Why do 4-day weeks sometimes leave me more exhausted than a regular 5-day week? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
Maybe it’s because I try to cram five days of work into four, or because our air conditioner broke during Pittsburgh’s hottest week and the house felt like a sauna. Maybe it’s because I was racing to publish an extra post this week. Whatever the reason, I welcomed the weekend—sleeping in, brunching, planting flowers, watching movies, and devouring a big plate of these easy White Sweet Potato Oven Fries tossed in coconut oil, spices, and sea salt.
My recent trip to San Francisco inspired a lot of foodie curiosity. Between unique restaurants and specialty markets, I felt like a kid in a candy shop. One simple discovery at the rental apartment stood out: the white sweet potato. I’d seen them on paleo blogs but rarely found them in stores, so I usually used the orange variety. In California I finally tasted white sweet potatoes and they were delicious—less sweet than orange sweet potatoes with a texture closer to regular white potatoes.
Mark accidentally bought the only sweet potatoes available at the market, and that happy accident led to our makeshift kitchen creating a straightforward, flavorful fry side dish. All we needed from home were staples like coconut oil and basic spices, and the result was addictive White Sweet Potato Oven Fries.
Back home, I found white sweet potatoes after a bit of searching—my local Giant Eagle Market District carried them, and they’re likely available at stores like Whole Foods or Fresh Market. If you can’t find them, orange sweet potatoes or regular white potatoes will work well in this recipe. The coconut oil adds a lovely flavor and is my preferred choice for roasting these wedges.
For this batch I used three large white sweet potatoes with the skins on, cut into thick 1/2-inch wedges—think steak fries. I arranged them in a single layer on a baking sheet greased with a little coconut oil, then drizzled more coconut oil over the top. If your melted coconut oil firms up when poured over chilled potatoes, don’t worry—that helps coat the wedges and they’ll bake just fine.
The spice blend I used was Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and pepper—simple and flavorful—but feel free to use your favorites. I massaged the wedges by hand so the oil and spices coated them evenly, then baked for 40–45 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The fries came out golden-brown, a little crisp on the outside, and tender inside. They were irresistible.
Of course, fries are best with ketchup. I paired these with Sir Kensington’s ketchup and loved the combination—this ketchup has less sugar than standard varieties and avoids high fructose corn syrup. It was a great match for my baked wedges, but any good ketchup or dipping sauce you enjoy will work.
With a plate of these White Sweet Potato Oven Fries and your favorite ketchup, you have an easy, crowd-pleasing side for burgers, hot dogs, or any casual meal. Enjoy!
- 3 large or 4 medium white sweet potatoes
- 2 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and brush with 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil. (If using parchment, you don’t need oil.)
- Cut sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.
- Arrange wedges in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with spices, salt, and pepper, then drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons coconut oil over them.
- Toss wedges with your hands to coat evenly with oil and spices.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, flipping once halfway through. For extra even browning, bake on the middle rack for the first 20 minutes and the lower rack for the remainder.
- Wedges are done when golden brown and tender inside.
- Let cool slightly, then serve with ketchup or your favorite dip.
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