Fries. Who doesn't love them? I know I sure do! As much as I love the taste of fries, I don't love that they are typically deep fried in massive vats of oil and lack any real, good nutrient value. No thanks. Instead, I have made you some crispy, flavorful, and HEALTHY baked fries. Sweet potato fries to be exact! These are reeeaally good. In fact, I was not even planning on sharing this recipe or photographing these fries. We have made baked sweet potato fries in the past but I made them a little different this time. After eating a few, Scott said "you need to put this on the blog...they are too good not to share. Definitely the best ones you have ever made". My husband generally likes most of the food I make at home (although there have certainly been some exceptions...), but when he specifically says "you NEED to put these on the blog", I know we have a winner!

There are a few things that made these fries exceptionally good.

1. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. I have made my fair share of baked sweet potato fries in the past that have tasted really good, but were not crispy. At all. This time, I wanted a nice crisp; a consistency more like what you would get at a restaurant. One way to help achieve that is to dry the potato VERY well before putting oil and seasoning on. Any water on the potato will prevent the oil from staying on the fries to produce that crispy texture. Be sure to pat down your tot with a paper towel for the crispy magic to happen.

2. Uniform sized fries. By making the fries the same size, they will brown and crisp up at the same time. The goal is to make a batch of fries that are the same texture and color; not 10 under-cooked fries, and 20 burnt-to-a-crisp fries. Plus, the thinner you make them, the less cooking time they will need. This means you can enjoy them as soon as possible! Very important.

3. Seasoning. I used simple seasonings: salt, garlic powder, paprika, a little cayenne pepper, and fresh ground pepper. Not too little, not too much. The result = delicious.

Aside from tasting amazing, these fries are actually good for you! Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A, B vitamins, potassium, manganese, iron, and provide tons of antioxidants that help our bodies fight against disease. They are also low on the glycemic index and full of fiber which means they won't spike your body's blood sugar and will keep you fuller longer. Much of the fiber (along with many nutrients) is found in the skin, so I opted to keep the skins on rather than peel it off. Delicious and nutritious. I hope you enjoy these guilt-free, healthy fries as much as we have!

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Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

|Serves 2-4| (depending on how hungry you are)

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (F).
Rinse and scrub the potatoes (skin on) and dry with a paper towel very well. Cut the ends off of the sweet potatoes then cut each potato in half cross-wise. Slice each half into ~1/4 inch thick pieces (see photo above), then again into ~1/4 inch fries.
Place all fries into a medium bowl and toss with olive oil. Once coated in oil, top with spices. Use your hands or large spoon (hands are easiest) to mix the fries together so that each fry is evenly coated in spice mixture.
Place fries on a large baking sheet. Be sure that all of the fries are laying flat and not on top of each other. This will help with even cooking.
Place baking sheet on the top row of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully flip the fries and bake for another 10-12 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Feel free to put baked fries under the broiler for a few minutes to brown up some more if desired.
Let fries cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a serving plate and enjoy! The fries will continue to crisp up once cooled some.

xoxo,

Lauren