Elsie has been really into sweet potatoes lately. So, of course, as soon as she leaves town, I decide I’m in the mood to make sweet potato fries.

You can go ahead and give me the “Worst Sister of the Year” award. 🙂

Really though, I think it was Elsie who reminded me (once again) that I really love sweet potatoes. They have so much flavor, nutrition, and they are a way fun color. So, I decided to work on my baked sweet potato fries skills, and I have a method I’m excited to share with you. It’s sort of a variation on my favorite baked fries method with some slight changes. You’ll see. The good news—it’s super easy.

Best Baked Sweet Potato Fries, serves 2-3 as a side dish.

2 medium/large sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

big sprinkle of cayenne (about 1/8 teaspoon)

big sprinkle of cumin (about 1/8 teaspoon)

2 tablespoons peanut oil (or canola)

salt, pepper to season

cilantro for garnish

First, peel the potatoes. Then cut them into matchsticks. Try to keep them all relatively the same thickness (different lengths is fine). This will help them cook evenly.

Soak the cut potatoes in water for 15-20 minutes.

I think they kind of look like carrot sticks at this point. 🙂

Drain and pat dry. In a large ziplock bag, toss the potatoes with the cornstarch, cayenne and cumin. If you find that you are all out of large ziplock bags, spend 2 minutes feeling annoyed with yourself for not checking before you went to the store, and then another 3 minutes being distracted by Instagram.

Actually, don’t do that. That’s just what I did. You can also toss them in a large mixing bowl. Then toss with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cover two baking sheets with aluminum foil and coat with the remaining tablespoon of oil. You may be able to use just one baking sheet, depending on the size. But if you’re unsure, just use two so you’re not crowding the fries (this will help them bake more crispy).

Bake at 450°F for 10-12 minutes. Then flip all the fries over and rotate the pans. Bake another 10-12 minutes. Then turn the oven off, open the (oven) door just a little and allow the fries to sit in there for another 5-6 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and garnish with a little chopped cilantro. You can see I went ahead and took mine to the next level and made chipotle mayo. You can make this too by combining 2/3 cup mayo and one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce in a food processor or blender for a few seconds. Easy peasy. Enjoy! xo. Emma

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.