Prepare a healthy, delicious and easy side with these homemade oven baked sweet potato fries! They’re perfectly seasoned with paprika and cinnamon and use a secret ingredient to make them extra golden and crispy…no deep frying required! {Paleo & gluten-free}
I’ve always been a huge fan of homemade sweet potato fries, but lately I’ve been on a mission to figure out how to make them extra crispy and delicious!
Enter these baked sweet potato fries with cinnamon and paprika. These are seriously the best!
The combination of the paprika and cinnamon creates the perfect sweet, warm and smoky flavour that’s hard to resist. It’s such a simple and tasty seasoning for sweet potato fries!
And then, when they’re coated in egg white and olive oil, and roasted until golden, it results in the perfect crispy sweet potato fries — that are baked, not deep-fried!
Pair them up with your favourite entree or eat them as a snack with a dip. So easy and healthy!
For more healthy potato recipes, be sure to check out these Roasted Garlic Potatoes and Baked Sweet Potato Fritters!
Table of Contents
Why we love this recipe
- Easy: You can whip up these fries in a matter of minutes. The hardest part is cutting up the sweet potatoes, but if you do that in advance, this recipe is a breeze!
- Crispy: A lot of recipes call for cornstarch to produce crispier fries, but I always find that it’s super messy and tough to get the cornstarch to coat the fries evenly. This sweet potato fries recipe uses egg white and olive oil to create fries that are golden and crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, without the mess of cornstarch (or a deep-fryer)!
- Baked, not fried: Making your own homemade fries in the oven can be a much healthier option than deep-frying as it reduces your intake of partially hydrogenated oils (AKA trans fats) which many restaurants use to make french fries. Trans fats have been linked to a higher incidence of heart disease among other health conditions, so it’s important to avoid them wherever possible. Baking the sweet potato fries in the oven also has this way of caramelizing and bringing out the natural sweetness in the sweet potatoes!
- Kid-friendly: Looking for a new fun way to serve up veggies? Sweet potato fries will be your new best friend. Pair them with a tasty dip and they make a great side or snack for kids. Due to their softer texture, they’re perfect for babies and toddlers too!
Ingredient notes
- Sweet Potatoes: Use about two large sweet potatoes or three medium-size firm sweet potatoes. If possible, try to find ones with smooth skin and no bruises or cracks. Scrub them well; you can peel them or leave them unpeeled.
- Egg white: Is the secret ingredient that helps the sweet potatoes crisp up without the need for as much oil. Use the egg white of a large egg or sub in about 2 tablespoons of liquid egg whites from the carton.
- Oil: I like to use olive oil for this recipe, but you can also use another oil such as canola or avocado oil. Don’t skimp on the oil as you’ll need it to evenly coat the fries along with the egg white to help the fries get golden and crispy in the oven.
- Seasoning: Cinnamon, smoked paprika, salt and pepper are the seasonings used to flavour up the fries. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you want a kick of spice.
How to cut sweet potato fries
- Peel the sweet potato (or leave the peel on if preferred).
- Using a sharp large knife, cut off both ends of the potato.
- Cut the potato in half width-wise.
- Place the larger flat end of each sweet potato half on a flat surface and slice through the potato at ½-inch intervals.
- Stack the slices on top of each other and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch sticks.
Tip: If possible, choose sweet potatoes that are long and thin since they tend to be easier to cut than large and wide potatoes.
How to make crispy sweet potato fries without cornstarch
- Position one oven rack on the upper shelf and another rack on the lower shelf of your oven. Preheat the oven 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Next, add the egg white to a large mixing bowl and whisk it briskly until it becomes foamy.
- Peel the potatoes (or leave them unpeeled if preferred) and cut them into sticks that are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter and 3-inches long. They should resemble french fries. Try to cut the sweet potatoes as uniformly as possible so that the fries bake evenly.
- As you cut up the fries, add them to the bowl with the egg white and toss them until they’re all coated evenly.
- Next, drizzle the oil over the potato sticks in the bowl and toss until the oil is evenly distributed.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the spice mixture over the fries in the bowl and toss to coat the fries. Try to get them as evenly seasoned as possible.
- Divide the fries equally between the two baking sheets and space them out evenly on each sheet so that they’re not overcrowded. This is key for getting them to crisp up.
- Bake the fries for 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven, and then using a large spatula, flip the fries.
- Arrange the fries into a single layer again to ensure that they aren’t overlapping. If any of the fries look like they’re browning too quickly, move them towards the front or centre of the baking sheet.
- Return the baking sheets to the oven, alternating their positions on the upper and lower racks.
- Continue baking until the fries are crisp and lightly golden on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. This should take about 5 to 10 additional minutes, depending upon your oven and the size of your fries. The ends may look crispy and dark on some of the fries and you should see some lighter brown spots in a few places.
- Remove from the oven. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
- Make them uniform: Be sure to cut all of the sweet potato fries into similar sized sticks (length and thickness) so that they all cook up evenly. If they’re all different sizes, some may cook faster than others.
- Make them thin: Although it may be tempting to cut large chunks of sweet potato (i.e. wedges) to get through the chopping faster, it’s really important to cut the sweet potatoes thin enough so that they crisp up in the oven. Cut them 1/4 to 1/2 and inch in diameter for best results.
- Add enough oil: This ingredient is key when it comes to baking up crispy sweet potato fries. Be sure to coat all of the fries evenly with the oil so they get equally crispy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Evenly distribute the fries amongst two baking sheets so that sweet potato fries are in a single layer and have some space between them. If they bake on one baking sheet, it simply steams the fries and makes them soft, without allowing them to become crispy.
- Use a high enough temperature: I find that 400 degrees F is the perfect temperature to cook the fries so that they become crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. If you bake them at a lower temperature, it will be difficult to achieve crispy fries.
- Alternate the pans: On the upper and lower oven shelves half way through to ensure that both sheet pans both receive equal cooking.
- Keep an eye on the fries: If it seems like the fries at the back of the baking sheet are cooking faster, move them to the middle or front of the pan. The back of the oven tends to cook food faster.
Storage guidelines
How to store: Store any leftover sweet potato fries in the fridge for up to four days.
How to freeze: If you plan on freezing sweet potato fries, arrange the fries in a single lay on a baking sheet and freeze until they become solid. Next, transfer them to a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat them from frozen.
How to reheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and reheat the fries for about 10-20 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
It depends on the type of sweet potato fries . If you’re referring to deep-fried sweet potato fries, often times the process of deep frying will counteract many of the benefits of consuming the sweet potato.
However, if you opt for homemade baked sweet potato fries, they can be a much healthier option than deep frying since you avoid the trans fats. Additionally, often times, the baking process doesn’t require as much oil, and the type of oil that is used is heart-healthy olive oil.
Plus, you reap the full benefits of the sweet potato including vitamin A, B5, B6, thiamin, niacin and riboflavin, in addition to iron and magnesium. At the end of the day, sweet potato fries can be a healthy option if you use a healthier cooking method such as baking.
It’s a personal preference. Some people claim that their fries are crispier if they leave the skin on, but I prefer to peel the potatoes or only leave some of the skin on since my kids like them better without the chewy skin. Peeling can also get rid of any of the cracks and blemishes that may be on the skin.
Definitely! In fact, that’s where the majority of the fibre is found in the sweet potato. For the purpose of these baked sweet potato fries, it’s totally a personal preference as to whether or not you peel the potatoes.
Personally, I prefer the taste of them when they’re peeled (and so do my kids), but you can certainly keep the skin on if you’d like. Keeping the skin on also provides a little more texture if you like a bit more of a chewy fry.
There are a number of reasons why your sweet potato fries might not be crispy. First, it’s important to cut the sweet potatoes into thin uniform sticks and coat them evenly with the egg white and oil.
Next, you’ll want to divide the fries evenly between a couple of baking sheets so that they aren’t overcrowded on one pan. If there are too many fries on one sheet, they will steam and not get crispy.
Finally, if you bake the fries at too low of a temperature, they will simply get soft, but will not crisp up. A high enough oven temperature is key!
It will depend on your oven, but I found that baking the fries for 20 minutes and then flipping them, and baking them for an additional 5-10 minutes was sufficient. You may need a bit longer depending on how hot your oven gets and how brown and crispy you like your fries.
Serving suggestions
These sweet potato fries with cinnamon and paprika are incredibly versatile and you can easily switch up the seasonings, in addition to what you serve with them and dip them in. Here are some ideas!
What to eat with sweet potato fries
Try pairing the fries along with the following recipes:
- 5 Ingredient Meatloaf
- Air Fryer Chicken Bites
- Almond Coconut Chicken Tenders
- Beef and Quinoa BBQ Meatloaf Muffins
- Chicken Muffins
- Healthy Turkey Burger Recipe
- Dijon Mustard Salmon with Walnuts
- Coconut Crusted Fish Sticks
What to dip sweet potato fries in
You can dip them in ketchup, this homemade BBQ sauce or try this roasted garlic aioli! You can also sub in your own favourite dip!
Sweet potato fries seasoning ideas + recipe variations
- Spicy: Add a pinch of cayenne or top with a drizzle of hot sauce when serving.
- Rosemary and parmesan: Use a couple tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese and a tablespoon or so of minced rosemary.
- Curry: Sprinkle with curry powder for a warm flavour.
- Mexican: Sprinkle with taco seasoning for a Mexican flair.
- Basic: Keep it simple and flavour with salt and pepper.
- To make sweet potato home fries: Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes rather than strips.
- To make vegan/egg-free: Skip the egg white and use an extra tablespoon of olive oil.
More healthy potato recipes
- Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
- Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Healthier Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sweet Potato Kale Bowl with Creamy Roasted Garlic Dressing
- Sweet Potato Tots
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon and Paprika
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 3 medium sweet potatoes or 2 large (about 2 lbs) scrubbed and peeled
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Position one oven rack on the upper shelf and another rack on the lower shelf of your oven. Preheat the oven 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Next, add the egg white to a large mixing bowl and whisk it briskly until it becomes foamy.
- Peel the potatoes (or leave them unpeeled if preferred) and cut them into sticks that are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter and 3-inches long. They should resemble french fries. Try to cut the sweet potatoes as uniformly as possible so that the fries bake evenly.
- As you cut up the fries, add them to the bowl with the egg white and toss them until they’re all coated evenly.
- Next, drizzle the oil over the potato sticks in the bowl and toss until the oil is evenly distributed.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the spice mixture over the fries in the bowl and toss to coat the fries. Try to get them as evenly seasoned as possible.
- Divide the fries equally between the two baking sheets and space them out evenly on each sheet so that they’re not overcrowded. This is key for getting them to crisp up.
- Bake the fries for 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven, and then using a large spatula, flip the fries.
- Arrange the fries into a single layer again to ensure that they aren’t overlapping. If any of the fries look like they’re browning too quickly, move them towards the front or centre of the baking sheet.
- Return the baking sheets to the oven, alternating their positions on the upper and lower racks.
- Continue baking until the fries are crisp and lightly golden on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. This should take about 5 to 10 additional minutes, depending upon your oven and the size of your fries. The ends may look crispy and dark on some of the fries and you should see some lighter brown spots in a few places.
- Remove from the oven. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make them uniform: Be sure to cut all of the sweet potato fries into similar sized sticks (length and thickness) so that they all cook up evenly. If they’re all different sizes, some may cook faster than others.
- Make them thin: Although it may be tempting to cut large chunks of sweet potato (i.e. wedges) to get through the chopping faster, it’s really important to cut the sweet potatoes thin enough so that they crisp up in the oven. Cut them 1/4 to 1/2 and inch in diameter for best results.
- Add enough oil: This ingredient is key when it comes to baking up crispy sweet potato fries. Be sure to coat all of the fries evenly with the oil so they get equally crispy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Evenly distribute the fries amongst two baking sheets so that sweet potato fries are in a single layer and have some space between them. If they bake on one baking sheet, it simply steams the fries and makes them soft, without allowing them to become crispy.
- Use a high enough temperature: I find that 400 degrees F is the perfect temperature to cook the fries so that they become crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. If you bake them at a lower temperature, it will be difficult to achieve crispy fries.
- Alternate the pans: On the upper and lower oven shelves half way through to ensure that both sheet pans both receive equal cooking.
- Keep an eye on the fries: If it seems like the fries at the back of the baking sheet are cooking faster, move them to the middle or front of the pan. The back of the oven tends to cook food faster.
- Serving to babies: If serving these fries to babies, you may wish to leave off the salt to limit sodium intake.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in May 2015 and was updated January 2022 to include better tips and photos.
yep, I’m with you – while I also love white potatoes, I cannot see how anyone could NOT like sweet potatoes. like my husband, *sigh*. ah well, more for me! ;) the cinnamon and paprika sound SO good!
Haha Kristina..your husband is definitely missing out!! Especially since the cinnamon and paprika just bring out those amazing sweet potato flavours! But you’re right..more for you!! :)