Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Say hello to Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes! Their crispy edges and soft centers make these potatoes more than just a side dish. They’re the quick and easy answer to “What should I make with dinner tonight?”

Honey Roasted Sweet Potato recipe by Cheerful Cook.
Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

This is a recipe you can truly enjoy all year long. For instance, it’s the perfect side dish for Cast Iron Chicken Thighs, one of my family’s favorite chicken recipes.

While I like a good sweet potato casserole and Mashed Sweet Potatoes as much as the next person, I’ll admit that I’ve replaced those dishes with this recipe multiple times.

Honey Roasted Sweet Potato Recipe Highlights

  • EASY DINNERS – Once you’ve peeled and diced the sweet potatoes and tossed them in a quick honey-lemon mix, all that’s left is roasting. Super simple!
  • SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – Just a handful of kitchen staples are all you need.
  • ROASTING – Oven-roasted veggies are a fast and tasty way to elevate any meal.

It is the way to go if you want to amp up your cooking skills quickly. And if you’re looking for more delicious side dishes, be sure also to try our Roasted Potatoes and Carrots recipe.

Ingredient Notes

Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.

Ingredients needed to make Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

SWEET POTATOES – Opt for medium-sized sweet potatoes. They are more flavorful than the larger ones.

OLIVE OIL – Extra virgin is the way to go for higher-heat cooking like roasting. I recommend using extra virgin olive oil. It has a higher smoke point than regular olive oil, and I’ve never had issues roasting sweet potatoes at 425º Fahrenheit.

TIP – Costco sells a good, inexpensive extra virgin olive oil. The only thing I don’t love is that they use plastic bottles. The best extra virgin olive oils are stored in dark glass bottles.

BUTTER – Stick with unsalted butter.

LEMON – Both zest and juice work their magic here.

HONEY – Quality matters, so go for the good stuff.

Variations

MAPLE SYRUP – Swap honey with pure Maple syrup (but not Pancake syrup).

ADD SOME HEAT – Add a dash of chili powder or red pepper flakes for an extra kick.

CINNAMON AND NUTMEG – Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with a dash of nutmeg or cinnamon. The version is perfect for the holidays.

SALT – If you have sea salt, use it.

COCONUT OIL – A good alternative if you are trying to avoid butter.

How To Make Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Process Step: Prep sweet potatoes.
Process Step: Pour lemon-butter over sweet potatoes.
Process Step: Toss to combine.
Process Step: Roast sweet potatoes.
  1. PREP – Heat oven to 425° Fahrenheit and prepare a foil-lined baking sheet. Cut and season sweet potatoes.
  2. MIX – Melt butter in a pan and add olive oil, lemon, and honey. Simmer for a minute.
  3. COAT – Toss sweet potatoes in the honey-lemon butter.
  4. ROAST – Place on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes. Check and add time if needed.

Recipe Success Tips

A good rule of thumb is that anything you can do with a regular potato can also do with a sweet potato. From sweet potato fries, sweet potato wedges, and sweet potato skins to Mashed Sweet Potatoes, they are incredibly versatile and fun to work with.

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes fresh out of the oven

Commonly Asked Questions

How To Store Sweet Potatoes

Store sweet potatoes in a dark, dry place. Do not refrigerate sweet potatoes.

How To Store Cut Sweet Potatoes Ahead Of Time

You can prepare them 3 to 4 days ahead of time by peeling and chopping them. Once chopped, store them in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid and keep them in the refrigerator. This method helps maintain their freshness and ensures they’re ready to use when needed.

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

Let’s talk about it. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they are two different vegetables. So why are they often mislabeled? The theory is that it was used to differentiate between orange and pale sweet potatoes.

True Yams

  • Can grow much larger
  • Their flesh varies between off-white and purple.
  • They are starchier
  • It is best if you always peel yams because their skin can irritate our digestive system.

Sweet Potatoes

  • They come in dark orange and pale yellow; some have purple flesh.
  • Pale sweet potatoes have a thinner yellow skin and yellow flesh.
  • They are pretty soft and similar to baked potatoes.

Nutritional Benefits of Roasted Sweet Potatoes

These are some but not all perks if you include sweet potatoes in your diet.

  • HIGH IN VITAMIN A – This can promote good vision, a stronger immune system, and better bone health.
  • RICH IN VITAMIN C – Can lower bad cholesterol (‘LDL’), strengthen your immune system, lower blood pressure, and much more.
  • HIGH IN FIBER – This can help you to feel full longer.
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Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Author: Maike Corbett
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serving Size 4
This melt-in-your-mouth side dish is easy to make. If you've been wondering how to make roasted sweet potatoes, this recipe is for you.
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Ingredients

Instructions

PREP

  • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
  • Peel and cut sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Add to a large bowl and season with salt.

MAKING THE HONEY-LEMON BUTTER

  • Add butter and olive oil to a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and honey. Simmer for one minute on low heat.
  • Pour the honey-lemon butter over the sweet potatoes. Toss well to make sure the sweet potatoes are evenly coated.

ROASTING

  • Transfer sweet potatoes onto the baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes. Check for doneness and add additional time if needed.

Video

Notes

*Roasting time can vary between ovens. If the sweet potatoes haven’t caramelized to your liking, allow them to roast for an additional few minutes. 
UPDATE: Roasting the sweet potatoes for 25 minutes used to be perfect with my old oven. I got a new gas-powered stove and oven in 2021, and achieving perfectly roasted sweet potatoes now takes between 28 and 30 minutes. 

Nutritional Information

Calories: 349
Carbs: 65g
Fat: 9g
Protein: 3g

Nutritional Disclaimer

Cheerful Cook team members are not trained nutritionists or medical professionals. Calorie information and nutritional values are estimates. If you have nutritional concerns, we recommend using a nutritional calculator.

Maike Corbett is the founder and food blogger of Cheerful Cook, a popular recipe website featuring comfort food recipes from the US and Germany. She has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the AP Wire and MSN.

4.79 from 57 votes (43 ratings without comment)

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40 Comments

  1. Your recipe sounds delicious! I’m thinking about using hot honey. Also, what do you think about adding some bourbon with the lemon juice?

    1. I’ve had readers who have tried it with hot honey and they seemed to enjoy it. Bourbon! That sounds like a brilliant idea. If you try, I’d love to know how works out. Instinctually I can see that bourbon and sweet potato could be an amazing combination.

  2. 4 stars
    Thanks for a useful blog on the healthy food item, Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes. You mentioned the nutrients and health benefits of Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes. It is a new idea to prepare healthy food for the family at home.. I like your blog, and I also prefer organic products.