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Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries sprinkled with spices traditionally found in falafel and served up with a creamy, dairy free Lemon Garlic Dipping Sauce. The perfect side dish or snack!
Sometimes you just need fries! They’re perfect for a side dish, appetizer, or just for snacking. I’m upping the fry game today and using sweet potatoes instead of traditional baking potatoes.
Sweet potato fries are definitely not a new thing, but I’ve spiced mine up today with spices traditionally found in falafel. I’m not sure what sparked the idea for this flavor combo, but I’m finding it pretty darn delicious and we can’t stop eating them!
Paired with a creamy Lemon Garlic Dipping Sauce, they’re a sweet and spicy treat you’re sure to love!
How to make the recipe
Admittedly, these sweet potato fries aren’t going to be as crispy as those restaurant fries you might be used to. We aren’t frying these in a vat of oil like they do either, so we are saving a ton of calories and saturated fat grams. The texture of these are more like steak fries – a bit of a crispy bite on the outside, while soft and creamy on the inside.
I do have a few tricks to get your oven baked sweet potato fries crispy on the outside though:
First, make sure your oven is properly pre-heated before putting your fries in there. You can even pre-heat your baking pan too if you wish. Just remember to be careful and use oven mitts please.
Second, do not add salt to the fries prior to baking. Salt draws out moisture and you definitely don’t want to do that here.
Third, do not…I repeat, do NOT…crowd the baking sheet. Place them in a single layer with space in between each one. Otherwise they will steam and will not crisp up. If your fries don’t all fit on one baking sheet, I suggest baking two batches instead of putting two pans in the oven at once.
Fourth, do not touch them or even open the oven to look at them for the first 15 minutes. Just let them do their thing. If you feel you must check on them during that time, flip on your oven light and look through the little window.
Don’t be afraid of the dark spots. Sweet potatoes contain natural sugars (that’s why they are so deliciously sweet) and that sugar will start to caramelize causing dark spots (and crispy, sticky, delicious, sweet bites). However, there is a fine line between caramelized and burnt. So, definitely do keep an eye on them during the last few minutes of baking. If you do get some burnt edges while the middles are still perfectly spotty brown, just cut off the burnt spots and enjoy the rest!
And, keep in mind, that every oven is different. If yours runs hotter or cooler than average, you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly. But, with these methods and the cooking temp/time, I can get delicious crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, sweet potatoes every time.
For a little different take, try my Butternut Squash Fries!
Lemon Garlic Dipping Sauce
Falafel are usually served with a tangy lemony and garlicky sauce. Since I’m using falafel spices on these Baked Sweet Potato Fries, I decided to go with a lemon garlic sauce for dipping. Yum!
I use cashews as the base, like I do in my popular Creamy Cumin Ranch Dressing and my Creamy Dill Sauce w/ Spirulina (both of which would also be delicious with these fries!). You could also use plain unsweetened dairy free yogurt instead of the cashews.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.
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Falafel Spiced Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
Falafel Spiced Sweet Potato Fries
- 2 sweet potatoes (scrubbed well and dried thoroughly or peeled)
- 1 tablespoon high heat oil (I used grapeseed)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch cayenne (I used about ⅛ tsp*, use more if you like the heat)
- salt to taste
- chopped fresh parsley to garnish
- cooking spray for the baking sheet
Lemon Garlic Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked 30 minutes in warm water)
- 4 garlic cloves
- juice of 2 lemons
- ½ cup chopped cucumber
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- water to thin
Instructions
For the Sweet Potato Fries:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Position the oven rack in the top third of the oven.
- Slice your sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Slice each half in half again. Then slice each quarter into 4-6 “fries.” If you sweet potatoes are particularly large, you might have cut a few of the fries in half again if they seem too thick. Try to make sure all of the fries are the same size so they cook evenly.
- In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato fries with the oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne.
- Spray the baking sheet lightly with cooking spray. Spread the sweet potato fries into one even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and space them out so none of them are touching. If you have too many fries to fit on one baking sheet, I like to bake two separate batches instead of putting two baking sheets in the oven at once. It helps them stay crispier this way.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully flip all of the fries over and again make sure they are in one single layer and not touching. Bake another 10 minutes. Your fries should now have plenty of dark spots on them on both sides. If they do not, you can bake another 5 minutes, but watch them closely!! Don’t be afraid of dark spots as the sugars in the sweet potatoes will caramelize and turn dark, however, there is a fine line between caramelized and burnt. Don’t let them get TOO dark.
- When the fries are done, take them out of the oven and immediately sprinkle with sea salt and chopped fresh parsley. Serve with Lemon Garlic Dipping Sauce or your favorite sauce. Ketchup works too.
For the Lemon Garlic Dipping Sauce:
- Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and purée until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Sara says
My hubby and I both really enjoyed the spices on the fries. Although I didn’t have cukes and had to use dried parsley, the sauce was still delicious! Can’t wait to try it with these ingredients! Have you tried making the fries without the oil?
Jenn S. says
Hi, Sara! So glad you liked them! I haven’t tried making them without the oil, but if you do, let me know how it works out!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I need to run to the store for some sweet potatoes! This recipe looks amazing, Jenn!
Jenn S. says
Enjoy, Amy! Thanks!
Melissa | Vegan Huggs says
Sweet potato fries are my favorite! They sound divine with the spices you used. And that dipping sauce – pure heaven!
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Melissa! A good sauce always elevates a dish right?!
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says
I love sweet potatoes, and I love falafels, so I know I’m going to love this dish!
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Dianne! A perfect match!
Mel says
These fries look so good! Sweet potatoes make the best fries and all that lovely seasoning sounds delciious, as does the dip Yum!
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Mel! I still need to try your Taco Fries too because they look so amazing!
Sarah says
Love sweet potato fries and this is such a fun flavorful combo twist. Can’t wait to try them.
Jenn S. says
I hope you love them. Thanks, Sarah!
Mandy says
Oh, my goodness!!!! I literally live on sweet potatoes and make fries a few times a week, but never thought to use these spices! What a delicious combo too with that dipping sauce…need to make these fries asap!! Hope you’re having a great weekend, Jenn!
Jenn S. says
Thank you so much, Mandy! I hope you love them! Sweet potato fries are the best!! A little sweet, a little salty, a little heat…what’s not to love?
By the way, I still can’t get over how much I LOVE your hair serum (and I’ve been using it for months now). I literally look at my hair in the mirror every day and think WOW, I LOVE how silky it looks. It used to be so frizzy all the time. HaHa, it just amazes me every day. 🙂
Mandy says
Awww!!! Yay!! Reading this totally made my day! I’m so glad you like it 🙂 I’m sorry that the deo/body spray didn’t quite work for you though. We’re heading out of town for a few days, but when we come back we’re making these fries! Can’t wait!
Jenn S. says
Well, I use it just as a body spray and love it. So, it’s a win in my book! 🙂 Enjoy the fries!
Susie Suzlyfe says
Pinned! First of all, when DON’T you need sweet potato fries? Secondly, thanks for correcting my fry making technique. I get too impatient, and I always put mine in before the oven is preheated…
Jenn S. says
HaHa! I know, I’ve made plenty of mistakes in a hurry too. They are still delicious regardless of crisp factor, but I do like a little bite on the outside. Thanks, Susie!
Alisa Fleming says
This is a genius mix of flavors for sweet potato fried Jenn! I’m so intrigued by these spices as I’ve had them each with sweet potatoes but never all together!
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Alisa! I don’t know why it came to me, but I thought of it one day and just KNEW I had to make it. I hope you love it!
Mary Ellen - VNutrition says
Ooh yum! These look so delicious!
Love your tip about not worrying about dark spots. Sometimes we think veggies and fruit need to be perfect looking or we won’t eat it. I’m trying to change my thinking more too!
Jenn S. says
That’s so true. Usually the “perfect” looking ones are GMO or heavily sprayed with pesticides. Not a good trade off. But, the dark spots here I was referring to is when they are cooking. 🙂 Thanks, Mary Ellen!
Mary Ellen - VNutrition says
Lol, sorry, I didn’t read that right! Just say no to GMOs and pesticides anyway. 🙂
Jenn S. says
Haha! Yes!