Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bacon
Roasted Sweet Potatoes are one of our favorite Fall sides. This recipe is special enough to be served on Thanksgiving, but we make it on the regular in Autumn and Winter because oven-roasted sweet potatoes are easy and irresistibly delicious. You’ll love how the garlic is added – no peeling required!
If you love sweet potato recipes as much as we do, this Sweet Potato Casserole is a treasure of a recipe along with Creamy Sweet Potato Soup (also topped with bacon).
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Roasted Sweet Potato Recipe:
The maple in this recipe caramelizes the edges of the sweet potatoes as they roast in the oven, making them glow. Those are the pieces my fork attacks first along with the salty bites of bacon. Don’t skip the roasted garlic – pop the little cloves out of their sleeves and indulge. Maple-bacon flavored roasted garlic is incredible.
How are Yams and Sweet Potatoes Different?
Some grocery stores in North America label sweet potatoes and yams interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. A true yam is a deep reddish/purple color on the outside with a white center and is not commonly sold in North American grocery stores.
What you will typically find in grocery stores are sweet potatoes (as pictured below) that have a copper-colored exterior with an orange center. This type of sweet potato is what’s commonly used to make traditional Thanksgiving sides like Mashed Sweet Potatoes or Sweet Potato Casserole.
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes:
I’m convinced that oven-roasted vegetables is the best way to cook them, especially sweet potatoes. The texture is incredibly smooth and roasting draws out their natural sweetness. We add real maple syrup, bacon and garlic to give this dish wonderful sweet, salty, savory flavors that you will love.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line the bottom of a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or Silpat.
- Slice the whole garlic head in half horizontally (parallel to the root). Peel and slice sweet potatoes into 3/4″ thick pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together sliced sweet potatoes, garlic, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
- Arrange on a baking sheet with garlic cut-side-up. Bake at 400˚F for 20 min, then stir, top with bacon and bake another 25-30 min until sweet potatoes are tender and bacon is crisp.
How Long to Roast Sweet Potatoes?
At 400˚F, sweet potatoes cut to 3/4″ thick will take about 45 minutes to roast. For best results and even roasting, cut potatoes to an even thickness and stir the potatoes halfway through. Test the largest chunk of potato – it should be easily pierced with a fork. Use the largest sheet pan that will fit in your oven for even roasting. We use a big 15×21 sheet pan.
Do I have to Peel Sweet Potatoes?
Whether or not you peel your sweet potatoes for roasting is personal preference. Sweet potato skins are tender and you can skip the peeling if you love the texture of the skins. It will be even easier.
A tray of cubed roasted sweet potatoes is like adult candy. I’ll pull this out of the oven and take little bites while making dinner until I realize a quarter of it is gone! These roasted sweet potatoes disappear quickly every time. Make it once and you’ll make it again and again!
Push the roasted garlic cloves out of the sleeves and serve tossed with the sweet potatoes. I hope this roasted sweet potato recipe becomes a new favorite for you!
The Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes:
These are all of the classic Thanksgiving side dishes that we traditionally make for our Thanksgiving dinner. Make them all for the ultimate Thanksgiving feast.
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes – just read the reviews!
- Turkey Gravy – a must-have with Juicy Turkey
- Green Bean Casserole – made from scratch
- Cranberry Sauce – so good with orange zest
- Soft Dinner Rolls – don’t forget honey butter
- Potato Salad – way better than storebought
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bacon
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
- Slice the whole un-peeled garlic head in half horizontally (parallel with the roots). Peel and slice sweet potatoes into 3/4" thick pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced sweet potatoes, halved garlic head, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and toss to combine.
- Place in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet with the garlic cut-side-up. Bake at 400˚F for 20 min. Remove from oven, stir the sweet potatoes, sprinkle pieces of bacon evenly over the top and bake another 25-30 min or until sweet potatoes are tender and bacon is crisp.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Serve these maple roasted sweet potatoes and bacon as the most delicious side dish. I’m so tempted to pick some right off the screen and unfortunately for me, there weren’t any leftovers (there never are!)… Best to make them again.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I had asked a question, but now I can’t find the other comments and the answer!
HI Darlene, your question is answered below. Do a Command + F to find your name on the page and it will take you there. It depends on what else you are baking – if the temperature is the same and you have space in the oven, the bake time will be about the same – maybe slightly longer.
I wonder about oven temp and timing…can I adjust this to go along with other oven dishes baking/roasting at the same time?
ps-your site is my go to place-all recipes I’ve tried are excellent!
Hi Darlene! I’m not quite sure how to do that successfully. It would also depend on which type of dishes you’d be making along with it, it would be best to use those that have similar baking times and temperatures.
I think I am missing what to do with the garlic head after 20min. Do you mix that in as well??
Hi Cathy! See my note in the blog above, “Push the roasted garlic cloves out of the sleeves and serve tossed with the sweet potatoes.”
I hope you love this recipe!
This is the best sweet potatoes that I’ve ever eaten. Once again you have made me the hero in the kitchen. There was no leftovers.
Great job! Thanks a lot for the review, Jonathan.
I cant help but notice that your potatoes glisten….no doubt from the maple syrup. *** I didn’t have any Maple Syrup, so I used “Maple me Crazy” salt by SALTOPIA. OMG!
Only wish I could send you a picture!
Hi Debbi! Thank you for the review. You can always tag me in a picture on Instagram or Facebook #natashaskitchen.
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and it was amazing, but my sweet potatoes were not orange like your photos. They were brown on the outside and white on the inside… can you explain the difference? When I Googled sweet potatoes I didn’t find anything with orange on the inside.
Hi Emily! You may find this article helpful, click here.
This turned out great and was so easy, I’ll definitely make it again. I left out the bacon and it was delicious. I roasted broccolini on the side and added it to the side of the dish when served.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Amber! Thank you for sharing.
My mom makes this but with cranberries and cooks, the sweet potatoes until they get a little bit crispy. We also use our own bacon that we raise. It is my brother’s all-time favorite. 🙂
That sounds good too, Kendall. Thanks for sharing!
I have tried many sweet potato recipes and this is by far my favorite!!! I’m so glad I gave this recipe a try. The bacon combined with the sweet roasted potatoes is perfection. Thank you for another great recipe.
Thank you for your lovely review, Yvonne! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love your recipe for sweet potato & bacon casserole but have you tried to add halved Brussel Sprouts to the roasting pan? Children love them cooked this way and a good way to get the greens in them as well.
Thanks, Carol. I haven’t tried that yet but I think it will just be fine.
You have read my mind. I was going to try this. Is the cooking time the same or do you add the sprouts halfway through?
Your roasted sweet potato recipe is wonderful. We usually make a much sweeter sweet potato dish. I thought I’d give your recipe a try. We loved it.
I’ll probably continue to make your recipe for holidays. Delicious & healthier. Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent.
Thank you, Kirk!
Hello there, thank you for your blog l follow religiously. Can you tell me the weight of a stick of butter, we don’t have sticks in Australia only blocks of 250 and 500grm. Also is your oven fan forced ?
Thank you Rosina
Hi Rosina, 1 stick of butter is 113 grams. If you click “metric” in the recipe card, you can see the conversion there also.
Thank you, Natasha for your wonderful but easy to make recipes. I am taking all my recipes for Christmas from you.
You inspire me to love cooking 🙂
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Can you make this in the slow cooker?
Hi Louisa, I don’t see any comments using a slow cooker. I worry that it won’t truly be roasted potatoes at that point. If you are happy to try that I would love to know how you like that.
I love to make this recipe every year for Thanksgiving but this year I had an idea to make it in the slow cooker. Has anyone tried making it in the slow cooker? If so, Can you please share the temp and time allowed for meal to cook? Thank you!!😄
Hi Louisa, I took a look, and I don’t see any comments using a slow cooker. I worry that it won’t truly be roasted potatoes at that point. If you happy to try that I would love to know how you like that.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family
Thank you and same to you, Tony!
Hi! I have a friend I’ll be cooking for and she doesn’t use oils in her foods. Will this work using butter and skipping the maple?
Hi Katherine, I have not tested that yet to advise but I imagine it should also work. If she will do that as an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Wow. Old entry that I didn’t respond to, sorry! It worked great with the butter. I’m now using Ghee and love it! My friends love this recipe, thank you!
I’m so glad it all worked out, Katherine!
Love this yam dish but does everything have to include bacon!? I make this without bacon and sooooo good.
Glad you loved it, Carol, It is optional so feel free to omit the bacon if you prefer that.
If I don’t have the whole garlic can I used minced garlic.
Hi Niko, that could work, but the minced garlic is more likely to burn. You might add it when you stir the potatoes.
Do you squeeze the roasted garlic and stir into potatoes?
Hi Bev, we do after it is roasted and it’s so delicious!
Your pictures are if Yams. Yams have a orange or reddish color inside and out. Sweet potato’s have a white skin outside and whit flesh inside.
There are about ten verities of yams but only 2 of sweet potato’s
I am from New Zealand and the picture is definitely sweet potatoes. Yams look very different and are much smaller. The ones pictured are orange kumara and the ones with white flesh are called red kumara. Well that’s how it works over here haha! I have just made this recipe and your green bean casserole one for our Christmas dinner tomorrow!
I think you mean perpendicular to the root. 😉
Can’t wait to try this!
your recipe looks delicious
You are correct. Perpendicular. The photos helped! Do not wish to elaborate, I have nothing more to add, but it says that I have to have at least 50 characters.
I look at all your recipes and your demonstrations on how to prepare your dishes..You are so good and you make it easy to do it yourself…I just love all the posts of your dishes..Please keep on posting…I would love to be able to be as good as you..
Aww you’re so nice! Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Dolly!
I meant to rate a 5 star review, don’t know why 4 showed :/
No worries and thank you for your excellent review!
I made these tonight for dinner and I wished I had taken a photo! It was so full of flavour, although I have to admit, I did a few alterations to the cooking process. I placed the cut garlic with some olive oil, salt & pepper in the oven until I was done with the next step. I browned the bacon, scooped it out and let it set on a papertowel. Added the cut up sweet potatoe, olive oil, salt & pepper in the bacon fat until the potatoes were browned then I added the maple syrup. Tranferred this all into the garlic dish and baked until the potatoes were tender. I sprinkled the reserved bacon on top of the yummy sweet potatoes This recipe is a keeper, what a wonderful combination of the sweet potato and maple syrup with the salty bacon, thank you Natasha for sharing ~ love it!!!
That is so wonderful to hear and thank you so much for sharing some of the alterations that you did with the recipe. We appreciate it!
I am so intrigued by this recipe. I use a lot of your recipes, never disappointed. I am planning to make this for Thanksgiving. Question, can I make this the day before and heat it up? Thank you.
Hi Kerry, yes you can make them ahead and they do reheat pretty well both in the oven and on the stovetop. It is a good idea to reheat them either way so your bacon crisps/freshens up and it is best served warm.
Do you add the garlic with the sweet potatoes to serve? In your pictures, I don’t see the cloves mixed in with the sweet potato chunks. Does the garlic have a very strong flavor when mixed in? I’d like to make this for Thanksgiving and would love to know. Thanks!
Hi, the cloves are very mild after roasting on high heat. I like to sprinkle them over the sweet potatoes to serve but you can do it to preference. My children don’t love the garlic but my husband and do.
Hi Natasha, I am Muslim and we don’t eat bacon. I am super fond of your recipes. So, which meat should be used in the replacement of bacon.
Hi, it would be difficult to find something comparable to bacon but if you wanted that little salty bite, you might sprinkle some parmesan in towards the end of roasting.
Consider trying “Beef Bacon”. It is not always easy to find pre-packaged, but most butcher shops will know what you’re after if no luck at your local grocery store.
Feta cheese also goes great with sweet potatoes and squash, and would also give that salty flavor.
So what happens to the garlic? Do you just roast it with the potatoes then discard? I scanned over the comments and didn’t find the answer.
Hi Karen, we have this note in the recipe that should help “Don’t skip the roasted garlic – pop the little cloves out of their sleeves and indulge. Maple-bacon flavored roasted garlic is incredible.”
Sweet potatoes and bacon are a match made in foodie heaven. These were divine. Making again for Thanksgiving.
They sure are aren’t they, Alli! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Natasha you’ve done it again my friend! Such an incredibly easy to make delicious side dish. The bacon just takes it over the top and it is so good. Thanks for another hit!
You’re welcome, Billy! Thank you for that great review!
Little but significant extras like roasted garlic and bacon made this sweet potato recipe so delicious. It’s easy enough for everyday but also special enough for a holiday table. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Julia.
OMG. Why have I never thought of adding bacon to roasted sweet potatoes? I typically do marshmallows but this is way better.
Isn’t it the best, Trang! Thank you for that awesome review.
What a perfect combination, need to try this recipe!
I hope you give it a try soon, Katie! Thank you for that awesome review.
hello!
in the ingredients it reads sea salt but in the instructions it’s kosher salt. which one do I use ? 🙂
thank you!
Hi Monica, sea salt is correct but any salt will work here. Sorry about that – not sure why I wrote kosher salt? Must have been typing fast!
I live on my own so instead of cutting the recipe can I freeze the remainder
Hi Dianne, I think that should work fine.
FYI, most grocery stores where I live label sweet potatoes “yams”, so make sure you double check when buying them. Good recipe!
Thanks Dima!
Do you think this would work with butternut squash?
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried that before. Sweet potatoes are sweeter than butternut or acorn squash if you’ve tried those and about the same in consistency. The centers are more creamy to the bite than a roasted regular potato would be. I hope you give it a try. We LOVE sweet potatoes. If you experiment with butternut squash I would love to know how you like it!
I made this last night for dinner and it was a HUGE hit. Another favorite recipe. Thank You!
That’s so awesome, Annette! Thank you for this great review!
Hi Natasha! Can I substitute maple syrup with olive oil so they are not that sweet?
Hi Luda, yes that would work great or you could just omit the maple syrup 🙂
My girls and I made these last night because I need to bring a side to thanksgiving dinner at the in laws. I’m so glad we tried it, I luckily already had all the ingredients and my husband said he really liked them. I will definitely be making this to bring to dinner and I’m thinking of making your strawberry cake for dessert. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
I’m glad to hear the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for sharing your great review Sarah! 🙂
I love the dish the 1st time around especially with my black bean soup I make.
The 2nd time around i wanted my bacon more crispy so I par-cooked the bacon and used some of the fat rendered as substitute instead of olive oil to mix in with the spices and sweet potatoes.
A healthier option would be to par-cook the bacon, keep the olive oil in the mix, and toss out the rendered bacon fat from the par-cooked process.
Thank you for sharing, it will not become a staple in our home.
You’re welcome Allan! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
My husband, who is not a huge fan of sweet potatoes, ate these straight out of the pan! I thought they were pretty tasty too. An excellent side dish for a special occasion, just make sure your people-swatter is handy!
LOL! I’m glad to hear you both enjoy this recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Inga!
Can I use yam instead of sweet potato?
Hi Dana, in the US, yam and sweet potato are often used interchangeably. Some grocery stores call them yams and some sweet potatoes.
Hi Dana, in the US, yam and sweet potato are often used interchangeably. Some grocery stores call them yams and some sweet potatoes.
Natasha, these sweet potatoes are soo delicious! thank you for sharing the recipe with us! I personally never knew how to cook them, and my family doesn’t eat them either. I am just in love with how flavorful they are, with minimal ingredients too! I will definitely be making this again.
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing your awesome review!
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I made it for my family Thanksgiving yesterday –doubled it, in fact! — and not one bit leftover!! Everyone raved about it as they devoured it!! I also love how you slice the whole garlic bulb in half–it’s so beautiful (and simple to roast!)!
5-stars all around!!
Jody, you are very welcome and thank you for sharing such a rave review! 😁
These are AMAZING! I’m speechless…these are incredible! I just made them tonight for thanksgiving tomorrow and CANNOT stop eating them! Sweet potatoes and maple syrup are two of my favorite foods but add bacon and roasted garlic and I am literally in food heaven. THANK YOU!!! The only thing I added was an extra Tablespoon of maple syrup at the halfway point drizzled over the potatoes and bacon. Otherwise I followed everything to a T!
Ha ha! That sounds like me. I wouldn’t have enough self control to make them the day before. lol. I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!! 🙂
Yum. Dip in sour cream!
I do not have maple syrup..is there anything I can substitute it with? Like honey? I have never had sweet potatos before and this looks so good I am going to give sweet potatoes a try..
Maple syrup compliments sweet potatoes really well but I think honey would work as well 🙂
I’m making this for a work party and making it the night before. What do you suggest is the best way to keep the dish warm until the party?
Hi Toni, you could keep it in a warm oven or tent with foil, or place in a covered casserole dish.
This looks amazing, but the instructions for what to do with the garlic at the end are a little vague. Should we combine the garlic cloves with everything else, or is it cook’s choice? Thanks!
Hi Taylor, it is the cook’s choice. We toss it in with the roasted sweet potatoes and enjoy everything together 🙂
hi-this sounds and looks sooo amazingly delicious! I’m hesitant on the garlic tho! Help. Do you mix the cloves in after, or leave them on side as an option? I LOVE garlic, but fear the garlic wont compliment the syrup. If I have time, I will try to make trial run!
You can omit the garlic if you aren’t keen on it. It works well with the rest of the dish – you can serve it in the potatoes or on the side, or not at all. It will still work 🙂
This looks delicious! If I left out the maple syrup would it still work? Cooking for someone who can’t have sugar right now. Thanks!
Julie, it would still work great and you are welcome 😀.
Thank you! It’s on the Thanksgiving menu 😀
Made this at Thanksgiving, left out the maple syrup for my sister. Everyone loved it!!
That is music to my ears! Thank you for sharing that with us 🙂
Do you think you could make these ahead? I’d like to make them for Thanksgiving, but my oven will be filled with so much other stuff.
Hi Kathy, yes you can make them ahead and they do reheat pretty well both in the oven and on the stovetop. It is a good idea to reheat them either way so your bacon crisps/freshens up and it is best served warm :).
Hi my husband is vegetarian but I would like to try this recipe. I notice persons say the sweetness of the potatoes is balanced by the saltiness of the bacon. Can you recommended a substitute for bacon that will give the same saltiness and create the same balance? Thank you.
Hi Nilia, the only thing that comes to mind is maybe parmesan cheese.
Nilia, rice paper bacon is perfect for this! Check out Edgy veg for example!
Great side dish! My husband loved it! Definitely a keeper. 🙂
Vika, thank you for the great review, I’m glad to heart that 😀.
Hi Natasha,
I followed your Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bacon recipe and your recipe for double leche Tres Leche cake for a small get together. I now feel like a Rockstar! You have great recipes! I find myself often checking on your site to see what else I can make!
Awww! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Simple to make and delicious. Would be great for the holidays. I had a small pumpkin and used this recipe with it. A great alternative for potatoes as well.
Will use this recipe again for sure
Galina
Galina, thank you for sharing such a nice review 😄. I want to try a pumpkin next time myself.
DO YOU COOK THE BACON FIRST BEFORE YOU PUT IT INTO THE SWEET POTATO MIX?
Hi Michele, there is no need to pre-cook the bacon since it roasts with the sweet potatoes. The additional 25-30 minutes of roasting once the bacon goes in is ample time for the bacon to brown. If using thick-cut bacon, you would want to put it in earlier but with regular bacon, this method works without needing to cook the bacon separately 🙂
Hi Natasha, I wanted to see how my new KitchenAid Mixer works so I made dessert before dinner – never a good idea!! I made your chocolate chip cookies; then for dinner tonight, I made your roasted pork tenderloin and maple roasted sweet potatoes with bacon. I also added onions to roast alongside them and this was a huge hit. My boyfriend and Mom raved about them all! Thanks for the great recipes and keep up the good work. I will be making these again…the tenderloin was so easy!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipes!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful reviews 🙂
I love coming to “your place”. Sweet potatoes and bacon are perfect match. Thank you !
You are very welcome, I’m glad you like the recipe 😄.
Sweet Potatoes and I are best friends. I officially cannot live without them, which is weird because I didn’t eat them for about 17 years!
GiGi, I was kind of the same way for the 15 years of my life. Now they are in my weekly meal rotation 😁.
I made the creamy sweet potato soup and I LOVED it! Thankyou for sharing! I actually went to the store and got sweet potatoes, that what the lable said, but they where white inside! like a real potato. That was a first. I loved the soup. Keep up the good work
Thank you Natasha for the wonderful review and you are welcome 😁.
What a perfect flavor combination for this time of year! Thanks for sharing =)
It really is and we’re completely smitten 🙂 I hope you love it!
These look amazing, Natasha! And yes I love the sweet potatoes contrasting with the salty bacon. Bacon I think just makes everything better! 😉 Will definitely make this. Love it!
I definitely agree about bacon making everything better! 🙂 Thank you so much Sheila 🙂
How do sweet potatoes taste like? Can you add link to all your sweet potatos recipes?
Hi Natasha, they taste like a sweet creamy potato. It’s hard to describe – they are sweeter than butternut or acorn squash if you’ve tried those and about the same in consistency. The centers are more creamy to the bite than a roasted regular potato would be. I hope you give it a try. We LOVE sweet potatoes 🙂 Here are my other sweet potato recipes.