Looking to learn how to make the best healthy, homemade, oven baked sweet potato fries?
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Healthy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
My favourite vegetables are sweet potatoes and pumpkin, regularly consuming a few of each in a week. I love how versatile they are, easily whipping into scoop-able side dishes, acting as the main attraction in a savoury soup, and roasting into the sublime when popped into a hot oven.
When sweet potato fries became all the rage a decade ago I found myself upgrading my regular fries to the sweet rendition when enjoying a greasy burger binge. Restaurants typically deep fry sweet potatoes but I wanted to enjoy the same experience at home by cutting back on the fat. This recipe is proof that it is indeed possible!
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Best Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries Tips
Sweet potatoes have a higher sugar content than normal french fries. If you’re used to baking homemade french fries at home, or if it’s your first time making fries, take note of these tips.
- Soak your sweet potato fries in cold water as it helps remove starch and ensure they crips up better when baking in the oven. You can easily do this overnight or for 3-4 hours in the morning if you’re serving them for dinner.
- Slice the sweet potato fries so they are a uniform thickness. You do not want thick sweet potato fries on the same baking sheet as thin, shoestring fries. If all of the sweet potato fries are the same size they will bake at the same rate and you will avoid burning.
- Toss your sweet potato fries in a little bit of oil and then cornstarch. This helps the fries lock in moisture while crisping up in the oven at a high temperature.
- You can use a variety of oils when baking sweet potato fries. You ideally want to use an oil that has a high smoke point like canola oil. You can also flavour your fries with leftover chicken or duck fat if you have it available in your fridge.
- Be sure to keep an eye on your fries as they bake in the oven so they do not burn. We suggest placing them on the bottom rack so they are exposed to high heat as it helps make them crunchy and crispy.
- Salt and season the fries after they come out of the oven and before serving. If you add seasoning to the fries before they go in the oven the salt can encourage water to leach out of the sweet potato, which will make them soft and limp rather than crispy and crunchy.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries Dipping Sauces
There’s no better way to enjoy baked sweet potato fries then by indulging in a decadent dip. You can purchase your own gourmet dips, prepare your own recipe or use something simple like ketchup.
Here is a list of our favourite baked sweet potato fry dipping sauces:
- Ketchup: add mayonnaise or curry powder to make life interesting!
- Mayonnaise: add honey mustard, relish or chopped fermented vegetables, such as onions, garlic or jalapeno peppers for additional flavouring. Aioli is one of the most popular sweet potato fry dipping sauces and is essentially mayo with additional flavourings added in.
- BBQ Sauce: based on your tolerance for spicy foods, enjoy mild to hot barbecue sauce
- Cheese Sauce: dip your fries into a cheesy sauce such as queso fundio or bechamel from our popular mac and cheese recipe.
Healthy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
Healthy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
Equipment
- oven
- mixing bowl
- chef knife
- baking sheet
- metal spatula
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 4 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch matchsticks. Place in a bowl and cover in cold water. Let them soak for an hour or overnight or for 3-4 hours.
- Pour the water and sweet potato into a colander, rinse with water and pat dry with paper towels. By adding the sweet potato to water you help release some of the starch which ensure a crisper finished product.
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Line a large baking sheet with tin foil and cover in non-stick cooking spray.
- Add half of your sweet potato fries to a large plastic bag. Add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, twirl your bag and shake vigorously to coat the contents completely. Empty the bag into a bowl and use your hands to toss oil. Do not use olive oil as a replacement (it has a much lower burning point so will smoke off easily).
- Arrange the sweet potato fries on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. It is important not to crowd the pans (non of your fries should touch) as they need their own space to steam off and crisp up.
- Place baking sheet in the oven and set timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, use a stiff metal spatula and flip over your fries. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until they have nicely browned.
- Shut the oven off, prop the door open halfway, and let cool and crisp further for 10 minutes before serving. Toss with salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favourite dipping sauce.
Nutrition
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