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GET IT NOWHere’s Why This Is My Go-To Roasted Sweet Potato Recipe
Whenever I want the comfort factor of real potatoes with a bit more nutrition, I make these roasted sweet potatoes. I actually cook them more often than regular ones, but find the basic version a little boring, so I add a few things. Here’s why this is my go-to roasted sweet potato recipe:
- Big, family-friendly flavor – Some roasted sweet potato recipes are as basic as oil, salt, and pepper, and that’s fine, but I enjoy this simple upgrade a lot more. The sweet and savory combo of garlic, fresh herbs, cinnamon, and a touch of brown sugar makes it taste special. And they pass the kid test, at least with mine!
- Crispy outside, creamy inside – It’s hard to beat the irresistible texture of oven roasted sweet potatoes! While they’re not quite as crispy and fluffy as regular roasted potatoes, they still crisp and caramelize beautifully. The inside has a moist, creamy texture I love in its own way.
- Easy to make – Roasting sweet potatoes this way requires only a few ingredients (that you probably already have — I always do!), and the prep is just around 10 minutes. Plus, the hands-off cooking time is perfect to make one of my healthy main dishes for dinner, or do something else around the house.
I make this versatile side dish often in the fall and winter, because it fits so many occasions. It makes regular dinnertime a whole lot easier, but I also love it for rounding out holiday meals without much effort. Make it with me!
Reader Review
“This is the only way I cook sweet potatoes now! This a five star recipe. Yummy!! I used real maple syrup instead of brown sugar. Delicious.” –Tara
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my roasted sweet potatoes recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Sweet Potatoes – I usually just pick up whatever is at the store, but in the last few years have noticed that different types of sweet potatoes taste different. Orange and red fleshed ones (like garnet or jewel) are the sweetest and creamiest, so they’re my favorite now. I’ve also made this roasted sweet potato recipe with purple-fleshed murasaki sweet potatoes and with yams, which are less sweet.
- Olive Oil – For browning and flavor. Avocado oil is good, too. I don’t use seed oils.
- Brown Sugar / Sweetener – Optional, if you like more sweetness. I typically avoid refined sugar, so I use my natural Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend instead. If you like the flavor of honey or maple syrup, they make nice sweeteners here, too.
- Garlic – I love the flavor of fresh minced garlic here, but see my tips to avoid burning it. You can also just use a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Seasonings – My favorite combo is simply cinnamon, sea salt, and black pepper. You can also add savory spices (like cumin and paprika), dried herbs (like oregano or Italian seasoning), or a kick of heat (like chili powder or cayenne pepper).
- Optional Toppings – These are up to you, but I add unsalted butter for richness and fresh herbs (usually parsley or thyme) for a pop of color and flavor.
How To Roast Sweet Potatoes In The Oven
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Chop the potatoes. While the oven preheats, cut the sweet potatoes into cubes and arrange in a lightly greased baking dish. (Don’t crowd the pan too much. I aim for no more than 2 layers of cubes.)
- Add the seasonings. Drizzle the sweet potato cubes with oil. Add the brown sugar or Besti Brown (if using), minced garlic, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat.
- Roast sweet potatoes in the oven. Stir halfway through. Mine are usually browned by the end, but if you want more browning, place the pan under the broiler for a couple minutes at the end.
- Finish with toppings. This is optional, but I like to place pats of butter over the roasted sweet potatoes while they’re still hot, and let it melt. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and thyme, and stir again. Enjoy!
My Tips For The Best Texture
- Cut potato cubes to the same size, and not too big. This ensures that the cubes cook at the same rate. I cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks, which is a good size to have lots of caramelized edges and not have the whole process take too long.
- Should you peel sweet potatoes before roasting? I leave the skin on my oven roasted sweet potatoes, but it’s up to you. I prefer to keep the nutrients in the skin.
- If you have time, soak the sweet potato cubes in cold water for 30 minutes before roasting. I don’t always do this, but this step removes excess starch and makes your roasted sweet potatoes more crispy. When I can plan ahead, I do this overnight. Just pat dry before seasoning.
- Don’t crowd the pan too much. Two layers in my baking dish is perfect when I stir halfway through, but more than that leads to steaming.
- You can also use a baking sheet instead for even more browning. In this case, stirring is less important if the potatoes are in a single layer, but I still usually do.
- Don’t use parchment paper. This is not necessary for a baking dish anyway, but even if using a sheet pan, leave it unlined or use foil and grease well. I’ve found that the sweet potatoes don’t brown as well on parchment paper.
- I only recommend minced garlic if using my baking dish setup here. If you roast sweet potatoes in a thinner layer on a baking sheet, the garlic will burn and it’s better to use garlic powder. But when I use a baking dish like shown here and have the spuds a bit more crowded, I find the garlic does fine and doesn’t burn.
- You can also bake sweet potatoes together with hearty veggies. All kinds of root vegetables or even brussels sprouts work well. I don’t recommend softer, more watery veggies because they’ll overcook by the time the potatoes are done.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Crispy & Easy)
My roasted sweet potatoes recipe takes it up a notch with garlic, cinnamon, and herbs. Crispy on the outside, creamy inside, and so easy!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Basic Roasted Sweet Potatoes:
Optional Toppings:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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If you have time, soak the potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge. Drain and pat dry. You can skip the soaking step, but it makes the sweet potatoes more crispy.
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil.
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Arrange the sweet potato cubes in an even layer in the baking dish. Add olive oil, brown sugar or Besti Brown (if using), minced garlic, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Stir to evenly coat the sweet potatoes.
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Roast sweet potatoes in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, stirring gently halfway through, until the potatoes are fork-tender and lightly browned. If they are tender but you want more browning, broil for about 2 minutes.
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If using optional toppings: Place pats of butter over the roasted sweet potatoes while they are still hot and let it melt. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and thyme. Stir to coat.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best texture in your roasted sweet potatoes.
- Store: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days. They’re pretty good reheated, or you can toss them into soups or my breakfast sweet potato hash.
- Meal prep: Cut the sweet potato cubes ahead and store them submerged in a covered bowl of water in the fridge. Not only does this prevent browning, it also helps make your potatoes crispy when you cook them! Drain and pat dry before roasting.
- Reheat: I usually pop the roasted sweet potatoes in the oven again, this time at 350 degrees F instead of 400. For smaller batches, I use my air fryer. The microwave works okay, but leaves them mushy.
- Freeze: You can freeze leftover sweet potatoes for up to 3 months. They do lose their crispness, though.
- Note on nutrition info: I used Besti Brown (my natural brown sugar substitute) for the brown sugar, but you can use regular brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or omit the sweetener altogether.
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I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Serving Ideas
This easy side dish can truly go with everything! I’ve served it as a side on its own, or turned it into other roasted sweet potato dishes. Here are some pairing ideas depending on the occasion:
- Weeknight Meals – Chicken is the most popular option at my house, from pan-fried chicken thighs to air fryer chicken wings to chicken leg quarters. If you want a different protein, try my juicy sirloin steak recipe, smothered pork chops, or baked salmon.
- Thanksgiving – While my sweet potato casserole is a bit more traditional, I often prefer to roast sweet potatoes because it leaves me more time to make my Thanksgiving turkey or slow cooker turkey breast.
- Christmas – If you celebrate, these go well with crab legs, lobster thermidor, bacon wrapped filet mignon, or my sea bass recipe as a centerpiece.
- Bowls – These can make a nice base for a bowl meal (like my Big Mac bowls), or just an addition to Korean beef bowls, salmon bowls, or poke bowls, served over brown rice or cauliflower rice.
- Salads – I like adding roasted sweet potatoes to salads to make them more hearty. They’re the perfect addition to my spinach bacon salad or kale salad! You can also swap them for squash in my butternut squash salad or favorite fall salad.
- Breakfast – I love these on the side with cloud eggs, baked eggs, or an omelette. You can even tuck them inside my eggs benedict casserole!
20 Comments
Tara
1This is the only way I cook sweet potatoes now! This a five star recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Yummy!! I used real maple syrup instead of brown sugar. Delicious.
Rachel Bluesky
0Delicious! I added some rosemary.
Wholesome Yum D
1I’m so glad you thought it was delicious, Rachel! Rosemary sounds like a perfect addition, such a cozy, savory touch.
Jennifer Mayhew
0It was a good recipe! Great for meal prep!
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad you liked it, Jennifer! Happy to hear it worked well for meal prep too, that’s always a bonus!
Nadine
0Loved how these turned out. I added some brown sugar and everyone at Thanksgiving dinner loved them! Easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you and your dinner guests loved them, Nadine! Happy holidays!
emmemac52
0Sweet potatoes are very difficult to cut into cubes. Any advice to make it go easier? Thank you!
Emme
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Emme, I slice the sweet potatoes, then stack the slices and cut into strips. Finally, line up the strips and cut in the opposite direction to cut into cubes. Make sure your knife is sharpened. Hope this helps!
Nadine
0Loved how these turned out. I added some brown sugar and everyone at Thanksgiving dinner loved them! Easy to make and absolutely delicious! I will only make my sweet potatoes this way from now on!
Janice
0This was delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
Carolyn
0These were very delicious. I didn’t have brown sugar so I used maple syrup. Definitely will make these again!
Carolyn
0This is the best recipe yet! I’ve cooked the green beans with garlic and parmesan and the sweet potatoes recipe. They are both fabulous. The sweet potatoes are made 2-3 times a week. We absolutely LOVE them. I check your recipes first if i want to try something new. The have all been the most delicious meals.
michelle
0These roasted sweet potatoes are so crispy and creamy. I LOVED them!
Christine
0delicious and easy. My son asked for the recipe.
Bonnie
0This recipe made everyone happy tastes great quick, easy to prepare and tastes wonderful best of everything I made with brown sugar substitute and without family enjoyed both.
Ravion
0This was a very easy and convenient recipe! Short, sweet, simple ingredients and to the point! Thank you!!!
jess
0I love the addition of the brown sugar that will bring that little bit of sweetness out of the potatoes, thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe.
Kara
0Made these for my family with regular brown sugar and they gobbled them right up! Next I want to try them with maple syrup.
Julia
0I love love love Roasted sweet potatoes!! I add cumin to mine to give it a little kick. This recipe is awesome and super easy to follow!