We all know about the obvious sugars, the ones in treats. But there are also the foods we consume that we don’t think of like sugar but have a very similar effect on the body. And that is what this recipe is all about. Today, we take down the white potato – and make baked sweet potato fries instead.
White potatoes were once upon a time a healthful food. There was huge variety and they came in all colours. Now we have the Yukon Gold, which is a breed that is mostly starch. White potatoes have a high glycemic index, meaning they affect your blood sugar much like regular sugar does. When we spike our blood sugar, we elevate our insulin output, tax our liver and switch our body into a sluggish, fat-storing mode.
Also of note — cancer cells have a higher concentration of insulin receptors, part of the reason why high sugar diets fuel cancer development. When we eat white potatoes, we are feeding those cells.
As a treat, eating a potato once in a while isn’t a problem. But there is also another option… Crispy baked sweet potato fries! They are so delicious, flavourful and low glycemic that why wouldn’t we want to switch and swap for these?
Their rich orange colour is a sign that they are high in beta-carotene, vital for eye health, and also carotenoids that are highly cancer preventative. 
Simple scrub the skin of your sweet potatoes (about 1/2 a potato per person).
Make sure to lay them out with space between them. If you bake them too close together, they will steam instead of crisp.
And the result of this quick prep recipe is simple, crispy, crunchy baked sweet potato fries.
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Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 3–4 medium sized sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 2 tsp sea salt
- Pinch of cayenne
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Slice sweet potatoes into shoestring fry size (or as close as your knife skills permit!)
- Layer into a bowl a heaping handful at a time, and sprinkling each layer with arrowroot starch and some of the olive oil. Once all are in the mixing bowl, toss together until oil and starch is evenly mixed.
- Lay out on a parchment lined cookie sheet in a single layer and bake until crispy brown, about 45 minutes. If you have a convection oven, you may want to bake for 35 minutes and then check on them to ensure you aren’t burning.
- Serve hot.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
Cashew Mayo
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into food processor or high speed blender and mix on high until creamy smooth. You may need to scrape down sides with a spatula. Add additional water as needed for desired consistency.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Category: Condiments
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33 responses to “Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries + Cashew Mayo”
Hey Meghan – couple things – doesn’t olive oil risk going rancid over 350? I suggest reducing the temperature to 350 and using coconut oil as it tends to be more stable when heated. That’s my method. What do you think?
That would work great! I usually use grapeseed at this high heat but like to make it accessible. I personally wouldn’t use coconut oil only as I don’t love the taste on things like this.
I use coconut oil often and it wouldn’t be half bad with sweet potatoes given their tropical leanings, but if you’re worried about oxidizing your olive oil, try adding turmeric to your bottle with the oil…about 1/2 tsp per 8 ounces. It keeps it from oxidizing…I learned this tip from a noted neurologist and it is so subtle in flavor, hardly discernible.
As for the recipe for the Mayo…My Beldtec was too big for the amounts in the recipe…it was still quite chunky, so next time I will double the recipe. tastes great though!
Hi Meghan I make sweet potato fries all the time, same as above, but I never use arrow root starch. What is the purpose of the starch?
Thanks,
It helps crisp them up.
would any type of starch work, or just arrowroot?
Any type would- I recommend arrowroot as it’s not derived from potatoes or corn.
Hi Meghan,
What would you suggest for another nut to use for the cashew mayo if ones doesn’t have cashews on hand?
Thanks
Cashews are my top pick because they get the smoothest. Soaked sunflower seeds could work, but it won’t be as creamy.
that was too hot! i burned them all. maybe i sliced too thin??
oh well. i chopped enough to freeze half – will try again tomorrow
Yes me too!!!! They all burned. I say 450 for 45 minutes is too high.
Hi Meghan,
I was wondering what is the purpose of arrowroot flour in these sweet potato fries? thank you!
Your sweet potato looks more like a yam to me. Is it a Yam? This is my struggle with a lot of sweet potato recipes. I see the ingredients list “sweet potato” so I buy one, only to make it and then realize they meant yam.
These are sweet potatoes by the North American type, if that’s what you mean? Yams are typically much starchier.
I’m in the US and when we buy sweet potatoes they are yellow inside, and the yams are orange inside. I don’t know if that is the accurate name for each, but that is what we get when we buy them.
Also, I thought I’d share that you can buy expeller pressed coconut oil and it has no coconut flavor at all. I use that for fries and it handles the high heat.
http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/product/COEP1.php
Hi Meghan, I am just wondering if you can use avocado oil instead of olive oil, since it has a higher burningpoint.
Hi Meghan, I am just wondering if you can use avocado oil instead of olive oil, since it has a higher burning point.
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Hi Meghan,
Just made this, but I was cautious about the cook time. 45 mins at 450, seems to be a recipe for burnt fries. I baked for 22 mins at 450 and still got some burnt ones, but some are edible. I will play around with the temperature and bake time next time,
Yes- it’s tricky as every oven is different.
Follow up on my last comment 425 F for 20 minutes….perfection.
[…] Baked Potato Fries With Cashew Mayo […]
what does the arrowroot starch do? Is there a substitute?
★★★★★
It helps make them crispy. You could maybe try tapioca starch but the recipe I created and tested is with arrowroot.
Thanks for the recipe!
Made cashew mayo and absolutely love it. The way lemon mixes with apple cider vinegar is refreshing and tasty. I never knew what to do with cashews until I ran across this recipe. Thank you!
★★★★★
Did you soak the cashews before making the cashew mayonnaise?
Nope!
Hi Meghan,
Unfortunately you have been tricked into using yams instead of sweet potatoes. It obvious from the orange colour that those are yams. Sweet potatoes are browner on outside and pale yellow inside – scratch skin to test. Yams are very high glycemic index and not recommended for good health, while sweet potatoes are very low glycemic index. Most athletes (especially body builders) avoid yams for this reason and use sweet potatoes as a healthy staple in their diets.
I see that you are in Ontario where it seem all stores sell yams labelled as sweet potatoes, and real North American sweet potatoes are not available. So most Ontario folk are making an unhealthy choice if they buy fake sweet potatoes (yams). Also yams are less expensive and sweet potatoes are more expensive, so the consumer is being ripped off when paying more for what they think are sweet potatoes, but are in fact yams. Sad but true!
I feel lucky to live in BC where real sweet potatoes are placed next to the yams and labelled correctly in the grocery stores, so easy to tell the difference (obvious from the colour difference as well). For those in BC, beware that Superstore follows the Ontario model selling yams posing as sweet potatoes. The grocery manager said they are supplied from Ontario.
Maybe – but there are also sweet potatoes with orange flesh.
Meghan Telpner you are awesome! I’ve tried making sweet potato fries before and they never turned out right. This recipe was so easy and everyone in my family absolutely loved them!
★★★★★
I’m glad this recipe was a hit!