Homemade baked spiced sweet potato fries are the perfect vegan/vegetarian side dish or snack. We’ve also included a tip below on how to make them extra crispy without frying! Low-fat but high-crisp? Count us in!
Spiced = Smokey & Sweet, not Fiery
I call these “spiced” sweet potato fries instead of “spicy” because they don’t have all that much heat. Instead, these baked beauties have a smoky/sweet/addictive flavor that I didn’t know how to describe other than with the word “spiced”.
While we love a solid hit of cayenne or red chile flakes on fries from time to time, the spice blend we developed for these taters is a bit more nuanced. We combined smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, and a touch of cayenne and chili powder to bring the right amount of heat without overpowering. As a result, you have delicious baked spiced sweet potato fries that still have some of that sweetness we love!
IMO, Savory > Sweet
Since going vegetarian, my once dominant sweet tooth has significantly subsided. I crave salty foods more, and sweet potato fries my favorite way to satisfy the craving.
The truth is that I’ll almost always order regular potato fries instead of sweet potato fries at a restaurant. However, these crispy, crunchy baked sweet potato fries are a favorite at home. They’re very easy to throw together, even if you don’t have the exact right amount of spices. And if you’re like me, you probably have leftover sweet potatoes hanging out, so these fries are a great way to avoid wasting them!
How to get actually crispy sweet potato fries without frying
When we posted a teaser of this sweet potato fry recipe last week on IG, a few of you inquired about crispiness. We won’t deny that it’s tough to make crispy baked sweet potato fries. Sure, hot oil does things that an oven can’t match. But, especially at home, who wants to load their dinner plate up with excess oils? That’s why created this recipe for the crunchiest, crispiest baked sweet potato fries.
This took many trials. Rest assured that in our crowded kitchen, no trial sweet potato fry was wasted in the quest for crispness. Finally we found that corn starch makes a big difference. You don’t need much. We used about one tablespoon of cornstarch for this whole batch of sweet potato fries, and they were the crispiest baked fries we could hope for!
Don’t forget to salt your hot fries
Another note – we always sprinkle a hearty pinch of salt on our fries as soon as they come out of the oven. Salt can be a controversial subject, but we’re firm believers that if you’re eating a well-rounded, healthy-ish diet and preparing most of your food at home, you’re probably doing just fine on salt intake. If you have a health reason for limiting your salt intake, listen to your doctors, of course. For everyone else, don’t fear little extra salt; it goes a long way when it comes to flavor.
Let’s dip these fries
Dips: I’ll never turn down plain ol’ ketchup, but I’m currently loving this chipotle vegan mayo (Fabanaise) from Sir Kensington’s. It contains aquafaba, or as we call it, “magical chickpea liquid”, and it’s truly delicious. This is not at all sponsored, we just like to share products that we really love and use! We also serve these crispy spiced sweet potato fries with smashed avocado seasoned with salt & lime. This vegan Herby Whipped Tofu Dip would also be quite yummy. However you dip your fries, we’re sure the whole tray will disappear quickly. Enjoy!
Looking for more delicious potato recipes? Try these Crispy Smashed Potatoes.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that Crowded Kitchen may be compensated for purchases.
Print
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Print
PinDescription
Smoky, sweet, addictive – these sweet potato fries are life changing! Corn starch is the secret to making these crispy on the exterior and fluffy on the interior.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp neutral high heat oil (we used sunflower)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2–3/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp granulated onion
- 1 tsp mesquite powder (optional)
- Pinch cayenne
- 1 1/2 tsp salt + more after they come out of oven
- 1 tsp coconut sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Wash potatoes well, pat dry and slice into even-sized sticks.
- Whisk all spices together and toss fries in oil and spices. Optional: add everything to a large plastic bag, seal and shake well to coat evenly.
- Spread on baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes, until crispy and tender. Remove from oven and toss with more salt to taste. Serve with dips of choice.
Leave a Reply