Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

These baked sweet potato fries are crispy, salty-sweet and coated in savory spices! Easy to make in the oven, they are full of flavor and a favorite healthy snack.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy.

Crispy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Once I started making baked sweet potato fries in the oven at home, there was no going back. I now make all kinds of sweet potato sides like roasted sweet potatoes or air fryer sweet potato cubes but these are always the most requested.

As much as I love french fries or potato wedges, homemade sweet potato fries are hard to beat. They come out perfectly crispy in the oven and seasoned to perfection. I love dipping them in fry sauce or burger sauce, but honestly any of your favorite dipping sauces work great!

Recipe Ingredients

Baked sweet potato fries only require a few simple ingredients! Here is what you will to make these fries.

• Sweet potatoes: Four medium sweet potatoes work best. Look for ones that are longer and less curvy so they cut into even fries more easily.
• Oil: Olive oil or canola oil both work great. Canola oil gives slightly crispier results.
• Seasonings: I love the classic combination of kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sea salt could be used in place of kosher salt.
• Cornstarch: The secret to extra-crispy fries! Toss the fries in a little cornstarch before baking for the best results.

How To Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Follow these simple steps for perfectly crispy oven baked sweet potato fries every time.

1. Cut sweet potatoes into matchsticks. Peel your sweet potatoes and cut off both ends. Slice in half horizontally, then cut halves vertically into 4 pieces. Slice again each piece vertically into 8 pieces then finally cut the sweet potato pieces into thin sticks, about 1/4″ inch thick and 3″ inch long.
2. Soak fries in cold water: For extra-crispy fries soak uncooked matchsticks in large bowl with ice cold water for 30 minutes. Drain then pat dry and place in a zip-top bag with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and shake until evenly coated.
3. Place on baking sheet: Place the sweet potato sticks in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment. Toss with olive oil.
4. Bake: Bake at 415°F for 15 minutes which is hot enough to crisp the edges without burning the natural sugars in the sweet potato. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the fries, flip and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp

Expert Tips

• Thickness: Cut to 1/4 inch. Any thicker and the outside can’t crisp before the inside overcooks.
• Evenly sized: One of the main keys to making the fries crispy is to cut them into evenly sized matchsticks so that they all bake the same.
• Peeling: While I like to peel them for smoother fries, sweet potato skins are edible and add extra texture and nutrition. Some say it also makes them crispier!
• Cornstarch: Add the fries to a bag and shake 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch on top so you have a thin coating. The starch coating helps absorb surface moisture so the fries crisp while baking.
• Oil: Use canola, grapeseed, sunflower or peanut oil for a crispier edge.
• Bake on a metal rack over a baking sheet: Elevating the fries lets hot air circulate underneath so you get crispy edges on all sides without flipping.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan: Spread the fries in a single layer with space between each one. Crowding causes steam to build up which makes them soft instead of crispy. Flip halfway through so both sides get evenly browned.

Serving Suggestions

These sweet potato fries are so flavorful you might not even need a dipping sauce! Try ketchup, BBQ sauce, garlic aioli, ranch dressing, honey mustard sauce or buffalo sauce.

They also make a great side dish with:

• Turkey burgers
• Sloppy joes
• Buffalo chicken sliders
• Turkey chili
• Baked chicken taquitos