Super simple, healthy and delicious. 10 min prep, 30 min in the oven, for Baked Sweet Potato Fries that your whole family will love.
I have to start this post by saying that getting sweet potatoes crispy in the oven is a hell of a job (for a busy person at least).
I have tried so many methods on how to do this quickly and efficiently and have come to the conclusion that unless you are willing to put in a lot of time and do lots more washing up, you can't get them like regular fries. Their sugar/starch composition is just different from potato.
There are methods like boiling them first, putting them in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes, then mixing them with cornstarch before they go in the over. However, in my actual daily life as a parent I don't have time to do that for an everyday meal, so this recipe is an everyday version that the whole family will eat.
But that being said, you can get them pretty close to crispy with minimal effort and minimal washing up (that is what we are all about). And as parents, well, we need that.
So, let's go.
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Sweet Potato Fries Nutrition, Benefits and Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- They come in different colors such as orange, white, red, yellow and purple. We use the orange ones that can be found in most western supermarkets.
- High in carbohydrates, fiber and very high in vitamin A. Also contain a good amount of vitamin C, potassium, manganese, B6, B5.
- Contain antioxidants like chlorogenic acid.
Olive Oil
- I tend to use the highest quality cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil in all my meals as it has the most retained nutrients. However it does have a lower smoke point than refined olive oils so in this recipe you could you a typical olive oil. Both will produce a good outcome.
- This is one of the healthiest oils with monounsaturated fats that help lower bad cholesterol, and omega-9 fatty acids that are responsible for reducing blood pressure and improving cardiovascular health.
Seasonings and Toppings
- Garlic – a superfood, with antioxidant properties.
- Rosemary – you can use dried or fresh. I usually use dried in this recipe unless I am back home in Croatia with a garden full of rosemary.
How to Bake Sweet Potatoes in the Oven?
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
Peel the potatoes and cut into ½ inch thick sticks and place them in a large bowl. Add olive oil, chopped garlic, rosemary, salt and any other seasonings you want and mix it all up so that each potato is evenly coated.
Place on a baking tray and make sure the potatoes are all placed in a single layer. You can either use parchment paper or not, I sometimes prefer not to in order to minimize waste since the oil will help them not stick if you have a quality baking tray.
Bake for about 20 minutes, then flip them and bake for another 10 minutes until you are satisfied with their crispiness.
Do I need to wash them before peeling? No, I personally don't because they will become soggy and not be able to crisp up at all. Since you peel them it should get rid of any pesticide residue.
Can I make cubed baked sweet potatoes? Yes, you can use the same recipe to make cubed ones. The baking time will be about 5 minutes less. We have this cinnamon roasted sweet potato recipe that toddlers love that you may want to try. Good for parents also, obv.
What goes with baked sweet potatoes? Roast vegetables, chicken, beef, salmon, chickpeas or you can even add them to a salad like we did here.
How to Serve Baked Sweet Potato for Babies, as BLW, Toddlers?
Omit salt for babies under 12 months
Puree. You can use this same recipe but omit the garlic and rosemary (if you want) so you would just puree the sweet potato and olive oil. You can also steam them if you prefer, for about 20 min in a steamer pot and then add olive oil to the blender. We have a specific post here about baby's first meals – baked sweet potato. And a few mixed puree recipes, such as Apple Sweet Potato Puree, Zucchini Sweet Potato Puree and Sweet Potato Fruit Pudding.
Baby-led weaning. If you are ready for toppings and seasonings you can serve this recipe to your baby, just cut the sweet potatoes in 1 inch thickness so that it is a large spear for them to easily hold. They would be baked for about the same amount of time but they won't get that crispy (which you don't want because you want them to be nice and soft).
9 months+ or whenever ready for pincer grasp. Follow the recipe as above (minus the salt) and then cut each potato into small pieces the size of baby's pinky fingernail.
Toddlers. You can use the same recipe as for adults. Based on their age or capabilities you can keep cutting it into little pieces or offering it as crispy fries if you feel that they are ready.
Possible Variations
Change up the toppings. You can use paprika, cinnamon, thyme, oregano, whatever takes your fancy.
Change the shape. Cube them up instead of making them long.
Steam instead of bake. This is only really recommended for babies under 12 months because steaming will get them nice and softer for purees and for baby to chew.
Other Family Oven Recipes You May Like
Recipe
Baked Sweet Potato Fries for Every Day
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried rosemary 1 tbsp of fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ tsp salt omit for babies under 12 months
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into ½ inch sticks and place them in a large bowl. Add olive oil, chopped garlic, rosemary, salt and any other seasonings you want and mix it all up so that each potato is coated.
- Place on a baking tray and make sure the potatoes are all placed in a single layer (use of parchment paper at your discretion).
- Bake for about 20 minutes, then flip them and bake for another 10 minutes until you are satisfied with their crispiness.
- For instructions on how to prepare baked sweet potatoes for babies and toddlers see notes below.
EQUIPMENT
Notes
- Do not wash them before peeling as they will become mushy
- You can make them cubed instead of fries, just bake them for 25 min instead of 30 min
- Puree. You can use this same recipe but omit the garlic and rosemary so you would just puree the sweet potato and olive oil. You can also steam them if you prefer, for about 20 min in a steamer pot and then add olive oil to the blender.
- Baby-led weaning. If you are ready for toppings and seasonings you can serve this recipe (omit the salt) to your baby, just cut the sweet potatoes in 1 inch thickness so that it is a large spear for them to easily hold. They would be baked for about the same amount of time but they won't get that crispy (which you don't want because you want them to be nice and soft).
- 9 months+ or whenever ready for pincer grasp. Follow the recipe as above (minus the salt) and then cut each potato into small pieces the size of baby's pinky fingernail.
- Toddlers. You can use the same recipe as for adults. Based on their age or capabilities you can keep cutting it into little pieces or offering it as crispy fries if you feel that they are ready.
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