Erin’s Recipe Rundown
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and continues to be a family and reader favorite!
Easy and versatile, I’ve included my favorite savory and sweet seasoning options. No matter which you choose, the flavors pair perfectly with the caramelized roasted potatoes.
Why You’ll Love It: These simple roasted sweet potatoes only require 5 ingredients for a flavor-packed side dish that goes with so many meals!
Top Tips: Part of this recipe’s versatility is getting to cut them into whichever shape you like! Just make sure you cut them roughly the same size and lay them out in one even layer so that they bake well.
For more side dishes, try these roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts, gluten-free sweet potato casserole, arugula pear salad, gluten-free cheesy potatoes, and best potato salad.
xoxo erin
Featured Comment
From Chandice: “These are so fantastic and a great side dish to any meal! I especially love the sweet version“
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these roasted sweet potatoes. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Sweet potatoes: I use ones that are orange on the inside. They’re often called jewel or garnet sweet potatoes or yams. Look for ones that feel firm and have unwrinkled flesh.
- Cinnamon coconut sugar: This sweet version enhances the potatoes’ natural sweetness. You can also use brown sugar, if you prefer. They’re delicious alongside turkey, roast chicken, or even Thanksgiving dinner!
- Chili-cumin: This combination creates a smoky, garlic flavor that tastes amazing with the sweet potatoes. These savory sweet potatoes pair well with bacon and fried eggs, salmon, black beans, or in meal-prep lunch bowls!
How to Make Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Cut how you like: These sweet potatoes are customizable! Cut them into rounds, cubes, fries, etc. Just makes sure they’re all about the same size so they bake evenly!
Add some flavor: The key to the perfect flavor balance is to toss the potatoes with a fat plus salt and spices. Place the cut potatoes on the baking sheet and pour the other ingredients on top, then mix with your hands until evenly coated.
Bake: I recommend using a sturdy baking sheet for roasting vegetables. Spread the sweet potatoes out into an even layer, then bake until they’re fork tender and enjoy!
What oil should I use for roasting sweet potatoes?
You can use any oil you like, just make sure it has a higher smoke point since these potatoes will be roasted. Avocado, grapeseed, or refined coconut oil are all good options! Regular olive oil works too, but avoid using extra virgin olive oil as its smoke point is lower.
I also like to use ghee (clarified butter) as it give the sweet potatoes delicious flavor and has a higher smoke point than regular butter.
Can I peel the potatoes in advance?
Yes! Unlike russet potatoes, sweet potatoes do not turn brown when exposed to air. If you’re just peeling them a few hours ahead, you can keep them covered at room temperature. If you’re prepping them a day in advance, place the raw, cut sweet potatoes in a bowl of water, cover, and store in the fridge to keep them fresh.
Are roasted sweet potatoes supposed to be crispy?
Sweet potatoes have a higher sugar/starch content than regular potatoes. These roasted sweet potatoes will certainly have some caramelized delicious edges, but they won’t be as crisp as russet potatoes. They should be soft, custardy and caramelized rather than crispy.
Easy, Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Video
Ingredients
Cinnamon Coconut Sugar Sweet Potatoes:
- 2-3 lbs sweet potatoes, sliced into medallions
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Chili-Cumin Sweet Potatoes:
- 2-3 lbs sweet potatoes cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into the desired shape.
- Place the slices in a mound on a baking sheet, pour the remaining ingredients on top, then mix everything together with your hands to evenly coat the slices. Spread the sweet potatoes into an even, single layer.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in May 2014. It was updated with new photos and instructions in October 2025.
could you please tell me, how much i would need to do for 40 people, do I just multiply it all by 6
and would they need longer in the oven. Dawn
Hi Dawn, for 40 people you’d need to multiply it by 6 or 7. We’d recommend not overcrowding the pans, keeping them in a single layer so they roast properly, and then just baking in batches. With this approach they won’t need more time in the oven, you’ll just need to plan for multiple batches to have time to bake. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Not sure what I’m doing wrong. I only have enough sugar oil too. Put on a half a potato.
Hi Robin, we like to put all the sweet potato slices in a mound and pour the mixture over the pile, then use our hands to work the mixture so that it evenly coats the slices. If you still don’t seem to have enough, you can make extra of the sugar/oil mixture until you are happy with how the potatoes are coated. We hope this helps!
What brand of pan do you use for baking sweet potatoes?
Hi Val, any sturdy baking sheet will work, such as this one from Nordic Ware. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
I used the recipe with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and EVOO but will try vegetable oil next time.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Jan! We’re glad you liked it and hope the next time goes even better!
OMGGGGGGGGGG…They were to die for…
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Have you ever tried this recipe leaving the skin on? My family like the skin of the sweet potato.
I personally wouldn’t like that in a sweet potato casserole but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.
Can the yams be peeled and cut the day before and baked the next day?
Yes! Unlike russet potatoes, sweet potatoes (especially garnet yams) do not turn brown or lose texture on exposure to air. If you’re just peeling them a few hours ahead, you can keep them at room temperature. If you’re prepping them a day in advance, place the raw, cut sweet potatoes in a bowl of water — covered — in the fridge to keep them fresh.
If you put them in a bowl of cold water and put them in the fridge they won’t turn brown. I rinse them again before I bake them
We devoured the chili cumin roasted sweet potatoes! Delish!!!
So glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Lovely and tender. I mixed white yams with a sweet potato for colour and threw in some toasted pecans. Yum!
I’m glad you enjoyed them! The addition of pecans sounds delicious.
Thank u!