This past September, I drove into the city on a Saturday evening with my mom and one of my best friends to watch the St. Louis Cardinals play the San Francisco Giants. We arrived shortly before the baseball game began, just in time to see the national anthem and ceremonial first pitch (thrown out by US Olympian Aly Raisman!), and we settled into our seats along the right field line as the players ran onto the field.
After the first inning, Mom stood up to stretch her legs and walk around the stadium in search of dinner. When she reached the food stalls behind the left field bleachers, she found something that sounded incredibly tempting, and she returned to our seats with a freshly carved brisket sandwich and…
A basket of sweet potato fries. Hot, crispy, and showered with cozy cinnamon and spicy cayenne, according to the menu board. Since she knew how much I adore fries (I’ve made entire meals out of them way too many times to count!), she immediately offered me everything that was left in the small red and white checkered cardboard tray.
In between pitches and plays, I slowly savored those sweet potato fries, but when I bit into the final one, I glanced down at the basket. Although the warm cinnamon paired perfectly with the sweet potato, I never tasted a single bit of heat. The cook in charge must’ve forgotten to sprinkle the cayenne on that batch!
Now that the Chicago Cubs won the World Series and this year’s baseball season is officially over, I’ve started to go through withdrawals. I listened to a game on the radio nearly every day from March through October while baking, photographing, and washing the dishes, so my afternoons and evenings have been strangely silent! While waiting for Spring Training to start, I’ve pulled out my stack of baseball-themed movies to watch on DVD, and…
I’m making batches of these Healthy Baked Spicy Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries to go with them! They’re the perfect combination of sweet and cozy, and since they’re baked (not fried!), they’re much healthier than those ballpark originals. Just be warned…
They’re highly addictive, especially with how easy they are to make!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES
Whenever I stop by the grocery store’s produce section during the fall, I often feel a tiny bit confused by the vegetable display. I can always identify the classic white russet potatoes. Yet half the time, the orange things sitting next to them are labeled as “sweet potatoes,” and the rest of the time, they’re called “yams!” But the good news? Both will work!
And since this recipe itself is so simple, let’s go over a few quick tips on how to make the best oven-baked sweet potato fries.
1) Cut the sweet potatoes into small, equal-sized strips. Aim for no more than ¼” thick! Thinner strips are much more likely to turn out crispy, and if they’re all about the same size, your healthy sweet potato fries will bake evenly too.
2) Soak those strips in water for 10-15 minutes. Then just before arranging them on the baking tray, drain and pat them dry to remove excess moisture. Soaking the sweet potatoes in water removes some of their starch (you’ll see the water turn slightly opaque). The starch is the main thing that prevents your fries from turning crispy while baking, so soaking the strips really helps with your healthy sweet potato fries’ texture.
3) Mist the fries with cooking spray, and bake at a high heat. The combination of a tiny bit of oil and a higher oven temperature helps turn their outsides slightly crispier than if you baked them at a traditional temperature of 350°F.
P.S. I always leave the skin on my sweet potatoes! Because (a) it contains lots of nutrients, (b) it generally turns crispier than the orange flesh, and (c) I’m lazy. {But mostly the last reason!}
Now all that’s left to do is sprinkle them with the cayenne and cinnamon, set your timer, and…
Dig in! 😉 After sharing a batch with my parents, my dad immediately asked if we could make them again… And that wasn’t just because I ate over half the tray. They’re that good!
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy baked sweet potato fries!
| Healthy Baked Spicy Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries | | Print |
- 2 large (560g) sweet potatoes (or yams)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
- ¼ tsp salt, or to taste
- Slice each sweet potato into rectangular strips ¼" thick and about 1 ½" to 2" long. Add the strips to a large bowl, and completely cover with water. Let the sweet potatoes soak for at least 10 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes soak, preheat the oven to 425°F, and line two baking sheets with foil. Coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the cinnamon and cayenne in a small bowl.
- Drain the sweet potatoes, and thoroughly pat them dry with paper towels. Arrange on the baking sheets in a single layer, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the spicy cinnamon mixture and the salt. Bake at 425°F for 25-30 minutes, or until completely cooked through and they appear to have shrunken to about half their original size. Cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before serving.
It’s important to cut the sweet potatoes into thin strips no more than ¼” thick in diameter. Thinner strips are much more likely to turn out crispy, and if they’re all about the same size, they’ll bake evenly too.
Soaking the sweet potatoes in water removes some of their starch (you’ll see the water turn slightly opaque). The starch is the main thing that prevents your fries from turning crispy while baking.
I prefer using rimmed baking sheets for this recipe. I also prefer olive oil cooking spray for this recipe, but any will work.
Adjust the amount of cayenne to suit your tastes. I prefer these on the spicy side, so I use the full ¼ teaspoon.
{gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, sugar-free, paleo}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Maple Sweet Potato Casserole
♡ Healthy Chicken & Cranberry Sweet Potato Skins
♡ Healthy Skillet Sweet Potatoes
♡ Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Potato Skins
I think you’re a mind-reader, because I’ve been craving sweet potato fries for about a week now….;) These look fantastic Amy and I cannot wait to try them!!! 🙂
Maybe a mind-reader… Maybe just your twin! 😉 I’m so excited to hear what you think of the fries when you try them Marina!
I wonder if you can use a air fryer instead of banking them, I think i will try both ways and see if their is a difference,
I don’t have any experience with an air fryer, so I can’t personally vouch for that. I’d love to hear how the fries turn out if you make them that way Michael!
These fries look sooooo delicious Amy! Love the cayenne in there! I hope the excitement of the world series was enough to tide you over for the winter 🙂
Thank you so much Karen! I definitely feel like I got my “money’s worth” out of that World Series… So much excitement and awesome baseball! 😉
Well, I followed the recipe and tips which resulted in some tasty fries. They were definitely crispier than usual, and that’s a plus. I actually added more cayenne, some paprika, and cinnamon. I used a gas oven that has a tendency to be innacurate when it comes to temperature. 450-500°F certainly makes a difference. I burned a few beyond the point of return, but the majority were fortunately edible.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these fries Jacquline! I would’ve volunteered to eat your burnt ones… Those are actually some of my favorites! 😉
Do you recommend a good knife? I have such a prob cutting thin strips bc I don’t have a good knife
I totally understand Jennie! A great knife makes a HUGE difference! 🙂 I absolutely love J.A Henckels knives. They’re a little more expensive than what you’ll find at Walmart or Target, but they’re worth every penny. Here’s their 3-piece starter set, and here’s one of their full knife block sets. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these sweet potato fries!
Hey Amy! Just found your page today and I can say I’m become a HUGE fan! I can’t wait to try all these amazing recipes! I was just wondering… will these fries last some days without being eaten? Or might they loose their crunchy-ness?
I’ll wait your answer! 🙂
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Marifer! Just like traditional fried French fries, these will also turn soft and slightly limp after a few hours. They’ll taste fine after a few days, but their crisp texture won’t last that long! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try them!
i dont have an account or anything but i found this recipe a few months ago and since then this is the ONLY way i like my sweet potaoes…everythign else seems relatively boring since eating these! thanks for the great recipe and ice now i add garlic powder chili powder cinnamon and cayenne with salt and pepper but would have never thought of adding these spices! thanks a bunch
I’m so glad you love these sweet potato fries Angila! That means the world to me that this is the only way you like to eat them now — that’s the best sort of compliment! Thank you!! 🙂
Loved the combination of the cinnamon and cayenne. Made them in the air fryer. Very good! Dipped them in maple syrup.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these sweet potato fries! Thank you for taking the time to share. It means a lot! 🙂