Replace French Fries with This Easy and Healthy Snack

March 15, 2010 27 Comments

The most eaten vegetable in the United States is the potato. Found in fast food venues from coast to coast the delicious French Fries are hard to avoid.

BUT, it is possible to bake something that will satisfy the craving. Baked sweet potato fries have the crunchy outside, and the soft inside and they pack a nutritional wallop with 219% of your daily allowance of Vitamin A in one serving. And that is just ONE of the benefits of eating them.

How do you make sweet potatoes taste amazing? Add a little sugar and there is a caramelization that takes place. Do you notice the word "caramel" here?

Anyone else like the taste of brown sugar and salt?

I decided to make these after watching my friend Josie's spectacular failure:

I'm So Tired of This Crap (the recipe)

Notice how my photo is better than hers :) The key is to hang around and flip the fries after 15 minutes, and not to crowd the pan. These are really EASY to make.

If you don't have a decent vegetable peeler, you should get one. I have the one below from Amazon and it is now due for a replacement after 7 years of weekly and daily use.

Having a working peeler makes you want to peel vegetables. Having a crappy peeler makes you want to order from Burger King.

After you make these, just pop them in your fridge. Eat them as a snack or add them to your salad. Mush them in your yogurt or eat them for breakfast After they are refrigerated, they aren't as crunchy but they still taste really good.

Sweet potatoes are available all year, though their season is Fall and Winter. Choose potatoes that are hard to the touch, because the soft ones are rotten.

Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

(serves 4)
aluminum foil for pan
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 F. Half the sweet potatoes lengthwise. Place on flat slide and slice 5-6 spears (thick and long strips) of sweet potato. Place them on the aluminum foil and toss with olive oil and sugar. Spread them in one layer. It is important that they have space around them and aren't piled up on each other. Bake for 15 minutes and turn with tongs or a spatula. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add salt and pepper. Serve hot, room temperature, or cold.

OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler

$9.99 Buy on Amazon.com

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Do you make sweet potato fries? Please share below.

Want to read about more snacks?
A 130 Calorie Donut
Streamline Your Morning in One Step
Beyond Hard Boiled Eggs

Get Free Email Updates! Yes please!

27 Comments:

ok, woman. So yours came out better and they look fantastic. (Humpf!!) But I could
totally whomp you in a fry-eating contest. Because I'm greedy like that. So NAH!
:P

Yum Yucky on March 15, 2010

yeah? You think so? Perhaps we need a throw down - and then a tub of Alka Seltzer :0

Snack-Girl on March 15, 2010

I feel ya, Yum Yucky, on the sweet potato fry failure! I had limp ones the last time I tried. But I'll try again - these look tasty!

Alta on March 15, 2010

Love your color combination - those green dishes!

marilyn on March 15, 2010

I could probably google this, but are sweet potatoes the same as yams?

Rebecca on March 15, 2010

Sweet potatoes and yams are different. The flesh in a yam is yellow (though here in the U.S. we use the name yam for sweet potato).

Snack-Girl on March 15, 2010

Oh my those sound and look so good! I will definitely be making those. Never thought to make them thin by using a peeler like that. Hubby actually uses one of those apple corer/slicers to make potato fries. It's cool but they are thick so this would be a nice change.

Angie (Losing It and Loving It) on March 15, 2010

I like to add some cajun spice to mine. They are so good that half of them are usually eaten before they even make to the plates!

Candice on March 15, 2010

I love french fries and finding tasting healthy ways to eat them is always a plus!

Wayne on March 15, 2010

I don't know why anyone eats regular fries, ever. These are just so much tastier!

westwood on March 15, 2010

Candice has a good thought there - you could also add cayenne pepper, good chili powder (think New Mexico), ground cumin or good quality Spanish smoked paprika to "brighten" the taste.

Mark on March 15, 2010

Fries you can feel great about eating! And I own that Oxo peeler -- its good. A version that is a little easier than the fries is roasted sweet potatoes. All has to do with how you cut them -- instead of long strips, try 1.5 inch chunks. Easier to stir around for good roasting.

Mattee on March 16, 2010

I LOVE sweet potatoes baked... This is definitely my go-to snack whenever I need a mid-afternoon pick me up! Paired with ketchup? You can not go wrong!

Cassie on March 16, 2010

I've been making these for the last several years-they are sooooo good. I first peel them, then slice them into rounds like potato chips using my mandoline slicer and then bake them with a variety of toppings. I started out with just olive oil and salt and went from there-they are really tasty with chili powder and cumin on them!

Cindi on March 17, 2010

The other way I make them is using a half packet of taco seasoning instead of brown sugar! Perfect flavor/spiciness! I'm excited to try brown sugar! I think I will make a dijon mustard dipping sauce!

Caitlin on March 18, 2010

I made these yesterday but with one small sweet potato (for myself hehe) and some turned out limp but they eventually turned crispy. A few were a little burnt. Also, I accidentally added a little too much sugar in the beginning but the fries turned out nice and caramelized because of that. I'm trying again right now with thicker slices (they were quite thin yesterday) in the oven and a bigger potato. :)

Jennifer on September 27, 2010

Hi...Why peel them? A lot of nutrition is in the skin. We make these all the time. Plus, if you are feeling lazy there is a"fairly" wholesome brand you can buy at the store.

jennie_hi on November 4, 2010

How may Points Plus points?? I can't wait to try them but I kind of need to figure how many points I'm eating.

Jen on May 26, 2011

The taco seasoning sounds great, or cajun seasoning. Sweet tatos are too sweet for me so I have to counter the sweet with something not sweet . Gonna try these. How many points for a serving??? anyone know??? Ok I'll get up and look in my counter.........jus being kinda lazy

maggie on October 18, 2011

SWEET a sweet potato recipe that sounds decent and easy! (and has the secret to getting em crisp!) Consider this clipped in my evernote account!

@aliadeta on October 29, 2011

I make oven fries with butternut squash. Frankly, since discovering this new use for bn squash, I haven't even thought about potato french fries. Amazing with a touch of dijon.

TeresaH on April 10, 2012

why can't fast foods replace french fries with grinded fried beans. It will basically appear the same only that it will be more delicious and nutritious. It also has all the vitamins needed by the body.

kc on July 17, 2012

Here is another healthy alternative to french fries.
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/648/Akara-with-kosayi-Afr…

mimi on July 17, 2012

I make oven fries with white potatoes all the time, but my sweet potato version never quite did it for me. I never thought of adding sugar! I can see where that touch of molasses combined with salt could reeeally do the trick. I will buy some today and try it. BTW, the secret to crispy oven fries is the very hot oven, preheated, which mimics deep frying. That works for oven-fried tortilla chips too.

Chris on April 12, 2013

I use butternut squash to have even fewer calories. They taste exactly the same, maybe not as crispy-but I feel guilt free with a large serving!!!!
Feeling less deprived and on soooo low calories-what more can a girl ask for?

Janet on June 12, 2013

If you soak sweet potato slices in water for 10min, the starch will lessen and your fries will be WAY crispier with less time in the oven. :0)

cathrina on November 12, 2013

Sweet potatoes are definitely better than white potatoes. Frying is still a problem though, but sweet potatoes are better.

Aqiyl Aniys on February 17, 2014