Baked Sweet Potato Fries (Printable version)
Crispy oven-baked sweet potato sticks served with creamy garlicky aioli dip.
# What You'll Need:
→ Sweet Potato Fries
01 - 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick sticks
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Garlic Aioli
08 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
09 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
10 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss sweet potato sticks with cornstarch or arrowroot powder in a large bowl until evenly coated.
03 - Drizzle olive oil over the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss again until fully coated.
04 - Spread the fries in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they do not touch for maximum crispiness.
05 - Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then flip the fries and continue baking for another 12 to 15 minutes until golden and crispy at the edges.
06 - While the fries bake, whisk together mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
07 - Remove fries from the oven, season with additional salt if desired, and serve immediately with garlic aioli for dipping.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- They come out genuinely crispy on the outside while staying tender inside—no soggy disappointment.
- The garlic aioli is silky and garlicky enough to make you want to dip everything in sight.
- Done in under an hour, yet tastes like you've put in real effort.
02 -
- Don't skip the soaking step if you have time—thirty minutes in cold water draws out excess starch and makes fries exponentially crispier.
- The cornstarch truly is non-negotiable; without it, you'll get soft or limp fries no matter what else you do.
- Arrange fries in a single layer with space between them, or they'll steam and won't crisp up properly.
03 -
- For maximum crispness, soak cut sweet potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes before the cornstarch step—this removes excess starch that leads to sogginess.
- Don't crowd the baking sheet; fries need space to crisp, and even one touching another will steam instead of brown.
- Make the aioli ahead of time—it actually tastes better the next day after the garlic has mellowed and integrated.