Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
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.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 10, 2024
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
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
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.)
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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).
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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.
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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!
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi, Kate! I was wondering, would this recipe work for frozen sweet potatoes as well? Thanks :)
Hi Alexa! That’s a good question, and I’m afraid it won’t work as well. I don’t know if you can coat frozen sweet potatoes in oil very well since they will release extra moisture as they cook!
I was very curious so I tried earlier the recipe with frozen sweet potatoes and they turned out great. It took only 10 min to get crispy. Sprinkled some parmesan and garlic, it was a feast. Nom nom.
I made this with my toaster oven for the first time and it still turned out wonderfully. The trick really seems to be cutting the potato to the perfect thickness. I made a yoghurt dip with a lot of garlic powder and curry, and it’s just wonderful! Thank you so much! :)
You’re welcome, Ella!
Great idea using the cornstarch but now I’ve learned one even better. Make a paste of cornstarch and water like you would for gravy. Coat your sweet potato fries. I was even able to add my herbs to the sweet potatoes before roasting them. No burning fries, just delicious crispy sweet potato fries and no chalky ones either.
Thanks for sharing, Julia!
Followed this recipe exactly and all my fries burnt.
10 minutes per side is definitely more realistic
I’m sorry these didn’t turnout for you! Getting them the right thickness, temperature and oven rack position are all key. Maybe yours were a bit smaller?
I tried the recipe and I failed terribly. The fries that were edible were limp and not crispy, the crispy ones were burnt. Not sure what I did wrong.
I’m sorry this didn’t turn out for you! You evenly coated the potatoes?
Thanks for responding. Yes, I evenly coated the sweet potatoes with corn starch, used parchment paper and spaced the slices so they were not touching each other, a stainless steel baking dish and 425 degree oven. I will try a smaller batch. and see what happens.
Followed the recipe exactly. Sorry, they weren’t crispy at all.
I’m sorry these didn’t turn out great for you! How long did you leave them in the oven for? They may have needed a little more time.
I made these for my mom tonight. They were delicious – enjoyed that subtle but definite crisp. I prefer this recipe over fried sweet potatoes. I love the lightness of them. Thanks for sharing your tips about the cornstarch and water soaking. I agree, they definitely did not need to soak in water beforehand.
Cool Beans and Thanks!
You’re welcome, Janell!
Bleh- I had better luck when I just used olive oil and no cornstarch.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one! Thanks for your feedback, Marilyn!
Thank you Kate!
You’re welcome!
Great recipe, thank you!! They turned out perfect and so tasty
Happy to hear, Ellie!
I have tried these twice and they were good, but not really crispy. Not sure what to do differently.
I’m sorry you didn’t turn out like you wanted! How long are you leaving them in for?
Made these tonight and they were so much better than my attempt last weekend. I’m glad I stumbled across your recipe when I was searching earlier today. Love the crispy outside and how the inside is baked to perfection. I’ve already bookmarked this page as my go to sweet potato fries recipe from now on. Thanks for perfecting this and sharing for all to see!
Thank you for sharing! I’m happy these turned out for you.
Followed this recipe just as you said and they turned out “AWESOME”!
I think I will make this everyday for the rest of my life :) Thank-you!
You’re welcome, Katt.
Hi Kate, thanks for the recipe, I learnt a lot!
My suggestion is not to peel the sweet potatoes though, as they lose A LOT of nutrients this way
Thanks for sharing! I couldn’t quite get them crispy with them. I appreciate your review!
I made these using arrowroot powder (allergic to corn) and followed the directions carefully. They turned out great! Will definitely make again! Thank you!
Wonderful, Sheryl!
Hello! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I tried the cornstarch and am happy I did however they did not come out as crispy as I anticipated. I cut mine smaller and they were done after 20 mins. So delicious! Will try cutting them larger next time.
I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work perfectly for you, but I’m glad you found something that worked!
I tried making these the other day but the fries came out with a powdery texture instead of crispy. Did I not add a enough oil? Help
Hi Jael, did you toss everything as noted? How long did you bake them for and did you toss halfway?
I followed the recipe and the results was a mess.The sweet potatoes stocked to the parchment paper and were soggy.Very disappointed!
I have always made sweet potato fries in an air fryer and they have never turned out crispy. Can’t wait to try a new approach tonight. Thanks for sharing.
Delicious! Crispy and light.
Are most of theses recipes in the book if so i have to buy makes it easier to have access to the recipes. I just found your page and I’m in awe of all the foods cant wait to try so many of them.
Welcome, Joanna!
We really liked these baked fries. I had never made any kind of fries before and these came out great. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved them, Rebecca.
AWFUL RECIPE – DO NOT TRY!!!! My fries were COMPLETELY burnt when I went to flip them at the 20 minute mark. I now have no side to serve with dinner and my time and money was wasted. I wish I could give no stars instead of 1.
I’m sorry to hear that, Lauren. Did you have your oven set to 425F?
Key really was cutting them thin. I’ve never had them turn out crispy even with corn starch until trying the thin cut. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Kelly!
Do you ever make these in an air fryer?
Just made them. They were a big hit. These will be added to my weekly rotation. I have a olive oil spray bottle that disperses the very little oil over a large area. I did not use a tbs. it was more like 2 tsp. It still turned out crispy and yummy.
Easy and delicious, will be making these regularly, thank you
Try them with coconut oil & smoked paprika. Amazing!
Thank you for sharing!
I think my 425° oven isn’t the same as yours. Granted, I may have cut my fries a smidge thinner. But 10 min and my fries were already trying to burn. I tossed them and let it go a few more min. Still phenomenal!!! Will make again!
Variations; Used arrowroot (worked!), olive oil, and natural salt before baking, as directed. Seasoned afterward with red curry, ginger, cinnamon, and a touch of chili powder.
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. But, I’m glad you were still able to have a delicious outcome.
These fries turned out great! It’s been a struggle to find a dependable method for baking fries. The only thing I do differently is use the vegetable cutting grid on a regular potato slicer. If you try one be sure and microwave the sweet potatoes for about a minute to soften them slightly. Otherwise, they won’t go through the slicer.
I’m happy this worked so well for you. Thanks for sharing, Russ!
Brutal recipe. They burnt after 8 minutes.
I started making these sweet potato fries about a year ago for my wife and now she is hooked. I found out quickly that there are no short cuts when making these.Your recipe is the best.
Yummy yams!! With my first attempt, I made just the right amount for my small family … but that meant that every crumb was so thoroughly eaten that there were no leftovers whatsoever. learned my lesson and made a larger batch next time. The leftovers, when crisped in the toaster oven, were even more magnificent than I could’ve imagined. So now I always make extras. Sometimes I chop those leftovers, crisp them up, and garnish soups or homemade mac & cheese, or blend them into warm pasta and veggie salads. Tickles me whenever the fam requests these fries, because I get to use them to add surprise veggies that the kids love and adults appreciate for many reasons. They are the sweet-potato fries that keep on giving!
Thank you for your comment, Kim!
Thanks for sharing the yummy recipe.
Can Rice flour be used for cornstarch? Some of the family are doing the 30 day elimination diet. Would it just be better to omit that part?
Thanks
Unfortunately, I don’t think you will get the same result. Sorry!
I’ve tried rice flour and wasn’t thrilled with it.
Trying cornstarch now!
Cornstarch will be great!
Perfect results!
Wonderful, Ashley! Thank you for your review.
18-20 minutes at 425 is way too long. My fries were black and burnt and gross. Maybe 7-10 minutes a side tops.
Hi Maria! I’m sorry you didn’t have a great result. It could be a variation in oven temps. Sometimes ovens cook hotter than others. Did you toss halfway?
What is the dipping sauce you have pictured with the fries? I don’t see mention of it anywhere.
It’s just ketchup :)
Hi
Have you ever tried making them in an air fryer? Was going to try the cornstarch method and cook them in my air fryer.
I haven’t, Ruth. Sorry!
Super good! Sometimes I like to have just a sweet potato for lunch or dinner and this is a nice change. I have one of those copper pan / basket sets and I made these in there. It’s fairly small so half-way through the cooking time I took it off the pan. The good news is it helped them get even crispier. The bad news is I have sweet potato juice on the bottom of my oven. But worth it because they’re yummy! I’ll make them again and this time put some foil under the copper basket.
Is it necessary to peel the potatoes
To get them crispy, that is what I found!
I didn’t like the cornstarch bite. Like my sweet potato French fries without.
Thanks for your feedback, Heidi! Sorry you didn’t love this one.
Definitely adding these to my rotation of meal prepped items. Question, will the fries turn out significantly different without oil? Post surgery, I’m on a low fat lifestyle now. Love the website!
Hi Sarah, I’m not sure these will work without the oil The oil helps them get crispy and keep the starch on them.
I didn’t have much luck with this recipe, but I’m willing to try again. After 20 mins these were SO done, I didn’t dare flip and bake longer. Next time I’ll check at 10 mins how the undersides are looking. I’ll also season lightly before baking because everything fell off my fries when I served them and so they were very bland. I think I used too much cornstarch for the amount of fries, as well. They were chalky instead of crispy.
Like I said, I’ll give it another shot. I use the cornstarch method to get crispy tofu slices.
I’m sorry to hear this didn’t work well for you, Jo! Let me know how it works for you next time.
I made this and I am still eating these yummy oh soo crispy fries while I type this !! Totally in love with these ..the idea of cornstarch was super and I think it made a huge difference !
Cant thank you enough !!
You’re welcome, Pallavi!
This is a great recipe. My only suggestion would be to keep a close eye on the fries as they’re cooking. I have a gas oven that really cranks out the heat, and burned some fries the first time trying this recipe, so I shortened their time in the oven to about 18 minutes flat the next time around, and they were PERFECT! The corn starch seems to be that magic ingredient that gets the fries nice and crisp. This will be my go-to method for sweet potato fries from now on.
Oh no! I’m sorry you had some issues, but yes. Ovens can vary. Thanks for sharing, Mike!
Very good! For a great dip, apple butter with a shake of chipotle pepper.
These are amazing! I’ve never had such delicious sweet potato fries! I use arrowroot flour and absolutely love them! Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe (o:
225˚C (425˚F) seems a little bit high. Tried 200˚C (400˚F) today, and had to discard quite a few of them.
The good ones are still tasty, but you Really have to watch that oven, or they come out charcoal. I think 175˚C is Plenty. The starch does seem to make them cook more evenly, and a Lot faster, as it’s absorbing any moisture.
Perhaps I’m slicing a little to thin? Perhaps our ovens work different here in Europe? Perhaps sweet potatoes are different over here?
I’ve tried a recipe where you omit the starch, which takes 35-40 minutes at 175˚C, and that works too, but they come our less evenly cooked, and a mix of soft and soggy and black ..
Hi Lars, I’m sorry you didn’t have luck. That isn’t a problem I have run into and I have made them many times. I do know ovens can vary, unfortunately. A thermometer inside the center rack can help make sure the temperature is accurate.
I have a hunch ..
I had convection on. I probably shouldn’t have?
Hi Lars, you’re right, this recipe is designed for regular (not convection) oven settings.
Alright; I should have thought of that; thanks for the reply (o:
Just tried 175˚C (350˚F) convection, and it worked Perfectly. There were a lot of that perfect combination of chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside with lots of taste; thank you <3
Loved this recipe – the cornstarch adds a great crunch that I’ve never been able to achieve with sweet potato chips.