Craving a delicious side of sweet potato fries? These healthy sweet potato fries will soon be your go-to recipe for tasty, good-for-you fries! What could be better?
Hi guys!
As you can probably imagine, I'm always looking for healthy, new ways to enjoy food.
Or...is it that I'm just always thinking about food?
Yep, probably that one is more accurate.
But, healthy and fun new ways of changing up stuff is still a close second.
Sometimes, even the simplest of substitutions can make a world of difference.
Some of my fave recipes are just a new healthy way to approach comfort food. That's the best!
Take, sweet potatoes, for example. I LOVE sweet potato fries - they make the perfect side to burgers, steak, chicken, and even pork chops, in case you're looking for what to eat with sweet potato fries.
First off, I looooooove sweet potatoes. I love them roasted, in casseroles, in a hash, mashed, and so on. You can read more about all the amazing recipes you can use with sweet potatoes here.
And, yes, I really, really love them as fries.
Oh my, the goodness: fries.
I just can't.
But I digress. We were discussing all the healthiness.
ARE SWEET POTATOES HEALTHY?
Yes, sweet potatoes are healthy! That’s why they are my favorite potato when I’ve got a hankering for fries. I’m sure you’ve seen on my blog lots of recipes using sweet potatoes. At the bottom of this post, I’ve listed my favorites. Be sure to pop down there and take a look when you’ve finished reading about how to make healthy sweet potato fries.
Why do I love sweet potatoes so much? Well, besides the ah-mazing taste:
- Sweet potatoes are packed with fiber
- Sweet potatoes are packed with immunity building vitamins
- Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene for eye health
- Sweet potatoes are an anti-inflammatory food (see more here!)
- Sweet potatoes contain anthocyanins, thought to protect against certain cancers
ARE SWEET POTATO FRIES HEALTHIER THAN REGULAR FRIES?
Both sweet potatoes and regular potatoes (white) are healthy. Their calorie and carb counts are about the same, and 3.5 ounces of each potato has 2 grams of protein.
The sweet potato has more fiber, a LOT more vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. These yummy tubers also have more calcium and magnesium, while the white potato contains more potassium. But all in all, they are both good.
For me, though, sweet potatoes have the upper hand. And besides that, the flavor is the best!
Not only does that make this baked sweet potato fries recipe a great change-up to regular fries, but it also makes them healthier, cleaner, and more guilt-free. WOOT!
This all makes me one happy camper.
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY SWEET POTATO FRIES
Interested in learning how to make healthy sweet potato fries? Awesome. The good news is they're shockingly easy to make. First, you bake them in the oven, instead of deep-frying them. Easy. And, honestly, less clean up so this is a big win-win.
How to slice sweet potato fries:
- First, cut the skinny ends
- Cut the sweet potato in half, through the thick middle of the potato
- Sitting the potato on the flat side, I start to slice, keeping the slices consistent
- Then I slice these sections into ¼ inch sweet potato fry perfection.
Place the sweet potato fries in a bowl and toss them with a bit of healthier coconut oil (olive oil would work well, too), sweeten them with a little raw honey, and sprinkle some paprika, cinnamon, and sea salt to spice things up. Easy peasy. No need to soak them at all - just cut, season, and bake.
HOW TO MAKE SWEET POTATO FRIES CRISPY
I have a few tips for making the crispiest sweet potato fries ever:
- Cut your fries to be about ¼ inch wide. If they are too thick, they won’t develop the yummy crispness you are looking for.
- Cook them on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
- Don’t overcrowd the fries. Use two pans if you have to! Don’t pile them on top of each other either. Side by side my friends, for crispy goodness.
- I bake them at 400F for 30-40 minutes (I like them nice and brown), and I turn them every 15 minutes for all-over even cooking.
SHOULD SWEET POTATO FRIES BE SOAKED IN WATER?
In my opinion, there is no need for this step. I’ve tried it and it did not make a noticeable difference at all. And since I’m all about making recipes healthy and easy, I’m happy to say no soaking here!
HOW TO STORE AND FREEZE SWEET POTATO FRIES
I typically make just enough sweet potato fries to serve at one sitting. If you do have leftovers, you can place them in the fridge for about 3-5 days. Then reheat at 325F for 10 minutes. If you plan on freezing them, place them in an airtight container and store them for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge and then reheat.
But personally, I prefer them freshly made!
Sorry regular potatoes, you know I still love you. (Especially you, garlic fries) <--- pssst these are fried and definitely worthy of a cheat meal.
But -- dare I say -- I may love oven-baked sweet potato fries even more?
Sweet Potato Fries
Bold statement, I know.
Try these out and see how tasty these baked sweet potato fries are. You just might be inclined to change your potato loyalties as well. 🙂
MORE HEALTHY SWEET POTATO RECIPES
As I mentioned before, I love, love sweet potatoes in so many ways!
- Sweet Potato and Lentil Hash With Garlic Sauteed Kale
- Sweet Potato Rolls
- Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Healthy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Easy Sweet Potato Meal Prep
- How to Bake Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Lasagna
- Easy Sweet Potato Hash
- Healthy Sweet Potato Pie
How To Make Healthy Sweet Potato Fries (With Coconut Oil!)
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon raw honey (can sub for pure maple syrup)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or aluminum foil) and set aside.
- Cut off both ends of the potatoes and slice in half, lengthwise, and then into ¼-inch (fries) batons.
- Try to make the fries as even in thickness as possible, as this will help them to cook evenly.
- Place the cut potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add the coconut oil, raw honey, sea salt, cinnamon, and paprika. Toss well to evenly coat.
- Spread the potatoes in a single layer over the baking sheet. If they are too crowded, you can use an additional baking sheet.
- Bake 30-40 minutes, or until well-browned, turning every 15 minutes for even baking.
- Baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness.
- Serve immediately - if desired, you can drizzle with a little extra honey of the top (UNREAL goodness!).
Video
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Len Denton
Lacey,
These sweet potato fries are sooo danged good! Loved them.
Lacey Baier
YES! So glad you enjoyed them, Len! Thanks for letting me know how they turned out 🙂