Sweet and spicy sweet potato fries are perfectly crispy and go incredibly well with a creamy cilantro ranch sauce for dipping.

Sweet potato fry lovers, you’re definitely in the right spot today!
We’ve got a little sweet with heat action going on today with these crispy fries and then we’re cooling the whole deal down with a creamy cilantro dipping sauce.
Yeah, I take zero responsibility if you end up eating this entire batch solo.

It took much trial and error and many sweet potatoes put through the ringer to perfect these fries, but I can honestly say that we’re there now! The crispiest oven sweet potato fries you’ll ever have the pleasure of face-shoving.
There’s a few tricks to getting a crispy sweet potato fry, so keep reading for all the details!
These Sweet Potato Fries feature…
- A light and crispy texture
- A flavorful sweet and spicy spices blend
- Creamy cilantro ranch sauce for dipping

Making the Sweet Potato Fries
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Mayonnaise
- Greek yogurt
- Buttermilk
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Sweet potatoes
- Coconut oil
- Cornstarch
- Spices
How To Cut Sweet Potatoes
The size and uniformity of the sweet potato fries is super important for even cooking! I found that 1/4-inch wide and about 3 inches long is the ideal size for a perfectly-cooked sweet potato fry.
I like to leave the skin on the sweet potatoes for the added nutrients and I also find it gives them a crispier texture. However, if you’re not a fan of the skin, feel free to remove it!

Tips for Perfect Sweet Potato Fries
- Soak sweet potatoes in cold water – this soak time helps remove excess starch from the sweet potatoes resulting in a crispier fry.
- Pat sweet potatoes dry after soaking – use a paper towel to blot sweet potatoes dry. You want them as dry as possible prior to baking!
- Space sweet potato fries apart for baking – it’s very important to space fries apart during cooking otherwise they will steam and not cook up crispy. If you don’t have a large sheet pan, I recommend using dividing the sweet potato fries between 2 smaller ones.
- Bake fries at 425F – this high temperature will help crisp up the fries.
- Flip fries halfway through baking – again, we’re going for crispy here! Rotating the fries will crisp up every inch of them.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these fries.
- Adjust heat level – reduce the amount of cayenne or skip it entirely for a more mild flavor. Alternatively, you can up the cayenne for extra-spicy fries.
- Add herbs to spice blend – add 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme to spice blend.
- Serve fries with a different dipping sauce – try dipping fries in a garlic aioli, chipotle ranch dip, barbecue sauce, or ketchup.
Reheating Sweet Potato Fries
If possible, I recommend enjoying fries straight out of the oven for the best texture. However, if you would like to store fries for later they may be stored in refrigerator up to 4 days.
To reheat fries, lay fries in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake at 425F 8-10 minutes. You can also air fry sweet potato fries in an air fryer set to 400F for 6-8 minutes, shaking basket occasionally.

Y’all, these fries are just pure perfection. The texture of the fries is picture-perfect crispy, the flavors balance just the right amount of sweet and spicy, and pairing it with the creamy cilantro sauce is a dream, period.
Word of caution: once you start dipping these bad boys, it’s pretty much impossible to stop!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More ways to cook with sweet potatoes that you will love!
- Hot Honey Crispy Smashed Sweet Potatoes
- Maple Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Cheesy Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with Cilantro Ranch Sauce
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Cilantro Ranch Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup firmly-packed cilantro
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sweet Potato Fries
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch wide x 3-inch long strips (you can peel them if you like, I like to leave the skin on)
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cilantro Ranch Sauce
- Place all sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend on high speed until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Store dip in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Sweet Potato Fries
- Place sweet potato strips in a large bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 425F and lightly grease a large sheet pan. Drain sweet potatoes and pat completely dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add coconut oil, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste to sweet potatoes and toss well until evenly coated.
- Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer on prepared sheet pan, spacing fries apart as much as possible. Bake fries at 425F 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking, until fries are crispy.
- Serve sweet potato fries immediately while warm with cilantro dip. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe tips and photos on 7/19/24.
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