Brown Sugar Roasted Sweet Potatoes are a great side dish for any meal. Simple oven roasted sweet potato recipe made with brown sugar, cinnamon, thyme, butter and pecans.
I adore baked sweet potatoes and roasting them is one of my favorite ways to cook them. I prefer baking them because they’re soft and tender, but a little bit crisp on the outside and have the best flavor. They’re great for side dishes or lunch as sweet potatoes are high in protein and fiber as well as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin B6. Sweet potatoes even contain iron and protein! They have no fat or cholesterol and a medium sized sweet potato only has about 120 calories. Of course, adding butter, cinnamon and a little bit of brown sugar does add a few more calories, but it’s absolutely worth it, I promise!
BROWN SUGAR ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
These roasted sweet potatoes are a little bit crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Chopped sweet potatoes are mixed with butter, brown sugar, thyme, salt and cinnamon and then baked with a layer of chopped pecans on top. The brown sugar caramelizes as the sweet potatoes cook, and the ground cinnamon pairs perfectly with the sweet potato. The pecans add more flavor and a little bit of extra crunch.
How to serve roasted sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a great side dish to serve on Thanksgiving with Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast, 30-Minute Dinner Rolls and the Best Thanksgiving Stuffing! And don’t forget the Raspberry Fluff too! Finish off the meal with our popular No-Bake Pumpkin Pie or Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake.
These sweet potatoes are best served warm, but the cooled sweet potatoes also make a great addition to a leafy salad.
INGREDIENTS IN BROWN SUGAR ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes – You will need two large sweet potatoes for the recipe. I peel them before dicing, but you can leave the skins on if you prefer. Just make sure to scrub them well!
Butter – Salted butter was used in this recipe. The butter can be substituted with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Brown sugar – This adds sweetness to the sweet potatoes, which caramelizes as they cook. For best results, make sure your brown sugar is fresh and soft.
Cinnamon – Cinnamon pairs perfectly with sweet potatoes and brown sugar.
Thyme – You will need 2 stalks of fresh thyme with the leaves removed. You can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves.
Salt – Just a little bit of salt helps to balance the sweetness of the brown sugar.
Pecans – Chopped pecans are optional but add a great texture to the dish. The pecans are added to the baking sheet for the final 5 minutes roasting time, which gives the pecans a toasted flavor.
HOW TO MAKE BROWN SUGAR ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Add the sweet potato to a large bowl along with the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, thyme leaves and salt. Stir until well combined.
Arrange the sweet potato in a single layer on a baking sheet (using 2 baking sheets if necessary).
Bake the sweet potato for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time, until golden and cooked through. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the sweet potato and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve while warm.
BROWN SUGAR ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 stalks fresh thyme leaves removed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Add the sweet potato to a large bowl along with the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, thyme leaves and salt. Stir until well combined.
- Arrange the sweet potato in a single layer on a baking sheet (using 2 baking sheets if necessary).
- Bake the sweet potato for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time, until golden and cooked through. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the sweet potato and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve while warm.
Nutrition
📫 Save this recipe! Send it to your email! 📩
I consent to receiving emails from this site.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING ROASTED SWEET POTATOES:
- The butter can be substituted with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- These sweet potatoes can also be roasted in an air fryer. Reduce the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
- Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil or baking parchment for an easier clean up.
- The cooking time may vary depending on the size of your diced sweet potato.
- Ensure all of the ingredients are well combined so that every piece of sweet potato is coated in all of those delicious flavors.
- The pecans are optional but add a great texture and nutty flavor to the sweet potatoes.
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves can be used in place of the fresh thyme leaves
ARE OVEN ROASTED SWEET POTATOES HEALTHY?
Yes, sweet potatoes are healthy! Sweet potatoes are high in protein and fiber as well as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin B6. Sweet potatoes even contain iron and protein. They have no fat or cholesterol and a medium sized sweet potato only has about 120 calories.
This recipe does call for butter, brown sugar and pecans which all add some calories, but if you divide the recipe into 6 servings (as a side dish), each serving still only has about 176 calories. You can use olive oil instead of butter if you prefer that and you can reduce the amount a little bit to save some calories. Cinnamon, thyme and pecans are all healthy additions to the sweet potatoes.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER SWEET POTATOES
Store the roasted sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
These sweet potatoes are not suitable for freezing.
FOR MORE DELICIOUS SIDE DISHES, CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES!
- SAUSAGE BAKED BEANS
- ORANGE JELLO SALAD
- MAPLE PECAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
- TWICE BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE
- BACON CHEDDAR DEVILED EGGS
- CREAMY PARMESAN POTATOES & PEAS
- GARDEN VEGETABLE CAPRESE SALAD
- EASY CHEESY GARLIC BREAD
- BEST MASHED POTATOES RECIPE
- CHEESY POTATO CASSEROLE
- SMOKY INSTANT POT BAKED BEANS
- EASY GARLIC BUTTER PASTA
- BEST TEXAS CAVIAR RECIPE
- EASY SPANISH RICE
- CHEESY BACON CREAMED CORN
Brown Sugar Roasted Sweet Potatoes are a great side dish for any meal. Simple oven roasted sweet potato recipe made with brown sugar, cinnamon, thyme, butter and pecans.
Leave a Reply