Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Do you need to have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes, yet you still have no idea what your side dish is going to be? Well, if you have sweet potatoes on-hand, and happen to have date syrup in the pantry, then chances are good you have everything you need to make this sweet, savory, and satisfying oven-roasted sweet potato recipe.

Chef and recipe developer Miriam Hahn of You Care Self Care is the brains behind this dish, which will yield the perfect starchy side dish for a casual weekday dinner. Sweetened and seasoned, then topped with freshly chopped parsley, these roasted sweet potatoes not only satisfy the taste buds, they even look great before they're enjoyed.

As for how to enjoy them? Hahn says, "I like these with all types of things. They are great to put in a buddha bowl, have alongside eggs or tofu for breakfast, have as a side dish with a sandwich, or with something grilled. And I have mixed them with black beans for a quick salad." 

To make these delightful roasted sweet potatoes, you'll need just a few ingredients that balance the sweet and savory. First, of course, you'll need sweet potatoes. Also requisite are date syrup, olive or avocado oil, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, salt, and optionally (but highly recommended) freshly chopped parsley.

"The secret ingredient in this recipe is the date syrup," says Hahn. "It actually caramelizes them a bit and offers a hint of vanilla along with the sweet flavor. They are a great combo of savory and sweet, and honestly super delicious!"

To start things off, preheat the oven to 400 F. As it warms, peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes. Put these cubes in a large bowl.

Next, add the date syrup, oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl and stir everything well to get the sweet potato cubes coated evenly.

Evenly spread out the coated sweet potato cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them for 20 minutes. Hahn says: "The only thing to watch out for is timing in the oven depending on how big you cut the sweet potatoes. If you prefer larger chunks, you will most likely have to go 30 minutes. Best to set a timer halfway and see how they are doing and rotate the pan if your oven tends to have more force at the back end. If you like them crispy, you can broil them the last 3 minutes or so, but they will cook fast, so don't leave the kitchen!"

Once baked, transfer the cooked cubes to a serving bowl, top them with the chopped parsley (if desired) and serve and enjoy.

Sweet potatoes are quite a healthy food — you probably know that offhand, but do you know the details? According to Healthline, they are an excellent source of vitamin A, they are high in vitamin C, manganese, and they're a good source of potassium and vitamin B6. They're also high in antioxidants and fiber, very low in fat, and they're good for everything from your eyes to your gut health to your immune system. And they taste good ... especially cooked like this!