morgan Jones
I followed this recipe and mine were totally black :/
peter
Same here. I had to chuck them. Good thing I only used two small sweet potatoes. I usually make a huge batch.
Kate
Sorry to hear that, Peter!
Ann
I tried this recipe and it is fantastic ~ cannot believe my teen loved them. Will be incorporating more of this healthy potato into our meals♥
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful! Thank you for letting me know, Ann.
Ranie
re: the crisping issue some have been having…. when making hashbrowns- you have to make certain to remove any moisture by patting dry the grated potatoes with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel before frying… they will become mushy, if you don’t remember to do this step. I wonder if it’s the same with baking sweet potato fries…
Anyway… These look SO YUM! (I’m drooling!) I’ve been eating fried sweet potato chips from Aldi’s but the oil they use bugs my guts… so I have to limit myself to only a small handful a day, but THIS will be WAY better! Can’t wait to get some sweet potatoes and try this out!! <3
Auntglenny
Absolutely great!! The cornstarch does the trick, I sprinkled it on first. I have a variety of gourmet sea salts, will be trying a different one each time I make…which will be a lot! Thank you for this technique!
★★★★★
Kate
Glad the cornstarch trick worked for you!
WhiteHNIC
These sweet potater fries are so good they could make a whiskey biscuit dance!
★★★★
Sue Hutson
Sigh. Cornstarch is probably GMO. Will try salting them overnight.
Kate
Hi Sue, I think the real trick to crispy fries is leaving ample space around each one on the baking sheet. You could also try arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch.
Steph
I just made these and :O I love you
Katrina Smucker
I needed a reciped for sweet potato fries last night for dinner so I googled it and this is one of the recipes that came up! I was so impressed with how they turned out and even added the recipe to my recipe book. One thing I did different though was that i oiled the potatos first and then sprinkled the cornstarch on so it stuck on better. They also got nice and crispy for me too… to my great delight! Thanks for the recipe!!
Kate
Thank you, Katrina! I’m so glad you enjoyed the sweet potato fries. I make them all the time.
Fiona
Sorry to say this didn’t work for me at all! I have made sweet potato fries before but found that stuck or I had to use quite a bit oil. This time I tried with parchment and with the cornstarch. The fries were burned at the 10 minute mark! I checked the parchment paper box and found that it is only safe to 425 degrees so that may have been the problem.
Kate
I’m sorry the fries didn’t turn out well for you, Fiona. I’m not sure what to suggest. I often bake mine on my hand-me-down baking sheet and they don’t stick. Maybe it’s your pan?
Liz j
She said in her recipe not to use parchment – but maybe she added that aftershe read your post -me too- i always use parchment but at this high temp not necessary – it sears as long as oven is up to temp when you put them in – try without – im doing it now so far so good!!
Matt B.
Thanks for the recipe, these fries are great! I season using salt pepper and a touch of cayenne and make spicy mayo for dipping (mayo, pinch of cayenne, and hot sauce).
★★★★★
Davina
I tried them today….AWESOME :)
Deborah
I followed the recipe, I belive the olive oil made the fries kinda burn. Still yummy where they’re not burnt, but theolive oil Was a bad choice for me.
Maurissa
These were good, but they came out a lot blacker than your s and blacker than I normally would like (and I didn’t bake them for near as long!). Any suggestions?
Kate
Hmm. You could use an oil with a higher smoking point, like coconut oil or a quality canola oil. Your oven might be running hot, too, so I’d turn down the heat by 50 degrees as well.
Allison Ward
Sis and I had sweet potato fries recently through a window and of course, I’m thinking Yeah, I rally think I CAN do better than this…Then found your recipe!-sounds super-I can tell. Very thorough in your notes. I notice Number 5 has a counter-intuitive tip that U rock for: Exposed sweet potato meat doesn’t burn, but caramelizes. Let you know how it goes tonight! I’m coming back HERE more often – THANKS!
Krystal
I made these this week, and they were great! So I shared them on my blog with a link back to yours. :) Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Krystal
Ooops – here’s the link. http://mainlygrace.blogspot.ca/2013/07/on-learning-and-teaching-and-sweet.html
Kate
Glad you enjoyed the fries, Krystal! I have a hard time deciding what to write on my blog sometimes, too. I don’t like to overshare.
April
What dipping sauce did you use? it looks kinda like marinara?
Kate
Actually, it was just organic ketchup!
Carlalala
These are wonderful and are even more unbelievable with THAI SPICY PEANUT SAUCE. Sorry to yell, but these two things were born for each other. Ketchup, honey, mayo based sauces do not do them justice.
★★★★★
Kate
I hear you! I’m going to have to give Thai spicy peanut sauce and sweet potato fries a try. Sounds like an excellent idea, thanks for sharing!
Kara
WOW these things are AMAZING thanks so much for sharing!!! We’ve tried to make sweet potato fries before from other recipes, but they never turned out very well. I tried this tonight and the recipe is *just right*.
One thing I’m wondering about- would you put less olive oil to make the fries crispier? Or does it entirely depend on the pan- I tried two different types of baking pans and one turned out crispier than the other. Was it the oil or the pan do you think?
(I did use cornstarch)
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Kara! I bet the difference was due to your pans. Darker pans encourage caramelization. If the fries were more crowded on one pan than the other, that would also explain it. I think a light, even coating of olive oil is best.
Leigh
Having with black bean burgers tonight – can’t wait!!
Pat
I made these sweet potato fries tonight without the cornstarch and they were delicious! I baked 450 degrees on a non stick cookie sheet(turning once) used a light coating of olive oil, salt, pepper appox 20 minutes. The edges were crispy and caramelized , i also used a spicy ketchup dipping sauce (ketchup,a couple sprinkles tabasco sauce to taste). Thanks for the recipe. Yum!
★★★★★
Kate
Hey Pat, glad the fries turned out great for you! Thank you for commenting!
Heather
BUMMED!!! I was so excited to try this..followed to a T! But..like only a rare few other posters..my fries were stuck to the pan and when I did flip them..just mush =(
I used cornstarch just like suggested..
The still tasted fabulous!! But they looked pretty awful! Hahahaa
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Kate
Heather, I am also bummed that your fries stuck to the pan! It might be your pan itself. I find that they crisp up best when baked directly against the pan, but it sounds like you might have better luck if you put a layer of parchment paper on the pan first. Sorry about that!
Wat the Cow
Yours look so good! I baked some sweet potato fries recently too but they didn’t look as good as yours!
Kate
Thanks! Hope yours turn out better next time!
Jennifer
I’ve made these a few times and they always turn out beautiful and delicious! I use salt, pepper and paprika as seasonings and have no issues baking on a foiled baking sheet. :) Thanks for sharing!!
★★★★★
Hilary
I made these tonight without cornstarch and they took foreverrrrr to bake through/become crispy. I will definitely try it with cornstarch next time. They did end up very tasty though!
Kate
Glad you enjoyed the fries, at least! Cornstarch helps, for sure. It also sounds like your fries may have been pretty thick. They will definitely bake more quickly if you slice them thinner next time (don’t slice them too thin, though, or they burn quickly).
Dave
These were just awful. Took forever to cook, turned to mush & started to burn about half way through. The corn starch made absolutely no difference whatsoever. Doubt that I’ll make these again as they pretty much just tasted like baked sweet potato. Disappointing.
Kate
I’m sorry the fries didn’t work out for you, Dave. Sometimes old sweet potatoes or dark-colored baking sheets can cause problems. I think some ovens (like my new one) tend to retain steam rather than bake with dry heat like they should.
Cynthia
Please try again! Preheat your oven an extra 30-40 minuets after the timer goes off! Manufacturers won’t tell you this! Anything over 250 needs more time to heat the oven to a true temp! I use a rack and they turn out great every time!
Katie
I made these tonight for dinner. I’m not a very good cook and even I didn’t mess these up. They were so delicious and I was amazed at how you get the crunch on the outside soft on the inside! So amazing thanks for sharing!!
Kate
That’s great! Good job! :)
Rick
Nice recipe! I just tried it tonight. I think it would be useful to mention that the fries do not get crispy until they’ve sat outside the oven for a good 5 minutes or so, and to not base how long to cook them on how they feel while they are in the oven.
★★★★
Kate
Rick, that’s a great observation. I hadn’t noticed that!
Brent
Hey Felicity, finally tried sweet potato fries recipe. Them boys is tasty! Used canola oil cooking spray (yep, I’m lazy) and seasoned salt. Opening oven door was like stepping into sauna, so I believe this recipe DOUBLES the health benefits!
★★★★★
Kate
Haha! Glad you enjoyed the fries, Brent.
Mitch
does it matter which rack one uses in the oven (ie, higher or lower)? I got it right once in my old place but in my new place, they seem to be soggy. no cripness to be seen.
thanks!
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Kate
Hey Mitch, great question. I’ve found that vegetables tend to brown more when they are on a lower rack. However, I’m having the same problem with my oven at my new place—I’ve noticed that every time I open the door, a giant wave of steam flies out at me. I’m guessing the new oven traps heat and steam, whereas my old oven probably had some holes where the steam escaped. I think I might try cracking the oven for a couple seconds midway through my next batch to see if that helps anything.
Erica
I don’t know what I was thinking at the farmers market last weekend, buying a TON of sweet potatoes. I wanted something quick to make with dinner and these fries were perfect. I used the olive oil and srinkled them with paprika, curry powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I put the oven on broil for a few minutes to crisp them up a bit. They were so simple and absolutely delicious! I’d eat these as a snack for movies in place of the popcorn for sure.
I saw a comment suggesting cinnamon. I have a bunch if potatoes still, so I will be trying them with cinnamon this week.
Thanks!
Erica
OMG Kate, we’re both in KCMO!! Hey Kansas City!!
If you truly love the sweet potato, I chop up two big ones and toss them into my crock pot lentil soup, along with celery and turnip and water. Yup, only water = budget friendly and less processed stuff. I use two cups of lentils and about 14-16 cups of water (somewhere around there). Season with thyme, salt and pepper, go crazy with the veggies, and the flavor of the lentils with the sweet potato and turnip are fantastic!
Kate
Hey Erica! I haven’t made it to a farmers market yet this year, so bad. I’m glad you’re enjoying the fries! Your lentil soup sounds terrific. I’m noting the flavors so I can attempt to make it next fall.
Michelle
Didn’t have corn starch or any spices haha! Used oil salt and pepper. Baked them how you said and they didn’t come out crispy lol. Next time I’ll buy the cornstarch. They came out okay, kinda bured a bit. I need to practice more. Thanks for the recipe!!
Kate
Michelle, sorry the fries didn’t turn out quite right on the first try! I’m sure your next batch will be much better.
brandi
I sprinkled cinnamon. ..OMG in love
★★★★★
yiola tsiaoushis
What a great recipe ! Thank-you.
Regarding Joan’s comment about the dangers of GMO foods. Thank-you Joan for doing your part in informing about the dangers of GMO’s. I find it highly suspicious when people get upset when this subject is brought up.
By the way I used Non GMO rice flour and mine came out beautifully.
★★★★★
Holly
I made these last night with white sweet potatoes and they were sooo good! I baked them on foil, no corn starch, and they were still crispy enough, if not *really* crispy. I seasoned them with curry, garlic powder, and cayenne. They came out deliciously spicy to match the natural sweetness of the potato, and dipped them in ketchup. Amazing! Will be making again and again!
Kate
Yes! Glad to hear it, Holly!
HappyForks
What a great alternative for chips! Sweet potatoes are sources of vitamin C and A. Fantastic snack!
Carla Akins
I love this recipe Kate and thank you for sharing it. I realize this thread is old but felt compelled to comment anyway, probably because I’m making a mess in my Kansas City kitchen! I had a little trouble finding enough time to allow them to cook (I’m a procrastinator) so I stole an idea from the Internet. If you leave in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes, then dry them before roasting they cook very quickly, in about 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. I leave the cornstarch and spices off except for salt & pepper – but I do sprinkle mine with balsamic vinegar. Yummy.
Also, sorry the Internet is full jackasses, it’s a delightful recipe.
Kate
Thank you for your comment, Carla! Maybe we’ll run into each other sometime in Kansas City. That is a really interesting fry technique. I have a couple sweet potatoes in my cabinet so I hope to give it a try!
Amy
Can you freeze these and then reheat later?
Kate
Hi Amy, I’m sorry, I’m not sure how well that would work. I haven’t tried. Please let me know if you do!
Patricia
Hey these were great, but didn’t turn out as crispy as i would have liked them to be. How many calories and grams of fat are in a serving or these little pieces of heaven?
★★★★
Kate
Hey Patricia, did you try adding cornstarch? That helps a lot. I can’t provide nutrition details on these, as the facts depend on the size of your sweet potatoes and the amount of oil used.
Michelle
Your recipes are awesome – ignore all the self esteemed people – you’ve given me a healthy option for fries to offer my Children! Thank you and keep posting them for us to enjoy!
Kate
Thank you, Michelle! :)
Sofia
Hi, Kate (and Cookie, of course)
I just had to leave a comment on this recipe of yours, because these gorgeous sweet potato fries have become a regular dish on our dinner table.
It tastes so amazing when it’s fresh out of the oven, and my boyfriend and I absolutely love them. Sweet potato is not a typical dinner ingredient here in Norway, but it’s cheap, and that’s a good thing for us poor students. We use sweet chili sauce as the marinade, yum!
Long story short, thank you for such a tasty recipe!
Kate
Sofia, thank you for your comment! I’m so glad you both enjoy the fries. Your chili sauce marinade sounds so delicious!
Kelly
Hi! I’ve tried these fries twice now! I am so so happy to have this recipe!!! The first time they were spread apart nicely and crisped up good and proper! This time, I got excited and put too many on the pan and possibly added too much olive oil ( I mixed it in a bag, but thought they didn’t look moist enough- wrong!). I mostly fixed it by putting them under the broiler which crisped up about half of them… But why I’m really writing is to say… Trust it… Add the cumin!!!!! Man! It almost tasted carmelized! What a unique and amazing taste!!! The whole family loved it!!! Thanks for the tips! I haven’t eaten sweet potatoes in years ( other than roasted) until this- and now I’m a fan!!!!
Kate
Thank you, Kelly! Glad to hear that you’re getting the hang of the sweet potato fries! They’re an art. ;)
Madison
Baking these right now! They smell soo delicious!
Update: Just finished up and they were delicious.
★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Madison!
Carrie
Just made these! They’re delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Lucinda
mmmm, these were really good. I don’t normally much like sweet potato but I am kind of wondering if it would it be really bad if I made them again tomorrow for breakfast?
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Kate
Is this a real question? :) Sweet potatoes are really good for you!
Mike
I’ve tried this a half dozen times. Every time it turns into mushy mess. I’m done.
★
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that, Mike. Sounds like either your fries are steaming instead of cooking. Either they’re too far apart, or your oven traps too much steam inside—my new electric oven does that to me, whereas my old gas ovens did not. Regardless, I’m sorry your fries didn’t turn out well. That’s disappointing.
daniel
Very nice thanks.
Although I prefer a splash of dark soy sauce to paprika.
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Kate
Oh, that sounds interesting! I’ll have to try soy sauce next.
Mariam
hey kate
thanks a lot for this recipe. I actually made it for a school project and everyone love it! There were almost no leftovers! I gave my mom the rest and she adored them. thanks again
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! That’s great news. Thanks, Mariam!
Bub
Sorry, did not read all of the comments, so IDK if this has been said or not:
The food pictured is/are Yams [orange flesh], sweet potatoes are a blonde colour. Taste them side by side and it will be obvious why they are called sweet potatoes… very sweet, much sweeter than yams.
http://www.dailycolorstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Yam-Shot.jpg
http://www.candicekumai.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/yam_sweetpotato.jpg
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/2/12/1234444302120/Sweet-potatoes-001.jpg
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Kate
Hi Bub, I’m sorry to disagree, but I believe both of those varieties are sweet potatoes! Yams grow in the Caribbean. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/25/difference-between-sweet-potatoes-and-yams_n_1097840.html
Liz j
Kate-Couldnt agree more – most grocery stores sell sweet potatoes – yams are in the canned section – unless you have a high end grocery or live in areas that are 3 season growers – NE has sweet potatoes
Cassie
I’ve made these twice now, and they’re delicious! The first time, I was a little inconsistent with the size of my potato slices, so a few burned, but this time I went with more uniform, thick slices, and they were perfect. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Cassie! Glad you’re enjoying them!
Patty Ganc
My husband and I love to cook, but he just had triple bypass surgery. We’re looking for recipes that are flavorful, but healthy. This recipe fit the bill. I followed the recipe; – however, I did add garlic powder – and went easy on the salt. The fries were crispy and delicious. Probably a new “go-to” recipe in lieu of white potatoes. Thanks!!!
Kate
Hi Patty! Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you both enjoyed the fries. Garlic powder sounds like a delicious addition.
Luci
These were SO good and SO simple. I’m shocked that they didn’t work for some people. I followed the instructions to a “T” and they worked out perfectly. Used cornstarch, shook them around in a bag, added a little olive oil and shook some more. Spread on the pan (didn’t use foil or parchment paper) and I was worried they would stick but they didn’t in the least bit. I seasoned with sea salt, pepper and a little garlic powder. I made two pans at the same time and a few minutes before they were done I pulled one of the pans out and sprinkled Parmesan cheese over the fries, mixed it around a little with the spatula and then put back in the oven for the final minutes. The fries with the parmesan were by far the best tasting, the perfect amount of sweet, savory and salty. We loved these fries! Thank you!
★★★★★
Luci
Also I used the darkest nonstick pans I had for both sets of fries, maybe that helped them crisp up better?
Kate
Thanks, Luci! Your seasoned Parmesan fries sound amazing. I’ll have to give those a try soon! And yes, good call on choosing your dark pans, I do think those produce better fries!
Danie
I love GMO s. They are delicious.
Gotta try this recipe with tinfoil w/non stick cooking spray and will be using some oddly GIANT sweet potatos that were given to me. Only have salt n pepper n cheap olive oil. We will see how this comes out! Wish me luck! Keep eating GMOs they are great! Or dont! That’s great too! Yay!
cathy
Yummy!
Thanks Kate for taking the time to share this recipe so my family is able to enjoy something better than what I used to do which was zap them in the microwave – eek!!
Will try the cornstarch next time to see if I can get them a bit crispy – although I’m not sure I want them any more ‘moorish’ than they were already ;)
★★★★