SESAME CRUSTED
SWEET POTATO FRIES

VEGAN | GLUTEN FREE

CRISPY BAKED SESAME CRUSTED SWEET POTATO FRIES!

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a warm, fresh out of the oven, basket of fries?!

Have it as a snack, a side, or hey, even a meal (no judgement here!) These baked sesame crusted sweet potato fries are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and come out SO delicious!

Made with only 7 simple ingredients, this recipe is super easy to whip up and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Unlike traditional sweet potato fries, these are crusted with one of my favorite ingredients, sesame seeds!

The nutty and unique flavor of sesame works incredibly well with the sweet, almost caramelized flavors that sweet potatoes give off when baked. Not only does the sesame add more depth of flavor, but it also adds great texture to the outside of the fries! I find that they create an extra little crunchy layer on the edges of the potatoes! YUM!

I knew when I was testing this recipe that I also wanted to create a special dipping sauce that would complement the more complex flavors of the fries. Instead of dipping these babies in ketchup, try out my Chipotle Honey Mustard Recipe! The sweet, tangy and slight spiciness of this homemade dipping sauce create the PERFECT combo with these fries!

Try out this match made in heaven and let me know what you think in the comments!

THE RECIPE

yields 3 servings

prep time: 10 minutes // cook time: 35 minutes

total time: 45 Minutes

ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Sweet Potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes)
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil, melted
2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

method:

Preheat your oven to 425F/200C and prepare two large, rimmed baking trays with parchment paper.
If you’d prefer to peel your sweet potatoes, this would be the time to do so. If you choose to leave the skin on, like I did, skip to the next step.
With a large, sharp knife, carefully slice your sweet potatoes into fry-shaped strips, roughly 1/4” in both width and thickness. Try to cut the fries as evenly as possible for even baking.
Transfer the uncooked sweet potatoes into a large bowl filled with cold water. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Drain water from the bowl and lay the sweet potatoes on a clean kitchen towel. Pat to dry and then put the sweet potatoes back into a dry, large bowl.
To the bowl of potatoes, add the sesame oil and melted coconut oil and toss the uncooked fries until they are fully coated in the oil.
Then, add the sesame seeds, black pepper and garlic powder. (Save the sea salt for the very end, after the fries come out of the oven.) Mix the potatoes with the seasonings until they are fully and evenly coated.
Arrange the fries on the baking trays in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the trays so that the sweet potatoes can cook evenly. At this time, feel free to sprinkle extra sesame seeds on top if desired.
Place both trays into the oven (it’s okay if one is on the top rack and one is on the bottom) and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove trays from the oven and lightly flip the fries with a spatula. Put the trays back into the oven and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes, until fries are crispy. (If your trays were on two separate racks, put them on the opposite rack than the one they were sitting on before.)
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt at this time. Serve the fries while still hot with some of my homemade Chipotle Honey Mustard!

recipe notes:

Soaking the sweet potatoes helps to take off excess starch from the potatoes, helping them to crisp up in the oven some more. Some people choose to soak potatoes for hours or overnight before baking, (but who has time for that?!) I personally only choose to soak the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes and find that that’s plenty of time. However, I’ve also baked my fries WITHOUT soaking them as well and they are just as delicious! Feel free to soak or not to soak!
If the fries closer to the outside of the baking trays are getting crispier than the rest, make sure to move those to the middle when you’re flipping your fries around mid-way through baking!