Roasted Sweet Potatoes | The Modern Proper (2024)

October 7, 2022

If you’re looking for the perfect roast sweet potato recipe, look no further. Follow these simple steps for slightly crunchy, golden brown exteriors and custardy sweet potato interiors.

Photography by Gayle McLeod

The Best Roasted Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Crispy roasted sweet potatoes with caramelized edges and soft pillowy inside are here! We love this recipe (and you should too!) because, with only five ingredients and 30 minutes, you’ll have a healthy and easy addition to any meal. They pair nicely aside any fall meal, can be blended into soups, thrown into salads like this Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato Salad, or devoured one by one. Picky eaters will rejoice, too – this roasted sweet potato recipe has a subtle sweetness that complements savory hints of garlic for the perfect, well-rounded, and never overpowering flavor. If you want to spice it up, try Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Labneh, which are also deliciously oven-roasted.

Is Roasted Sweet Potato Healthy?

Yes! We should all be eating more roasted sweet potatoes so save this recipe! In fact, they are a little more nutritious than white potatoes (we still love you Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes!), providing 400% of your vitamin A in a single sweet potato! Additionally, roasted sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, plus vitamins B6. When roasted, oven baked sweet potatoes are a healthier, savory counterpart to the usual marshmallow topping in a Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole around the holidays. Add them to your favorite easy lunch bowl, like this hearty Quinoa Bowl, or bulk up your morning breakfast like in this Breakfast Taco recipe. Toss them into Chickpea Salad for a plant-based meal or dip the roasted sweet potato cubes into easy Classic Creamy Hummus for a fall treat. We also love to enjoy them by themselves as a midday snack!

Should Sweet Potatoes Be Soaked Before Roasting?

In other words… do sweet potatoes need parboiling before roasting? Absolutely not. While many might choose to parboil the sweet potatoes before cooking for a shorter cooking time, we advise against it. Roasting sweet potatoes bring out their caramelized flavor yet leave the inside soft and custardy. If you boil them before, it’s possible that you could overcook them or remove some of the starch which in turn won’t allow for an even crispy outside and soft inside. Trust us, once you try this recipe for roast sweet potatoes (bonus, it’s under 30 minutes!), you’ll never turn to another recipe again.

What Temperature Should I Bake My Sweet Potatoes?

For roasted sweet potatoes in the oven, we use a temperature of 425°F. Cooking the roast sweet potatoes for a short amount of time, here only 20 minutes, at a high temperature allows for the perfect roast. Since oven roasted sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, they’ll caramelize on the corners of the pan, resulting in delectable golden brown bite-size pieces. Make sure to spread your sweet potatoes out on the pan to avoid overcrowding, which will end up steaming the potatoes instead of roasting them.

How To Roast Sweet Potatoes

We’ve got the best tips and tricks for perfectly crispy sweet potatoes every single time! This recipe for roasted sweet potatoes is a simple family favorite and takes less than 30 minutes. Follow these easy steps:

1. Cut! When choosing your potato, look for evenly shaped, hard, and heavy sweet potatoes so trimming won’t be as complicated! We like to peel the skin, but you can leave it on if you prefer (and make sure to wash them really well)! Start by trimming the slides so you’ll have a flat surface to cut. With the flat side down, slice into 1 ½” rounds. From here, cut the rounds into even fourths.

2. Season: Keep it simple with salt, pepper, and garlic, OR make them you’re own! Add a sprinkling of cumin, za'atar, or even smoked paprika!

3. Bake: Make sure to keep your eyes on the roast sweet potatoes and turn halfway through if needed so they don’t burn!

Tools You’ll Need For Roast Sweet Potato

• Rimmed baking sheet

• Parchment paper (optional)

• Spatula

• Bowls

• Sharp knife

Here’s Why Sweet Potato Is One Of Our Favorites

The list goes on and on for ways to utilize our favorite, healthy root veggie. It’s super versatile, adds oomph to a warm, cozy meal, and lends itself perfectly to cold days:

• Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

• Grilled Sweet Potatoes

• Sweet Potato Carnitas Hash

• Spiced Vegetable Stew

• Loaded Sweet Potato with Cashew Cream

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, For the Win!

We’ll never get over the creamy, delicious insides of our crispy sweet potato bites! We want to hear what you think! Snap a photo of your roasted sweet potatoes and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!