These Roasted Sweet Potato Halves have crisp edges, deeply caramelized bottoms, and tender, fluffy centers. They roast cut-side down in seasoned butter, which creates the most delicious golden crust with hardly any effort – no peeling or dicing required.
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Roasted Sweet Potato Halves Video
Caramelized Roasted Sweet Potato Recipe
We’ve been roasting our sweet potatoes this way since my husband discovered it, and it has quickly become a go-to. Even my kids love these, and I think it’s because the caramelized edges taste a little like candy.
You can bite right into them, skin and all – and the creamy centers are meltingly tender. The warm spices make these roasted sweet potato halves perfect for Thanksgiving alongside Cornbread and Au Gratin Potatoes. They’re also simple enough for weeknight dinners year-round, and especially cozy in fall and winter.
Ingredients for Roasted Sweet Potato Halves
Caramelized roasted sweet potatoes are such a simple dish with the perfect blend of fall spices. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Sweet Potatoes – You’ll need 2 lbs or about 3 medium sweet potatoes. Choose potatoes that are similar in size so they roast at the same rate.
- Butter – I use unsalted, but salted works fine. For a dairy-free and vegan option, substitute 4 Tbsp olive oil and skip the butter-melting step.
- Seasonings – The chili powder adds mild, smoky flavor, while cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
How to Roast Sweet Potato Halves in the Oven
This easy side dish spends most of the recipe time roasting in the oven to give the roasted sweet potato halves that caramelized crust without extra prep time.
- Melt the butter – Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add butter to a rimmed sheet pan and let it melt in the oven for 5 minutes. Season the melted butter by swirling in the spices right on the pan.
- Arrange the sweet potato halves in the seasoned butter, cut side down, pressing them down to coat. Also brush some seasoned butter over the skins.
- Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven until fork-tender (30-40 minutes depending on size).
- Serve – Flip the sweet potato halves over, coat with the caramelized butter from the pan, and serve warm.
Natasha’s Serving Tip
Try serving with the lemon-garlic Greek yogurt dipping sauce from my Smashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe.
Tips for the Best Roasted Sweet Potato Halves
This recipe is incredibly easy, especially with these tried-and-true tips for the best caramelized roasted sweet potatoes.
- Size – Use similarly sized potatoes so the halves cook at the same rate
- Don’t crowd the pan – leave room between the halves to caramelize instead of steam.
- Check for doneness – the sweet potatoes are ready when a fork slides easily into the thickest part.
- For the best caramelization – keep the sweet potatoes cut side-down and don’t flip them while roasting. Leaving them undisturbed against the hot pan gives the natural sugars time to caramelize and form a crust at the edges.
Make-Ahead and Storage
These are best served straight from the oven, but leftovers reheat well. Let the potatoes cool briefly, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze up to 3 to 4 months.
Reheat in a 350˚F oven, air fryer, or skillet, cut-side-down, until hot.
What to serve with Roasted Sweet Potato Halves
These roasted sweet potatoes pair with everything from weeknight Spatchcock Chicken and Pot Roast to a full Thanksgiving dinner. Here are some of our favorites:
- Juicy Roast Turkey
- Baked Ham
- Mashed Potatoes
- Pear Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Best Stuffing Recipe
- Sourdough Bread
This simple Caramelized Roasted Sweet Potato Halves recipe makes a satisfying and rich side dish you’ll make over and over again.
Roasted Sweet Potato Halves
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes, (about 2 large, 3 medium, or 5 small), scrubbed and cut in half lengthwise
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, or 4 Tbsp olive oil for dairy-free*
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to serve
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter – Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center. Add the butter to a 13×18-inch rimmed sheet pan and place it in the oven until melted and just beginning to foam, about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Stir the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt, and pepper directly into the melted butter until combined.
- Arrange the sweet potatoes cut-side down in the seasoned butter, leaving a little space between each one. Press the cut side into the seasonings and butter, giving it a little twist, then brush some of the melted seasoned butter over the skins.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes* depending on size, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the cut sides are deeply caramelized.
- Serve – Carefully flip the potatoes over and spoon any buttery caramelized drippings from the pan over the top before serving. Try dipping them into the sauce for our Smashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe.
Notes
Allow the potatoes to cool and store them within 2 hours in the fridge or freezer.
- To refrigerate – store in an airtight container for 3-4 days
- To freeze – store in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or reheat from frozen.
- To reheat – reheat refrigerated sweet potatoes cut-side-down in a 350˚F oven or air fryer, or in a skillet over medium-low heat until hot. If reheating from frozen, use the oven or air fryer and allow extra time.
