I get really intense cravings.
Usually for peanut butter. Sometimes for a big banana milkshake. Always for a slice of pumpkin pie. But today, I wanted sweet potato fries more than anything else in the world… with a little somethin’ special: homemade honey mustard dipping sauce.
If you’re wondering what the combination of the two is like, it’s quite difficult to say. I mean, how do you explain magic when it happens?
Honeymustardoholic: Not a word, but probably will be soon. This stuff is addictive.
With only three ingredients this honey mustard is incredibly easy to throw together. All you need is low-fat mayo, honey, and dijon mustard. Whip the three together in a small bowl, then be prepared to make more. Why? Because you will be putting it on everything.
It’s unusually versatile: Slather it on a slice of bread and top with turkey, dunk your kids chicken nuggets in it (eating them yourself, obviously), dip some veggies in it (you’re so healthy!), or just do like I do and eat it by the spoonful (I like you).
Oh and now you want to know about these crispy, LOW-FAT sweet potato fries?
I’ve been making my own fries for a couple of years now, so I’ve experimented with several different methods. Here are five tips to make delicious, crispy baked sweet potato fries:
- Cut them thick. Cutting your fries into large slices about 1/2-3/4 inch thick will ensure a nice sweet interior that doesn’t dry up when baking.
- Use cornstarch to keep them crispy. Sweet potatoes are made up of a higher percentage of water compared to regular potatoes which causes them to sometimes get soggy when baked. Coating the fries with a little bit of cornstarch prevents this, as the cornstarch will form a crust on the outside of the fry. I got the corn starch idea from The Art of Doing Stuff. I’ve also thought about using flour, but I’m not sure it would have the same effect.
- Drizzle them with a little olive oil. We’re not fry baking them, so a lot of olive oil isn’t necessary. Usually 1 or 2 tablespoons is sufficient enough to crisp them up and add flavor.
- Give them room to breathe. Don’t allow your fries to touch on your baking sheet. You want the air to circulate around them so that they will bake and crisp evenly. You can use two baking sheets if you are making a lot of fries; be sure to rotate the sheet halfway through baking time.
- Turn them halfway through. We want crispy fries on all sides, not just one.
My favorite way is with a little bit of cinnamon and sea salt, but it’s up to you! If you like your sweet potato fries spicy, try adding cayenne pepper. Another great option is cumin and garlic powder for a little bit of Mexican pizazz. I know a lot of people who prefer paprika as their seasoning of choice too. It’s fun experimenting with different flavors.
I love to make a giant batch of these because I never feel guilty about eating them. They are low in fat, and just so happen to be packed with vitamins and minerals! Technically sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat; they’re full of vitamin A, C, and E, plus fiber, potassium and beta carotene. They’re also a complex carbohydrate which means that they take longer for your body to break down, keeping you fuller, longer. Read more about sweet potatoes and their nutritional value here.
The daily health information session is now over. Let’s get back to drooling.
Delicious recipes to pair with homemade sweet potato fries:
Baked Paleo Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dip
Ultimate Vegan Black Bean Burgers with Tahini Garlic Sauce
Sweet & Spicy BBQ Bacon Hawaiian Turkey Burgers
Cheddar-Stuffed Sweet Potato BBQ Turkey Meatloaf
Crispy, golden orange, salty-sweet, incredible, plus one million other delicious adjectives.
My goodness I love these fries… and I think you should make them.
But don’t you dare forget that dipping sauce!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Homemade Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- For the fries
- Cooking spray
- 2-4 large sweet potatoes, peeled if desired
- 1-2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (if desired) or your own spice combination
- For the honey mustard dipping sauce
- 1/4 cup low-fat mayo (can also use fat-free or olive oil based)
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard (whole grain dijon is good too)
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- Cut your sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut the sweet potatoes evenly into even fry shapes and place into a large bowl.
- Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch over the uncooked fries and use your hands to gently toss sweet potatoes and corn starch together to lightly coat the sweet potatoes.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the fries and toss with your hands, adding more if you feel the fries are not LIGHTLY coated. Sprinkle whatever spices you'd like onto the fries (I use sea salt and cinnamon) and gently toss again.
- Spread sweet potatoes evenly on your baking sheet(s), making sure that they aren't touching each other. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip fries with a spatula, and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until the fries are golden brown and crispy. Do not overbake or they will burn. A little caramelization on the edges of the fries is good, but we don't want black fries.
- To make the homemade honey mustard combine mayo and dijon mustard in a small bowl and mix until well combined and creamy.
- Slowly add in the honey and stir again until combined. Keep in refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Can you swap the cornstarch for Tapioca or Arrowroot? It’s what I typically have on hand so I wanted to see if you think either of those will work.
Definitely, those will work well!
My mom in law loves sweet potato fries at her favorite restaurant, but these were even better!!!
And the sauce is divine. Thanks for sharing something I can now share!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Made it and it was awesome!!! Been looking for a way to make them crispy for a long time. Thank you!!
Perfect!! Crispy goodness right here 🙂
Great recipe and the sauce is so simple and tasty! Very easy to make and so tasty! Will definitely become a staple for those easy evenings!
These look delicious btw! I would like to make these but I’m wondering if I can make a lot of them and then save some for the next day. So what’s your recommendation for storing homemade fries and reheating (or eating them at room temperature) the next day?
I love this recipe! I will often make this sauce but I combine mayo and greek yogurt to help with the calories. For the fries I put cooling racks on my sheet pan so I never have to flip the fries and the cook evenly. 🙂
I am corn and gluten free. Do you know if anything else would happen to work to coat them? I love sweet potato fries myself and have been looking for a good recipe.
How about brushing them with an egg white? Or you could use gluten-free flour?
Use potato starch instead of corn starch. It should still crisp them up when they are cooked.
dipping sauce was great!
Made this recipe tonight – delicious and the dip is a must. Thank you AK! x
Some were limp, others were crisp and stiff… I don’t know what else I could do to have a consistent results, but the taste was awesome, especially with the sauce. 🙂
Try dipping them in homemade guacamole! It's a surprisingly delicious combination!
My fries always seem to come out limp not crisp. I will try the cornstarch, but any other suggestions?
The tips are all in the post. Preheated the baking sheet also works well!
whoaaaaaaa this looks amazing, just going through your top 15 recipes for 2012 post. i’m drooling over almost every one of them!
soooo excited about these!
Just made these for dinner with cornmeal crusted tilapia and mixed greens. The dipping sauce is amazing! I almost considered not making it but I’m delighted I did. Another culinary masterpiece from Monique!
My wife and I frequently go to this brewery in town and we order the sweet potato fries… the dip they make is fantastic, so I was looking online for something similar. I found your site, and I tried this dip tonight, and it was amazing. I also added a little bit of salt, seasoning salt, black pepper, and a dash of hot sauce. Even my 1 year old and (picky) 3 year old kept coming back for more. I can't wait to see what other great recipes I can fine here. Thank you!
Love sweet potato fries and to combine them with honey mustard sauce is kind of genius!
Yum. Can’t wait to try them. Have you ever cooked them on a rack in a convection oven instead of on a baking sheet? Seems worth a try.
Thanks Susan! No, I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard good things. Let me know how they turn out!
I love love love quiche! I usually use spinach in everything, but I’ll have to give kale a try. This sounds delicious. I always have Almond Breeze on hand. It’s my go to milk for sure!