Sweet potatoes are a fall favorite – they are delicious and super healthy! They are rich in vitamins A & C, beta-carotene, antioxidants, and have a lower glycemic index than regular potatoes. Basically, they are rock stars.
So…I guess I should preface this by saying I spent many hours trying to bake the *perfect* crispy sweet potato fries. I didn’t want to settle for mediocre ones – I wanted them to be awesome! I’ve made “ok” sweet potato fries one too many times now. If you’ve ever baked sweet potato fries before, you know that it’s tough to get them crispy.
My first batch came out looking like this — some mushy, some burnt, some stuck to the pan…in general, a mess. Still tasty, yes, but not pretty.
I used both of my sweet potatoes for this batch, and since I really wanted them to have the perfect crispiness before I shared the recipe here, I walked BACK to the store to pick up more sweet potatoes and try again. Determination. ;)
After doing a little research and combining a few different ideas, I settled on the final, winning strategy. The results were better than I could have imagined! Crispy on the outside but not burnt, not stuck to the pan, and bursting with that sweet & savory flavor that only sweet potato fries can bring.
I should mention that one of the main ways to get these puppies crispier was to use an egg white in the coating. If you’re vegan, you can skip that part. They’ll just be less crispy.
Ingredients:
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil (plus a little more for brushing the parchment paper)
- 1 egg white (optional, but creates crispiness!)
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Garlic powder to taste
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 450.
IMPORTANT: Put baking sheet in the oven to heat up by itself for 5-10 minutes! This is a necessary step in getting them crispy.
Cut sweet potatoes into thin sticks. Whisk together egg white, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl. Put sliced potatoes in the bowl and coat well with the mixture.
Brush a piece of parchment paper (large enough to cover baking sheet) with olive oil. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use tin foil, but parchment paper gets them crispier!! Line up potato slices on parchment paper – DO NOT let them touch! Another important element in the crispiness.
Put the parchment paper on top of the already-hot baking sheet. Bake for 10 mins and then flip the fries over with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes (or until desired crispiness is attained).
Enjoy your accomplishment of creating baked sweet potato fries that are actually crispy! A job well done.
Robyn Youkilis says
I’m so proud of you. Now I finally know. A victory for us all. Well done
jenny sansouci says
Love it, Robyn – “A victory for us all!” :) xox
K Ray says
Made these for my family in NJ this weekend — everyone loved them. Thank you J Sans! <3
Jeanne says
I have 6 sweet potatoes staring me in the face right now, delighted that I will do them justice with this recipe :) You’re my recipe resource for life!
Josh Rogowsky says
This is a great recipe. I will be making these tonight as well. Looks delicious. Great Job
Tanja says
Yours turned out so well! Why were mine still soggy?
jenny sansouci says
You have to do it exactly as I have it here – with egg whites, parchment paper, and putting the baking sheet in the oven for 5-10 mins alone before putting the fries on it. It creates the perfect storm:)
Melissa says
Mine were soggy too. And I totally did every step. Some were touching each other, but every single one was droopy and soggy. :(
molly says
GOOD recipe – I also coated the fries in cornflour after reading a few other recipes. Delish!
Reshmi says
Making these right NOW!! :D
Laurie says
They were good, but took twice as long to bake. I had to bake them for 20 minutes on each side to get them to be crispy.
Ruth says
OMG… Just made these, they are the best I’ve ever had, you’re a genius!!! Thank you!!!! <3
Christina says
Can’t wait to try this! Do you skin the potatoes first??
jenny sansouci says
I did, but you can do it with the skins on, if you like that better!
Grace D says
I was going to make these in round thin chips, will that still be okay?
Fallon says
What about a flax “egg” for the vegans? Thinking about trying it tonight, but don’t want to waste my sweet potatoes!
jenny sansouci says
should work! never tried it. let me know.
Jessica says
What about wax paper?
Ginny says
Thank you much, they came out really good. I will be making these again.
mary says
thanks for great recipe
will try it out tonight
Kay says
My family liked them a little with mustard, but didn’t really like them. I liked them as long as they were hot. I think a little longer for crispy but otherwise good.
Drew says
Followed this recipe exactly and they turned out great! Very crispy and delicious! Thank you :)
Charissa says
Making these tonight! How many fries does this make? Thanks!
Kate says
Tried this…didnt work. Still soft and limp. Should have left them in longer like Laurie above did.
Misty says
I tried it exactly as directed and the only ones that were crispy were the ones that burnt. So sad :(
Jane says
Hi! I finally found a recipe ( your recipe) that worked! Depending on the oven ( mine is a bit different with temp) but it was crisps, healthy and delicious. I added a bit of chili spice and it was great. Thank you for the tips!
Veronica says
I did this and as crazy as it sounds , I did it in the microwave. I don’t have an oven so I did everything and regulares the minutes baking. I read that the micro’s highest temp is 375 and with that I improvised. They actually baked and were crisp. I couldn’t believe it. Thank you!
ashli says
I made these tonight but did a few things different after reading so many other recipes. I also soaked mine for an hour and added some honey to the mixture. Girl, your recipe rocks! They were crispy and good! LOVED THEM!
Cecelia says
Just perfect. Thanks. I sprinkled them with a little cinnamon and served them with grilled pork tenderloin.
Shannon says
I read somewhere else that soaking the potatoes for an hour takes out some of the starch that makes them limp. I plan to combine that with your wonderful recipe and see what happens. Bonus points for my garden too getting potato water afterwards.
June Hogan says
Jenny you are a miracle worker:) Tried these by following your recipe exactly and they turned out fantastic . Best recipe for sweet potato fries on the web today, hands down.
Thank you for sharing .
Jessica says
Great tips! Any idea on the best way to transport them? I like to bring mine to work but no matter how crispy I get them, once they get packed away they get soggy. I’ve tried wrapping in a paper towel first but it didn’t help.
Carissa says
So sad. Was so hoping these would work. I followed every step and I had burnt YET still droopy fries! I’m not even sure how that happens. Glad it worked for other people, wish it had worked for me. :(
maddy says
Hello
I’m just wondering what you mean by “pre heat to 450”.
What is this in degrees Celsius (fan forced oven)?
Thanks
jenny sansouci says
I’m using a regular oven, in the USA so Fahrenheit.
Melinda Vaden says
I have been making these for a year, and they are absolutely wonderful!! I follow the recipe to the dot and never have a problem. Before, I was never able to make sweet potato fries, and I had almost given up. I decided to give these a try because of the pic on Pinterest, and I am so glad I did! Only wish I had found this recipe sooner!!!
Craig Parrish says
Trying these out tonight, I haven’t made sweet potato fries in over a year because of the droopy soft fries. I’ll let u know my results, Hope these work!