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This Baked Sweet Potato Fries recipe is legit-crispy, easy to make, perfectly seasoned, and guaranteed to disappear pretty much…immediately. :)
Craving some ultra-crispy baked sweet potato fries to go with those ultra-crispy chicken nuggets we talked about on Monday?
I’ve been experimenting with a variety of different methods for making homemade sweet potato fries all month, and I now feel like I can confidently stand by my title here — guys, this baked sweet potato fries recipe really is the best!
First off, they are legit crispy. As in, there’s not a soggy fry in sight here even though they’re baked instead of fried, thanks to a few easy tricks. Second, they have a light garlicky seasoning, which achieves that irresistible salty-sweet-salty-sweet balance that’ll keep you reaching back for more. Third, they’re naturally gluten-free and vegetarian and vegan, yay. But mainly?! They are totally do-able in your very own kitchen, which is great news for sweet potato fry lovers everywhere.
Let’s make a batch!
THE BEST BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES | 1-MINUTE VIDEO
10 Essentials for ActuallyCrispy Fries:
Ok, let’s talk about technique here for a minute. Because there are a few things you need to know to make your sweet potato fries actually crispy. (And thus avoid the saddest thing in the world — soggy fries. Always a tragedy.)
The good news here? Crispy fries are easy to make. The honest news? They are going to take a little extra time to make, versus just chopping and tossing some potatoes in the oven. But trust me, these few extra steps are totally worth it. Here are the essentials:
1. Cut evenly-sized fries: Your first step here is one that will make the biggest difference — take the time to evenly cut your fries. About 1/4-inch thick, to be exact. This will help avoid having fries that are over- or under-cooked, and will help them be the proper size to get nice and crispy.
2. Give them a cold water bath: Once your fries are chopped, toss them into a large bowl. Then cover the fries completely with cold water and let them soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight). This will help to rinse off the excess starch and help the potatoes crisp up beautifully in the oven. Once the potatoes have soaked, rinse and drain them. Then — also very important — use a towel to pat them down until they are nice and dry before moving onto the next step.
3. Coat with cornstarch: The next key to crispy fries? Cornstarch. Yep, it’s the secret ingredient that helps achieve that perfectly crispy exterior on a variety of baked recipes, and it’s essential with baked fries. Whisk together the cornstarch and dry seasonings (garlic powder, smoked paprika and black pepper) and toss them with the fries, after they have been coated in oil. But be sure to…
4. Wait on the salt: We’ll add it on at the very end, which will also help reduce the soggy factor and allow you to salt to taste. Win-win.
5: Use parchment paper: This will help prevent the fries from sticking and help them crisp up nicely. Just be sure, though, that you use a brand of parchment paper that can withstand 425°F cooking temperatures. If not, you can also just bake these on a greased cooking sheet.
6. Don’t crowd the pan: Once you add your fries to the baking sheet — very important — be sure that they are laying in an even, single layer. If they are overlapping on top of each other, the fries on the bottom won’t have the chance to get as crispy. So go for an even layer and try not to completely crowd the pan. (If the fries are overlapping, use a larger pan or two smaller pans.)
7. Bake at high heat: This will help the fries to get nice and crispy.
8. Take the time to flip all of the fries: Once the fries have baked halfway through, you need to give them a good flip. Which — I will be the first to admit — isn’t the most graceful or speedy of processes. But it’s worth it. So grab a spatula, and even if it takes an extra few minutes, be sure that each of those fries has made a 180° flip.
9. Wait just 5 more minutes: Once the fries are nice and crispy and ready to go, remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Season the fries with lots of salt. Then resist the urge to take a bite and let the fries rest on the baking sheet for 5 more minutes. It will help them crisp up a bit more and be ready to serve.
10: Then dig in! Then once your french fries are ready to go…enjoy immediately! Fries are definitely best fresh outta the oven, and they will start to get soggy (as any fries will) once they sit out for too long. So go for it!
Baked Sweet Potato Fries Ingredients:
Alright, let’s talk ingredients! To make these homemade sweet potato fries, you will need:
Sweet potatoes: Organic, if possible. I also like to peel my sweet potatoes, but you’re welcome to leave the skins on if you prefer. Just be sure to give them a nice good scrub beforehand.
Olive oil: Or any cooking oil that you prefer.
Cornstarch: As mentioned above, to help the potatoes crisp up
Seasonings: I like a simple mixture of garlic powder, smoked paprika and black pepper. But feel free to use whatever seasonings you love.
Sea salt: Nice and fine, which we will sprinkle on at the very end.
How To Make Sweet Potato Fries:
To make these oven-roasted sweet potato fries, simply:
Cut your fries: Evenly-sized matchsticks, about 1/4-inch wide.
Soak in cold water: Soak the fries in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Then rinse, drain and pat dry.
Toss with oil: Transfer fries to a dry bowl or ziplock bag, and toss evenly with oil.
Toss with cornstarch and seasonings: Then toss the fries with your cornstarch/seasoning mixture.
Transfer to parchment-covered baking sheet: And spread out the fries in a nice even layer.
Bake until crispy: Being sure to remove the pan and flip the fries halfway through.
Let cool: Remove the baking sheet from the oven, season the fries generously with salt, and rest for 3-5 more minutes.
ENJOY! Then serve and enjoy immediately!
How To Customize Your Sweet Potato Fries:
Enjoy customizing your fries? Feel free to:
Add cheese: I’m a big fan of sprinkling on some fresh Parmesan right outta the oven, or any other kind of shredded cheese that you might enjoy. (Feel free to add it in the last few minutes of baking, if you would prefer it to be melted.)
Add some heat: Cayenne is a great addition to your seasoning mix, if you would like these to have a bit of heat.
Add other dry seasonings: In place of the garlic-paprika-black-pepper mix, feel free to sub in any of your favorite dry seasoning mixes, such as:
This Baked Sweet Potato Fries recipe is legit-crispy, easy to make, perfectly seasoned, and guaranteed to disappear pretty much…immediately.
Ingredients
Scale
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
fine sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Slice your sweet potatoes into long, thin strips, about 1/4-inch wide. It’s important that the fries are uniformly sized for even cooking. Add the fries to a large bowl of cold water and soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight).
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet (or two medium baking sheets*) with parchment paper, or mist with cooking spray. Set aside.
Drain the fries, rinse out and dry your bowl of water, then blot dry the fries with a clean towel.
Add the fries back to the clean bowl.* Then drizzle evenly with the olive oil, and toss until they are evenly coated.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, garlic powder, smoked paprika and black pepper until combined. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bowl of fries, then toss until the fries are evenly coated and the cornstarch has soaked into the oil.
Spread the fries out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Be sure that the fries aren’t overlapping, or else they will not cook evenly.
Bake for 15 minutes. Then remove pan from oven, and take the time to flip each fry with a spatula. Rearrange so that the fries are evenly spaced and not overlapping again. Then bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until the fries are crispy and have begun to brown a bit on the tips.
Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack, sprinkle with your desired amount of salt, then let the fries rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
Baking sheets: If you need to spread the fries out between two baking sheets, be sure to switch their positions on the top and bottom oven shelves at the halfway point when you flip the fries.
Mixing the fries: Or you can do this step in a large ziplock bag, if you prefer, which makes the fries a bit easier to toss with the cornstarch mixture.
Recipe edit: I edited this recipe in September 2020 to reduce the amount of cornstarch, per feedback from our readers.
I eat potato fries every single day! Love the richness and creaminess of this wonder fruit ? Had only savoury version before, but it was long time ago.
This is the best recipe for sweet potato fries I have tried so far. Soaked the carefully cut up fries for at least 3 hours. The dressing worked fabulously!
Plan on making these today. Was wondering if I could use arrowroot flour instead of cornstarch. I am trying to follow the Paleo plan. Love all your recipes I have tried!
Amanda T. —
Arrowroot starch is the best substitute. It’s gluten free too.
These sweet fries are great. I used very little seasoning and did not put on parchment paper.
I sprayed cookie sheet. I followed instructions and they are wonderful.
Can’t wait to try lots of varieties. Thanks!!
This recipe did not work for me at all. Mushy, yucky; turned up to 450 to finally crisp the slimeys and they burned a little. Not tasty. Weird texture. Threw them all out. Have tried several different baked sweet potatoe recipes. Nothing has been good. Why are others raving about this particular recipe? 0h my, I’m throwing in the towel!
I’m fairly new to making sweet potatoes and this was my first attempt at fries. They were cripsy, but a lot of them got a bit blackened. I’m thinking it was the cornstarch. Any suggestions for preventing that from happening next time around? I’m a fry addict and would love to incorporate these into my menu! Other than being a tad black, they tasted good!
Try 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, a sprinkle of cayenne, and a tablespoon of brown sugar as seasoning instead! Amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
The photo that accompanied your recipe for sweet potato fries shows something green on them, yet I didn’t see anything that color in the ingredients. Could you let me know what you used? Thank you!
Great recipe. I have made baked sweet potato fries before, and they have never come out so crisp. I used za’atar as the main spice, and it was delish. Thanks!
Made these and all seemed to go well but the came out burnt but most likely my fault since I used EVOO to grease the sheet pan… at 425 degrees… DUH! They still tasted great though. Next time parchment paper!
Found that it tasted of cornstarch once the cooled. Maybe I’ll need to cut it down, as I followed the recipe to a T. But otherwise it was awesome, I enjoyed them quite a bit!
Tried these today and they were absolutely delicious.. Husband totally loved them.. they were super crispy.. will be bookmarking this recipe for future as well..
These were very yummy. I enjoyed the sweet and tangy flavors. I’ve been making baked SP fries for years and when it’s all done and said if you have time to soak the spuds it does make quite a difference as well as the corn starch. May try to substitute other spices, thank you for the suggestions.! A+
I make roasted vegetables a lot, but this recipe threw me. my fries looked great and smelled great but they tasted chalky like too much cornstarch. I think next time I’ll try to add cornstarch but do it in a slurry instead.
Loved this recipe! Used a little to much flour but good to know for next time :) can I use the same baking temp and time for normal spuds, Or is it specific to sweet potatoes? Thanks a lot!
I’ve made oven sweet potato fries using a variety of methods from parboiling the potatoes first to just slicing and tossing w EVOO so I was curious to try this method of soaking in cold water prior to cooking. Even after cooking for 25 minutes they were soft and not crispy at all.
I don’t know if I used too much cornstarch…but these didn’t come out well at all….didn’t look anything like the picture.. I followed all instructions but maybe the ratio of cornstarch and seasonings wasn’t right. Used the parchment paper.. etc. etc. So disappointed.
Grace —
The same thing happened when I made it! Sweet potatoes had a powdery texture and a cornstarch after taste…I followed the recipe exactly and was so excited for crispy fries! They didn’t look like the picture, either. Hoping I’ll find another recipe that works better
Debbie FIOTAKIS —
Well the photo shows them with parsley and this recipe says cracked pepper.
This recipe was spot on for me! Crispy, healthy and satisfying! Left off all the spices except the salt. Had this with spicy mayo, it was so yummy!!! I’m going to try this on white potatoes next time.
The hardest part was to wait!!! My new favorite snack! Thank you!!!
Shelby —
I’ve tried this recipe several times now over the last year, making sure to closely follow instructions each time, and it just doesn’t work. The fries don’t come out crispy. It’s a shame because the flavor is good, but on soggy fries… blech.
The only thing I can think of is maybe they’d turn out better in an air fryer? As is though, they are disappointing.
Wow! In 2020, I decided to hone my domestic goddess skills, and unleash my creativity. I followed this foolproof recipe, and my goodness, these moreish crispy healthy roasted ? sweet potato fries ? are the ? bomb! I really recommend these fries and the recipe hacks, such as chopping the potato evenly, soaking overnight and using cornstarch or cornflour (UK) is magical.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I was looking for a sweet potato recipe. When I make it, I’ll definitely post my feedback. I just found your website (via Copy me That) and I really like it! I’m going to be following you for more recipes.
Well, you did it!!! I never liked sweet potatoes – til this little recipe came into my life! My husband declared these the best sweet potato fries he’s ever had. My daughter, a sweet potato aficionado loved them and I’m jumping onto the sweet potato bandwagon! Followed your directions to a T – and was rewarded with a delicious bowl of crispy, tasty fries! Once again – you nailed it!!!!
Great recipe, I doubled the powder mix which was too much but not obnoxious. Cooked it for an extra 5 minutes, also too much. Deceiving when the fries come out and are soft, the crisp up real fast so don’t overdo it
These were really great! I placed them in my air fryer at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes and tossed them a few times. So delicious! Crispy outside, deliciously seasoned and soft in the middle.
matt —
Did you still use cornstarch when you cooked them in the air fryer?
These were so great! My husband and I had them with your chicken breast recipe for dinner. Yummy!!
I eat potato fries every single day! Love the richness and creaminess of this wonder fruit ? Had only savoury version before, but it was long time ago.
This is the best recipe for sweet potato fries I have tried so far. Soaked the carefully cut up fries for at least 3 hours. The dressing worked fabulously!
This was absolutely the best sweet potato recipe we have ever made!! Thank you.
Plan on making these today. Was wondering if I could use arrowroot flour instead of cornstarch. I am trying to follow the Paleo plan. Love all your recipes I have tried!
Arrowroot starch is the best substitute. It’s gluten free too.
These sweet fries are great. I used very little seasoning and did not put on parchment paper.
I sprayed cookie sheet. I followed instructions and they are wonderful.
Can’t wait to try lots of varieties. Thanks!!
This recipe did not work for me at all. Mushy, yucky; turned up to 450 to finally crisp the slimeys and they burned a little. Not tasty. Weird texture. Threw them all out. Have tried several different baked sweet potatoe recipes. Nothing has been good. Why are others raving about this particular recipe? 0h my, I’m throwing in the towel!
Did you sprinkle Cilantro on these? Or parsley?
I sprinkled parsley, but either would work! :)
This is a great recipe. I would make this again and I would try your other recipes.
Addictive! Love this sweet and spiced combo!
Not sure how it might affect the outcome but, for taste reasons, I would use less cornstarch.
I’m fairly new to making sweet potatoes and this was my first attempt at fries. They were cripsy, but a lot of them got a bit blackened. I’m thinking it was the cornstarch. Any suggestions for preventing that from happening next time around? I’m a fry addict and would love to incorporate these into my menu! Other than being a tad black, they tasted good!
Can I use cornflour instead of cornstarch?
Use Arrowroot starch.
Cornflour and cornstarch are the same things. It is called cornflour in the UK and cornstarch in the US
Try 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, a sprinkle of cayenne, and a tablespoon of brown sugar as seasoning instead! Amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Great recipe. Works wonderfully well for low fat.oven baked version of SPF. Highly recommend!
The photo that accompanied your recipe for sweet potato fries shows something green on them, yet I didn’t see anything that color in the ingredients. Could you let me know what you used? Thank you!
A little sprinkling of fresh parsley! :)
I made these last night … they were amazing! My husband asked me if they were from Trader Joe’s, hahaha!
Excellent sweet potato fries. They won me over. Great receipe.
Great recipe. I have made baked sweet potato fries before, and they have never come out so crisp. I used za’atar as the main spice, and it was delish. Thanks!
My new favorite! So full of flavor and crispy!
I never knew about the cornstarch! It made them so much better! Thank you for the tips
Made these for my family tonight and they were very popular! Really easy recipe and will definitely be making again.
Made these and all seemed to go well but the came out burnt but most likely my fault since I used EVOO to grease the sheet pan… at 425 degrees… DUH! They still tasted great though. Next time parchment paper!
Found that it tasted of cornstarch once the cooled. Maybe I’ll need to cut it down, as I followed the recipe to a T. But otherwise it was awesome, I enjoyed them quite a bit!
Tried these today and they were absolutely delicious.. Husband totally loved them.. they were super crispy.. will be bookmarking this recipe for future as well..
These were very yummy. I enjoyed the sweet and tangy flavors. I’ve been making baked SP fries for years and when it’s all done and said if you have time to soak the spuds it does make quite a difference as well as the corn starch. May try to substitute other spices, thank you for the suggestions.! A+
I make roasted vegetables a lot, but this recipe threw me. my fries looked great and smelled great but they tasted chalky like too much cornstarch. I think next time I’ll try to add cornstarch but do it in a slurry instead.
Amazing recipe!
I added Red Chili Powder to the seasoning mix and you’ve got some really really spicy fries!
Thanks for the Corn Starch Tip — makes them super crunchy!
Loved this recipe! Used a little to much flour but good to know for next time :) can I use the same baking temp and time for normal spuds, Or is it specific to sweet potatoes? Thanks a lot!
Really great recipe but no cook Time of how long to leave in oven?
Easier to do than recipe suggests. Perfect and delicious.
Do you think potato starch would work instead of corn starch? Can not have corn products…Looks delicious!
These stuck to the parchment paper and yielded about a 3rd of the actual fries that were cut on the pan. What did I do wrong?
If you want them to be really good you have to have patience. They are very delicious and my husband makes me make them at least twice a week.
Do you have a recommended potato slicer? My cheap one was destroyed by my sweet potatoes :/ Thanks for the recipe
Delicious! Super easy recipe and totally worth the soak/prep time. Will definitely be making these again.
Really yummy! . However can you substitute the cornstarch with either tapioca or arrowroot starch?
Thanks!
I’ve made oven sweet potato fries using a variety of methods from parboiling the potatoes first to just slicing and tossing w EVOO so I was curious to try this method of soaking in cold water prior to cooking. Even after cooking for 25 minutes they were soft and not crispy at all.
Mine came out tasting chalky as well. Was excited to have a crispy fry recipe and the cornstarch ruined them.
I do not like sweet potatoes in any way shape or form, except these…so yummy!
I don’t know if I used too much cornstarch…but these didn’t come out well at all….didn’t look anything like the picture.. I followed all instructions but maybe the ratio of cornstarch and seasonings wasn’t right. Used the parchment paper.. etc. etc. So disappointed.
The same thing happened when I made it! Sweet potatoes had a powdery texture and a cornstarch after taste…I followed the recipe exactly and was so excited for crispy fries! They didn’t look like the picture, either. Hoping I’ll find another recipe that works better
Well the photo shows them with parsley and this recipe says cracked pepper.
This recipe was spot on for me! Crispy, healthy and satisfying! Left off all the spices except the salt. Had this with spicy mayo, it was so yummy!!! I’m going to try this on white potatoes next time.
The hardest part was to wait!!! My new favorite snack! Thank you!!!
I’ve tried this recipe several times now over the last year, making sure to closely follow instructions each time, and it just doesn’t work. The fries don’t come out crispy. It’s a shame because the flavor is good, but on soggy fries… blech.
The only thing I can think of is maybe they’d turn out better in an air fryer? As is though, they are disappointing.
Wow! In 2020, I decided to hone my domestic goddess skills, and unleash my creativity. I followed this foolproof recipe, and my goodness, these moreish crispy healthy roasted ? sweet potato fries ? are the ? bomb! I really recommend these fries and the recipe hacks, such as chopping the potato evenly, soaking overnight and using cornstarch or cornflour (UK) is magical.
Thank you so much for this recipe ?
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I was looking for a sweet potato recipe. When I make it, I’ll definitely post my feedback. I just found your website (via Copy me That) and I really like it! I’m going to be following you for more recipes.
Really awesome. I have tried several recipes promising crispy oven baked sweet potato fries, but most disappointed. These were Ace! Thank you
Well, you did it!!! I never liked sweet potatoes – til this little recipe came into my life! My husband declared these the best sweet potato fries he’s ever had. My daughter, a sweet potato aficionado loved them and I’m jumping onto the sweet potato bandwagon! Followed your directions to a T – and was rewarded with a delicious bowl of crispy, tasty fries! Once again – you nailed it!!!!
Great recipe, I doubled the powder mix which was too much but not obnoxious. Cooked it for an extra 5 minutes, also too much. Deceiving when the fries come out and are soft, the crisp up real fast so don’t overdo it
These were really great! I placed them in my air fryer at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes and tossed them a few times. So delicious! Crispy outside, deliciously seasoned and soft in the middle.
Did you still use cornstarch when you cooked them in the air fryer?
Didn’t work. Air fryer reigns supreme
My fries turned out so well! Way better than the frozen alexia fries that I usually buy. Thank you!