Sweet Potatoes
1 or 2 Eggs
Flour
1 or 2 baking sheets and 1 or 2 similar sized cooling racks (you'll probably need 2 if you're feeding a family) - Alternately, if you don't have cooling racks, use parchment-lined baking sheets sprayed with a bit of cooking spray
Spices (salt, pepper and any of seasoning salt, paprika, chili powder, cinnamon etc)
1. Lay out 2 baking sheets and place a cooling rack on top of each one.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes (or leave peel on, if you prefer). Cut in small "fries" (the smaller, thinner the better). Spread potatoes out evenly over the 1 or 2 cooling racks, trying not to bunch them up or overlap if possible. Pop into the refrigerator (uncovered) for an hour. (*This step is intended to dry the potatoes out a bit. You can skip it if you're pressed for time but if you have the time, I do recommend).
3.. Preheat oven to 425° F.
4. Separate 1 or 2 eggs (depending on how many fries you need to coat) and discard or reserve the yolks to use later. In a large bowl (or ziploc bag), whisk the egg whites until just lightly frothy. Add the potatoes and stir (or shake) to thoroughly to coat with egg whites (set baking sheets/cooling racks aside to be used for baking). Once coated with egg white, sprinkle on a bit of all-purpose flour (just one or two Tablespoons to start, depending on how many potatoes) and stir again to combine well. Add a bit more flour if the mixture still seems really runny but avoid adding too much flour.
6. Spray the cooling racks with non-stick spray (or rub with a little olive oil). Place potatoes carefully on the cooling racks (placed onto the 1 or 2 baking sheets), shaking off any excess coating. Leave as much space between potatoes as possible. Try not to overlap any or crowd the sheet. You want a bit of air between each fry.
8. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper and/or any other spices you like (seasoning salt, paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne etc).
9. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, until cooked. Don't wander too far while they are cooking, so you can keep an eye on their progress. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your fries and they go from lovely to burnt very quickly. If you are baking two sheets, place racks in top and bottom thirds of oven and switch their position half way through baking.
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Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 hours 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
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Comments
Use rice flour instead. It will give you desired result.
Thanks for the suggestion, Mila! I'll be sure to try it - Jen
Mila on January 16, 2009 10:30 AM
I made these fries and they turned out great! I have made sweet potato fries in the past but have never had such great and very crispy results. I seasoned them with chili powder, nutmeg and garlic powder and used brown rice flour as that is what I had on hand. This is surely going to become a regular dish in my house.
I'm glad they turned out so well for you Erin! - Jen
Erin on February 17, 2009 7:51 PM
Made these tonight and they turned out great! Best ones I have made so far. Sprinkled with cayenne powder, salt and pepper. Nice touch!
Thanks Jen!
You're welcome, Lori. I'm glad they turned out so well for you! - Jen
Lori on February 21, 2009 9:22 PM
I will try these for dinner tomorrow. Thanks for the awesome yet simple recipe!
Jason on February 26, 2009 10:34 PM
By' were just in the process of makin' the fries now, we got some mess of em too by', 2 full sheets! What a mess of fries my son. Gonna be some feed the once!
Hindy on March 2, 2009 5:17 PM
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I happened upon it and made it tonight for the family. It was a huge hit - even with the 13 year old boy.
You're welcome, Teri Lee. Anytime a 13 year old will eat and enjoy something healthy is a big bonus! (I have a 12 year old girl so I know of what you speak :) - Jen
Teri Lee on March 24, 2009 11:49 PM
I'm looking forward to trying these...I attempted to make them this evening, however, I am domestically challenged and used waxed paper instead of parchment paper and set my oven on fire...
I'll try again tomorrow!
Oh dear Amy! Hope you have better luck tomorrow - jen
Amy on April 1, 2009 6:58 PM
These are delicious! I made them today for my family and I and we all loved them. For my spices i used Paparika, Chili powder, Cayenne, Garlic powder, and Salt&Pepper. They tasted great!
Thanks for the wonderful recipie! :)
Lynne on April 13, 2009 5:54 PM
These were great - Thanks- I will definitely make them again!
Andrea on May 16, 2009 9:36 AM
These are amazing I'm always tryin to find good recipies with different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Thanks for the recipie will be used often!
Derek on May 28, 2009 7:14 PM
great recipe! turned out great - you're right, the thinner the better - my oven went for about 18 mins.
thanks so much!
sarah on June 8, 2009 6:24 PM
I must have done something wrong as they didn't turn out crunchy in the least. They still tasted yummy, but the texture was certainly not right, soft, not crunchy. Maybe I didn't use enough flour?
Thank you anyways!
Hayley on June 28, 2009 9:40 PM
I'm coming a bit late to the party but I just made these sweet potato fries tonight for the fam and they were a big hit. I served them with a honey mustard mayo type dip, though one of my sons would have preferred sour cream. Thanks for the recipe!
Hungrynovelist on July 27, 2009 5:43 PM
It is so easy to prepare, delicious and healthier than regular friesand the most important: my kids love it!
Thank`s Jen, you are great!!!
-So glad you (and the kids!) enjoyed them Cristina. They have become a favourite side-dish in my household for sure. - Jen
Cristina Nazari on August 3, 2009 9:42 AM
These were a huge hit with my fam even the "picky eater" gobbled them down. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Susan on August 18, 2009 12:45 PM
These were perfect! I added coriander to your recommended seasonings and made a chile cilantro dipping sauce. It was the highlight of my day, and I can't wait to share this with friends and family.
Christy on August 27, 2009 10:33 PM
Yum! Your chile cilantro dip sounds great, Christy. I'm going to try that!
Jen on August 28, 2009 7:35 AM
been making these for years, although I use 2 tbls of olive oil, no partchment paper, and whole wheat flour..mmmmm sweet potato
Greg on August 31, 2009 4:19 PM
These are great! Thanks for the recipe!
Jen on September 6, 2009 12:40 PM
Thanks for such a great but simple recipe. We are trying to eat healthy and find food that the vegitarians and the meat eaters in the house can enjoy.
Thanks again!
Judy on November 8, 2009 3:32 PM
Always looking for different ways to have veggies....this one will never get old...delicious!!!
chaz on February 3, 2010 2:47 PM
Thanks for the great way to make them crispy. I've just recently discovered Sweet Potatoe Fries and I love them. Dipped in Ceasar Salad Dressing they are yummmmyyy!
Paula on February 5, 2010 5:11 PM
do I use the top or middle or bottom rack of the oven to bake them? sort of new at this cooking business..
Rachel on February 18, 2010 9:04 PM
Hi Rachel. If you're only using one sheet pan, then cook them on the middle rack. (For two sheets, place rack in upper third and lower third positions and rotate pans half way through cooking). Hope that helps - Jen
Rachel on February 18, 2010 9:42 PM
hello
These were perfect! I added coriander to your recommended seasonings and made a chile cilantro dipping dizi izle sauce. It was the highlight of my day, and I can't wait to share this with friends and family.
jessica on February 25, 2010 5:16 AM
Now I know what to do with the rest of the case of sweet potatoes I bought at costco. I love sweet potatoes and this sounds great! I will be trying them.
Marvin on March 9, 2010 12:36 AM
mmmmm very nice...;))
Sesli Sohbet on March 18, 2010 12:53 PM
well..looks like really so delicious. i will try it. Thanks for sharing.
matbaa on March 20, 2010 8:25 AM
must be delicious..i am hungry
safak on March 20, 2010 8:26 AM
This is the best healthy fries recipe I have ever tried!
It's much easier if you use a large zip lock bag to mix the potatoes in the egg whites and flour. I used whole grain flour, because that's what I had in the house.
I seasoned them with a mix of salt, pepper, paprika and rosemary, which I also tossed into the ziplock bag to coat evenly.
I baked them for longer until they were REALLY crispy - like 45 mins.
Olivia on March 27, 2010 10:42 PM
So glad you enjoyed them, Olivia. I use a ziploc bag sometimes as well, when I'm only making a small batch. When I have a lot of fries, I find my bags get too full and it's hard to "shake" them about. In that case, I find my big dough bowl works best.
Jen on March 27, 2010 10:48 PM
so when i sprinkle the flour do i do it whie the potatoes are still in the bowl? or do i take them out , lay them falt and sprinkle the flour..what works best to get an even coating???
Terri on June 19, 2010 11:18 AM
Terri, I usually add the flour in the bowl. Using a large, shallow bowl works best so it's easiest to get flour over and to toss to coat evenly. A large ziploc bag also works really well if you don't have too many fries. Just add the flour, zip and shake up.
Jen on June 19, 2010 11:56 AM
I just tried these tonight and they were fantastic! Plus I'm not even a good cook and they still turned out great! Thanks for posting this recipe.
Emma on August 7, 2010 10:41 PM
I buy sweet potato fries in the store and keep them in the freezer to use on the days we work double shifts and don't have time to cook.
But I've been wanting to make some, so I finally did last night to go with our fish. They turned out great! I'll definitely use this recipe again and again! Thanks!! :)
sheila @ Elements on October 5, 2010 12:19 PM
Thanks for posting this recipe!! I just came across it and decided to try it out and it is amazing!! these are the best baked sweet potato fries i have ever had!!!
Anonymous on January 8, 2011 7:58 PM
Hey guys, looks like a great recipe. Just curious. How important is the part where I have to put in the fridge for an hour. Can I put it in the freezer for a bit and shorten the time?
Ron on January 31, 2011 11:07 PM
Hi Ron. The fridge part is to dry them out. You can put them in the fridge for less time, or skip if time is an issue. They may be a little less crispy though.
Jen on February 1, 2011 6:49 AM
How often or should I even flip them once in while so they don't burn?
Steph on April 2, 2011 5:25 PM
I just leave them alone, Steph. They shouldn't burn but do keep an eye on them.
Jen on April 2, 2011 7:30 PM
Thanks for the recipe using the egg and flour totally worked they were crispy like sweet potato fries should be!
A suggestion to others I used glass pans and a metal pan I recommend the glass since they did not burn on all three glass pans I used but the one metal one totally became burnt...
Susan on June 26, 2011 12:47 AM
Making these tonight! I've been looking for an easy way to make them crispy so I'm excited! With the yam fries I've made in the past, I've always made garlic aeoli, which is: 1/4c of mayo (I use the olive oil mayo), 2 tbsp of olive oil, 2 or 3 cloves of minced garlic, and about 1/8-1/4 of a lemon to taste. Mix it all together and it goes so well with the fries!
Lauren on July 12, 2011 10:14 PM
Sounds delicious, Lauren! Thanks for sharing and enjoy your fries :)
Jen on July 12, 2011 10:17 PM
Thank you, very nice blog.
avcılarda on July 16, 2011 7:26 PM
I just tried these tonight and they were fantastic! Plus I'm not even a good cook and they still turned out great! Thanks for posting this recipe.
şömine on August 17, 2011 6:11 PM
I think you're a better cook than you think ;) So glad you enjoyed them!
Jen on August 17, 2011 7:10 PM
Thanks for the recipe using the egg and flour totally worked they were crispy like sweet potato fries should be!
wc on October 1, 2011 7:45 AM