Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes are the perfect EASY side dish, made with olive oil, spices, and brown sugar roasted on a sheet pan until they’re fork tender!

Sweet potatoes are perfect for a really flavorful and low cost side dish to any dinner. For more ideas, check out these Honey Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Baked Sweet Potato Slices, and Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes!

Roasted sweet potato cubes on a sheet pan with parchment paper, being lifted up by a spatula.

This is the perfect side dish on a busy weeknight, or even during the holidays! It’s quick and easy to throw together, and only needs a few simple ingredients with minimal prep and cooking time. These sweet potatoes are soft and fluffy on the inside, and caramelized on the outside for the perfect flavor. 

This sweet potato recipe is a staple in my house. You can also make this recipe with regular potatoes, but switch up the seasoning by leaving out the cinnamon and sugar, and adding some garlic powder and onion powder. Check out my Baked Potato Slices for more ideas!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Individual ingredients for roasted sweet potato cubes on a table.

Sweet Potatoes. Choose about 4 medium sized sweet potatoes to fit a regular baking sheet. You will want to leave a little room between the sweet potato pieces, so the sides can caramelize nicely.

You might notice that the orange sweet potatoes are called “yams” at the grocery store. This is usually a sweet potato. Yams have rough skin, pale centers, and a starchy texture. This recipe will work with red or orange sweet potatoes. Here’s a great article that talks about the different sweet potatoes. 

Olive Oil. A small amount of extra virgin olive oil helps the spices evenly stick to the sweet potatoes. You can also use avocado oil or canola oil. 

Brown Sugar. A touch of brown sugar will bring out the sweet notes of the potato, and balance the savory notes from the spices. 

Spices. We’re using a really simple blend of spices here. Just cinnamon, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. 

How to Make Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes

Step by step photos for how to make roasted sweet potato cubes.
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, spices, and brown sugar until well combined. 
  2. Add the sweet potatoes to the bowl and stir everything together until the potatoes are completely coated. 
  3. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread them out as much as possible, leaving some room between each piece. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown with caramelized edges. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make roasted sweet potatoes crispy?

I like my sweet potatoes on the softer side, but if you want to make them with a crispy exterior, here’s how you do it. First, soak your pieces in a bowl of water for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Once done, dry them completely before coating in oil and spices. 

Next, once they’re cooked through, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes and allow them to turn crispy on the outside. Watch them closely, because the broiler can burn things pretty quickly. 

Why are my roasted potatoes not getting soft?

This can happen for a few reasons. The first reason would be that the pieces are cut too big, and will need some more time to cook. 

The next reason would be that the oven is not cooking at the right temperature, which is a pretty common issue. Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is cooking true to temperature. 

More Sweet Potato Recipes

Storage

Refrigerate for 3-4 days in an airtight container. 

Freeze roasted sweet potatoes for 1-2 months in a freezer-safe airtight container. 

Recipe Variations

  • Add a dash of chili powder, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes for some heat. 
  • If you want crispy potatoes, soak the potatoes before roasting, for at least 30 minutes. Dry them completely before adding the seasoning to make sure it sticks. 
  • Make this recipe with a mixture of butternut squash and sweet potatoes to cut down on some of the carbohydrates.
  • Instead of this seasoning blend, try adding pumpkin pie spice. Or keep it simple with just some salt and pepper.  

Cooking Tips

  • I like to remove the sweet potato skins for this recipe, but you don’t have to. If you leave them on, make sure you wash the sweet potato thoroughly beforehand. 
  • Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes, getting as close as possible. The pieces aren’t going to be perfectly even, but we are aiming for all of them to be around the same size, so they cook evenly. 
  • It is not necessary to boil the sweet potato before making this recipe. It will finish cooking in the oven just fine. 
  • To cut the sweet potatoes into cubes, cut them lengthwise first, then place the flat section down on the cutting board and cut into cubes. Repeat with the other half. 
  • Don’t skip the oil, that is what helps the sweet potatoes get a really nice caramelization on the outside. The brown sugar also helps with this. 
Roasted sweet potato cubes on a sheet pan with parchment paper.

If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!

Roasted sweet potato cubes on a sheet pan with parchment paper, being lifted up by a spatula.

Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes

Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes are the perfect EASY side dish, made with olive oil, spices, and brown sugar roasted on a sheet pan until they're fork tender!
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Jacqui
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 large sweet potatoes , cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Sheet pan

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, spices, and brown sugar until well combined.
  • Add the sweet potato cubes to the bowl and stir everything together until the potatoes are completely coated.
  • Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown with caramelized edges.

Notes

Click on the time in the instructions to start a timer!
Storage
Refrigerate for 3-4 days in an airtight container. 
Freeze for 1-2 months in a freezer-safe airtight container. 
Cooking Tips
  • Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes, getting as close as possible to the same size. The pieces aren’t going to be perfectly even, but we are aiming for all of them to be around the same size, so they cook evenly. 
  • To cut the sweet potatoes into cubes, cut them lengthwise first, them place the flat section down on the cutting board and cut into cubes. Repeat with the other half. 
  • Don’t skip the oil, that is what helps the sweet potatoes get a really nice caramelization on the outside. The brown sugar also helps with this. 

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 48g (16%)Protein: 4g (8%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 319mg (14%)Potassium: 773mg (22%)Fiber: 7g (29%)Sugar: 11g (12%)Vitamin A: 32241IU (645%)Vitamin C: 5mg (6%)Calcium: 73mg (7%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
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