How to Make Sweet Potato Fries

My kids and I just ate 6 sweet potatoes all to ourselves for lunch. Actually, we devoured them. Many thanks to my friend, Claire, who taught me how to make sweet potato fries and now we indulge in them almost once a week!

The secret is to find nice, small, orange sweet potatoes. Small. Orange. Remember those key words.

Then you take them home and savor the thought that at any point you could have sweet potato fries because your (small, orange) little beauties are waiting for your cravings in the pantry. When you can stand it any more, make them into…

Sweet Potato Fries

1. Peel sweet potatoes. Yes, I know the skin is good for you, but it can be kinda tough, and most of the crowd here doesn’t appreciate potatoes with coats on.

2. Cut sweet potatoes into long fingers, about 1/2 inch thick. I love to use my Pampered Chef crinkle cutter so they look fancy.

3. Find a small child to lay the fries in untidy rows on a rimmed baking sheet, preferably stoneware ’cause it’s so easy to clean and will bake them evenly. It’s a great job for little fingers and gets your kids excited about cooking and helping!

4. Now, the secret to the yumminess – are you ready? Drop dabs of coconut oil randomly around on top of the fries. I think I used 3-4 Tbsp. If you don’t have coconut oil, I suggest a combo of butter and olive oil, like this recipe from my sister. If you have coconut oil, and doubt me, and don’t like coconut flavor – I say this. Trust me. You don’t taste the coconut – it’s completely overwhelmed by the sweet potato flavor, and it’s very good for you.

5. Now shake some salt over those lovely little babies.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 min – until the tips and corners of the fries start to brown and crisp up. I usually turn the fries once or twice if I feel like it (and I always feel like it ’cause I love to stir stuff.) and shake some salt on them once more during the cooking.

My favorite part is the corners and edges and smaller fries that get almost burnt. They taste like candy and stick in my teeth. I am selfish and mean and eat the crusty, caramelized tips off the fries before I share them with my baby girl. It’s true, and I’m sorry. But she doesn’t know what she’s missing.

When you find small, orange, sweet potatoes, and fry them in this manner, you don’t need to add any other flavorings, don’t have to treat them any special way. They are pure, simple goodness. Your kids will LOVE them. Your husband may be pleasantly surprised. And you will eat the most sweet potatoes you ever had in once sitting.

I do it all the time.

Comments

Melissa says

July 19, 2011 at 1:46 pm

I have made sweet potato fries a few times without much success. I am really wanting to try your recipe, but the grocery only has monsterous sweet potatoes this week…I am gonna try the farmers market to see if I can find some small, orange beauties! Can't wait!!

rahraht says

January 10, 2011 at 8:16 pm

Love Claire's hairdo. Just how mine looks today 🙂

Kateri says

January 8, 2011 at 1:53 am

Thanks for the reminder…I don't make these enough. I have small orange sweet potatoes in the fridge–I think I will make them tomorrow! 🙂

Belle says

January 7, 2011 at 11:37 pm

I also make my own sweet potato fries. I put my fries in a plastic bag and shake them with oil. It seems to cover more that way. Happy eating!

ailinh says

January 7, 2011 at 9:39 pm

Ohhh thanks for sharing! We've made sweet potato fries before–we attempted to actually– and they were no bueno. I love these little babies, so I will have to save your recipe and whip em up soon!

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