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Author: Sally
Published: 06/05/2014Updated: 03/10/2021
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These are crispy baked sweet potato fries coated in cinnamon sugar and served with a sweet vanilla icing. You could even call this a potassium-rich dessert!
Here’s a homemade variation of a popular restaurant dish: sweet potato fries! Though restaurant style fries are usually fried, this version is baked. We also coat them in cinnamon sugar and serve with vanilla icing dip. (Something I once enjoyed at a brewery in Baltimore—the treat is shockingly irresistible!)
Tell Me About these Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potato Fries
- Texture: Crunchy and crispy, and sometimes you get a little softer bite. (Sweet potatoes are packed with moisture.)
- Flavor: Sweet cinnamon and sugary taste—a little bit like sweet potato pie.
- Ease: Prepping the potatoes (washing, peeling, slicing) is the heaviest lifting here. Vegetables almost always take a bit of prep work. After that it’s pretty simple—coating, baking, and mixing up the dip.
- Time: Set aside a little more than 1 hour for this treat. The fries take over 30 minutes to bake, plus tack on another 30 minutes for the fries to crisp up in the cooling oven.
Recipe Testing: What Works & What Doesn’t
- The cornstarch trick. Just as we do with regular plain sweet potato fries,coat the sweet potatoes in a touch ofcornstarchright after you slice them. Why? This creates a very thin layer of coating which helps the fries crisp up in the oven. Make sure the cornstarch goes on before the oil and cinnamon sugar.
- Use coconut oil. The coconut oil moistens the cinnamon sugar. Sort of looks like brown sugar, right?
- Spread things out. When placing the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet, do not crowd them. Rather, make sure the fries have a bit of space. The less on the sheet, the better. Why?If the fries are crowded and piled, they’ll just steam—not bake.
- How to get extra crispy fries.Once the fries are done, turn the oven off and crack open the door. Keep fries inside and let them sit inside for about 30+ minutes. Sitting in the oven as it cools down, rather than sitting at room temperature, will help your fries get crispier. When it comes to fries…the crispier, the better.
Overview: How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potato Fries
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through it so you understand each step before you get started.
- Prepping the fries. Begin the way you prep my regular sweet potato fries.Wash and peel some sweet potatoes.
- Cut into fry shapes. Use a very sharp knife.I like to cut the fries to be a little thin. Coat in cornstarch. Toss the fries in a bit ofcornstarchright after you slice them. This will make the fries extra crispy.
- Add the coconut oil. Now toss the fries in melted coconut oil.
- Sprinkle cinnamon + sugar. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mix over the fries.
- Bake. Spread out on the baking sheet and bake. Top with extra cinnamon sugar after baking.
- Prepare the dip. Whisk confectioners’ sugar, cream, and vanilla extract together. Serve with baked fries.
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Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potato Fries with Vanilla Icing Dip
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- Author: Sally
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 2-3
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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Description
Crispy baked sweet potato fries coated in cinnamon sugar and served with a sweet vanilla icing. I call these fries a potassium-rich dessert!
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes*
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) coconut oil, melted(or olive oil)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Vanilla Glaze Dip
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2–3 Tablespoons heavy cream (or milk for a less creamy texture)
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. 2 large sliced potatoes are usually too crowded on 1 sheet, but it depends on their size. You may need an additional sheet. Set aside.
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut off the ends. With a verysharp knife, cut the potatoes into thin slices about 1/4 inch wide. Place in a large bowl or ziplock bag and toss with cornstarch. You want a nice thin coating. Pour the potatoes into a strainer to get rid of any extra cornstarch. Discard the extra cornstarch out of the mixing bowl too. Place potatoes back into the bowl and add the melted coconut oil. Toss to coat. Mix together 1/3 granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour cinnamon sugar over sweet potatoes and toss to coat.
- Line the coated sweet potatoes onto the baking sheet. Try not to crowd them or else they won’t bake, they’ll just steam. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip. Place back into the oven for 10-15 more minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan to avoid uneven browning. Don’t fret if the edges are a little brown, they will taste more caramelized than burnt. **It’s expected for the oil and cinnamon/sugar to create a glaze on the baking sheet and on top of the fries.
- Turn the oven off and keep the fries inside as the oven cools down for about 30 minutes. This step will help the fries get crispier. You may not have time to keep them in the oven for an additional 30 minutes as it cools, so it’s not mandatory. No matter what you do though, some fries will still be on the soft side. Sweet potatoes are packed with moisture.
- Remove fries from the oven and place in a large bowl. Combine the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and pour over fries. Toss gently to coat.
- Serve with vanilla glaze dip. For the dip, simply whisk all of the ingredients together. I usually start with 2 Tablespoons of the cream and add 1 more if it seems too thick. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Baked sweet potato fries freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake in a375°F (190°C) oven for 15 minutes or until defrosted and crisp.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Vegetable Peeler | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk
- Larger Batch: I estimate about 1 large sweet potato per person. The amounts above are for about 2-3 people. For a large batch, double the recipe.
