Ditch the store-bought frozen fries to make these delicious curly sweet potato fries completely from scratch! They’re perfectly crispy and crunchy and require just a handful of simple ingredients.
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Oven Baked Homemade Curly Fries
My family loves French fries, but as a healthier option, we typically like to make our own. Once you realize how easy it is to make homemade fries from scratch, you won’t be able to help yourself…you’ll want to make every type of fry out there!
These curly sweet potato fries are always a family favorite. They’re so crunchy and crispy, the curly shape is so much fun, and the sweet potato fries seasoning mixture adds a ton of flavor! You’ll want to make this easy recipe again and again.
Why We Love These Sweet Potato Curly Fries
- Crispy & crunchy: These spiralized sweet potato fries are nice and crispy thanks to one secret ingredient: corn starch! It absorbs excess moisture to make sure you have a nice crunch every time.
- Easy: Although it sounds complicated to make homemade curly fries, it’s really not! You just need a spiralizer attachment and a hot oven. No frying required!
- Healthy: These spiralized potatoes are much healthier than regular fries. They don’t have any additives or preservatives, and they’re baked instead of fried, so they don’t contain those unhealthy fats you typically find in fast food restaurants. Plus, sweet potatoes are higher in fiber and are lower on the glycemic index than normal potatoes. They’re perfect for the whole family!
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet potatoes: Start with really fresh, firm sweet potatoes for the best results.
- Cornstarch: Choose either cornstarch or tapioca starch to get a crispy crust on your cooked fries. Either one will work well!
- Olive oil: You’ll need a little bit of oil to attach the seasonings to the cornstarch layer. I recommend olive or avocado oil.
- Seasonings: Combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and cayenne pepper for lots of flavor and a little heat!
How to Make Curly Fries with a Spiralizer – Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Peel 2 medium sweet potatoes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half widthwise. Use the coarse blade on a spiralizer to create spirals.
- Add the spirals to a large bowl and toss lightly with the cornstarch or tapioca starch. Next, toss with the olive oil until coated. Add in the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Toss until the sweet potatoes are coated in the spice mixture.
- Evenly distribute spiral potatoes in a single layer across the baking sheets.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes in the oven, until the spirals begin to turn crunchy in places.
- Around the 15 minute mark, watch them closely and toss every few minutes to help them crisp up. Remove any fries that are going brown and crispy and place on a separate plate to prevent them from burning. Continue cooking the remaining curly fries until they get lightly crispy. Let cool for 10 minutes. As they cool, they will crisp up more.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Tips for the Best Sweet Potato Fries
- When arranging the spiralized sweet potatoes on the sheet pan, ensure they are spread out in a single layer. If you have too many for one pan, you can use two sheet pans.
- If you have long, curly fries, use kitchen scissors to cut them into smaller pieces, which will provide them with extra room. Shorter pieces tend to become crispier.
- The curly sweet potato fries in the photos were spiralized using the blade with smaller holes. Because they’re thinner, they get super crispy in the oven and are even great for tossing on a salad. You can also use the blade with bigger holes for thicker fries, if preferred.
- If you happen to have a convection oven, it’s beneficial to utilize it. Convection ovens continuously circulate the air, which aids in maintaining the crispiness of the curly fries.
- Another alternative is to try baking them on a cooling rack positioned on top of the sheet pan. This arrangement allows for better air circulation around the fries.
Recipe FAQs
Curly fries are made that way by using a spiralizer of some sort! It’s just a fancy way of cutting white potatoes or other vegetables. They are then typically deep fried in hot oil before being tossed in lots of spices or seasonings. These homemade curly sweet potato fries are baked instead of fried to support a healthier lifestyle.
If you don’t have a spiralizer on hand, there’s one trick you might want to try instead. Insert a wooden skewer through the sweet potato or other vegetable. You’ll then rotate a blade around the vegetable until it touches the skewer each time. You can even hold the knife in one place and twist the vegetable. The skewer will block the knife from cutting through the potato and you’ll get a twisty, curly effect. It’s imperfect and a bit more work, but it works well in a pinch!
If you’ve ever roasted sweet potato pieces, you know that they tend to soften up in the oven. It can be tricky to get a perfectly crispy texture. That’s why we recommend using cornstarch for this easy recipe! Cornstarch is a fantastic ingredient for breading because it will both crisp up and absorb excess liquid. This means it can help give you a crispy texture while also dealing with the moisture from the potatoes. Give it a try next time to see if that helps!
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
To store: Store leftover fries in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
To reheat: You’ll want to rebake the fries. For smaller portions, use an air fryer or a 475 F degree oven. Bake them in either an air fryer basket or on a lined basket sheet for 5-6 minutes or until the fries are firm and crispy again. Be careful not to overcook them.
Serving Suggestions
These curly sweet potato fries are a fantastic side dish to serve with your meals, especially homemade burgers! Don’t forget to serve them with your favorite dipping sauce.
They’re delicious with campfire sauce, which is a mixture of barbecue sauce and homemade mayo, or tangy Tzatziki Sauce with a sprinkle of feta and lemon juice. So yummy!
Try them with any of the following:
- Worcestershire Sauce Burgers
- Chicken Feta Burgers
- Burger Salad Bowl
- Spicy Vegan Black Bean Burgers
- Healthy Fish Sticks
- Almond Coconut Chicken Tenders
Recipe Variations
- Make them spicy: The fries are already coated in a barbecue seasoning, but you could play that up even more. Add a little brown sugar and some chili powder for a smoky, barbecue-like flavor.
- Sweet potato chips: If you don’t have a spiralizer to make curly fries, you can cut the sweet potatoes to look like regular french fries or even potato chips! Just be sure to adjust the cooking time.
- Air fryer curly sweet potato fries: Instead of the oven, bake a small batch of curly fries in the air fryer. Be sure to let it preheat well first. You may need to reduce the temperature slightly (10-15 degrees).
More Similar Recipes
- How to Make Zucchini Fries in Air Fryer
- Healthy Roasted Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Tater Tots
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Baked Curly Sweet Potato Fries {with Cornstarch}
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled (mine weighed about 1 pound 5 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Peel 2 medium sweet potatoes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half widthwise. Use the coarse blade on a spiralizer to create spirals.
- Add the spirals to a large bowl and toss lightly with the cornstarch or tapioca starch. Next, toss with the olive oil until coated. Add in the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Toss until the sweet potatoes are coated in the spice mixture.
- Evenly distribute spiral potatoes in a single layer across the baking sheets.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes in the oven, until the spirals begin to turn crunchy in places.
- Around the 15 minute mark, watch them closely and toss every few minutes to help them crisp up. Remove any fries that are going brown and crispy and place on a separate plate to prevent them from burning. Continue cooking the remaining curly fries until they get lightly crispy. Let cool for 10 minutes. As they cool, they will crisp up more.
Notes
- When arranging the spiralized sweet potatoes on the sheet pan, ensure they are spread out in a single layer. If you have too many for one pan, you can use two sheet pans.
- If you have long, curly fries, use kitchen scissors to cut them into smaller pieces, which will provide them with extra room. Shorter pieces tend to become crispier.
- The curly sweet potato fries in the photos were spiralized using the blade with smaller holes. Because they’re thinner, they get super crispy in the oven and are even great for tossing on a salad. You can also use the blade with bigger holes for thicker fries, if preferred.
- If you happen to have a convection oven, it’s beneficial to utilize it. Convection ovens continuously circulate the air, which aids in maintaining the crispiness of the curly fries.
- Another alternative is to try baking them on a cooling rack positioned on top of the sheet pan. This arrangement allows for better air circulation around the fries.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in January 2016 and was updated in January 2024 to include more helpful tips and photos.
Bekkiteal says
I see it has 102 calories/serving, but I Wish you included how many servings this is. Without that the calorie count means nothing. 🤷♀️
Elysia Cartlidge says
Oh I apologize! It makes four servings. Sorry about that!
Bekki says
Thank you!