Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This best roasted sweet potatoes recipe is every bit as delicious as it sounds! Savory, sweet, and healthy to boot, it really doesn’t get any easier than this to get more sweet potatoes on your plate. 

Though the holidays aren’t yet here, that doesn’t mean I don’t start craving all the fall foods the second school starts. In fact, I think every bite of rolls, (like my 1 Hour Buttermilk Dinner Rolls,) mashed potatoes, cranberries, stuffing, and dessert (for example, Salted Caramel Pecan Pie Bars) has only served to make my cravings longer and stronger throughout the year. 

All that is to say, when I’m in the mood for holiday foods, I just make more of the same delicious foods but in a different way, like these delicious, easy oven roasted sweet potatoes.

Why This Recipe Works

Cooked perfectly — For some reason, I’m a little worried whenever I make pan roasted sweet potatoes. I’m not sure what it is. I think maybe it’s that I’ve only recently found that sweet potato sweet spot. You know, in between too cooked and not cooked enough? These baked sweet potatoes are perfectly cooked, tender, and delicious! 

Budget friendly – Sweet potatoes only sound fancy and costly, but they’re not any more expensive than your average potato. Make a swap the next time you’re at the store and see for yourself!  

Healthy – Sweet potatoes are nutritious. They contain fiber, minerals, and vitamins such as vitamins A, B6, and C, manganese, potassium, copper, and niacin. They’re also a good source of plant protein, are low in fat, and calories, and also offer fiber with every bite (extra fiber if you keep the sweet potato skins on). Orange and purple sweet potatoes are also high in antioxidants that can protect your body from certain types of cancers. And, just like carrots, the bright orange color in sweet potatoes signifies the presence of beta-carotene, which has been linked to better eye health. 

Kid-approved – My kids can be quite the picky eaters. To be honest, I totally thought they’d reject this healthy sweet potato recipe. But boy was I wrong! I served these without saying a word, and they gave me a quizzical look, popped one in and then proceeded to basically inhale all the roasted sweet potatoes on their plate then asking me for seconds! 

Here’s How You Make It 

1. Chop up all the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces and put them in a large mixing bowl. Next, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and grease a cookie or baking sheet. 
2. To the sweet potato cubes, add the olive oil and butter, then the salt and pepper. Toss this mixture together with your fingers or use tongs. Once every bite is covered, transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet and spread them out evenly into a single layer if possible. 
3. Bake the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until the centers are tender and the edges start to blacken and get crispy. Once the roasted sweet potatoes have cooked, I take them out and serve right away or sometimes I’ll brush a butter/honey mixture over the top for additional deliciousness, then serve.

How to Easily Cut Sweet Potatoes

To make the best roasted sweet potatoes, you must first take the skins off the potatoes and then cut them into 1-inch pieces. I use a vegetable peeler to take off the skin. It’s pretty easy to remove (just be sure to peel away from you and your hand so that you don’t cut yourself). Once all the skin is off the sweet potatoes, I then cut about a half inch or so off each end. 

Next, I cut each potato in half lengthwise, then cut each of those halves lengthwise too. (You should have four oblong pieces.) I cut each of those oval pieces into 1-inch sticks then cut each stick up into 1-inch cubes. 

Cutting sweet potatoes this way makes sure they all end up in even pieces, which then ensures you end up with crispy, healthy oven roasted sweet potatoes. 

Expert Tips 

• Want to add more flavor? Add 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon when you’re seasoning with salt and pepper. 
• If you’re leaving the skins on, I suggest rinsing the sweet potatoes under water and kind of rubbing the dirt off with your fingers first. Then, pat them dry with a towel before slicing and seasoning. 
• These oven roasted sweet potatoes will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
• I recommend reheating them in the oven or toaster oven to make them a bit crispy again. Microwaving them works, but the sweet potatoes will be soggy.

More Recipes To Try

If you love healthy, baked sweet potatoes as much as I do, then you’ll also want to try my recipes for Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes, Baked Candied Southern Sweet Potatoes, and Slow Cooker Mashed Sweet Potatoes. 

• Honey Roasted Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
• Candied Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole