Swap out the standard orange sweet potatoes for these oven-roasted purple sweet potato halves! Boasting a beautiful vibrant color, these purple sweet potatoes are crispy on the outside yet light and fluffy on the inside.
Are there certain areas of the grocery store that you unknowingly just walk past without even looking? I spend a good amount of time in the produce section, but for a long time I somehow never noticed purple sweet potatoes.
Then one day, while grabbing regular sweet potatoes (as I usually do), these lavender purple sweet potatoes finally caught my eye. I brought a few home, cooked them up and have been loving them ever since!
There are many ways to use sweet potatoes, but purple sweet potatoes get their own special treatment! My go-to method is to slice them in half, generously coat them in avocado oil (or olive oil), salt and pepper and then roast them facedown. The result is a healthy and delicious plant-based side dish that the whole family loves.
Why You'll Love this Purple Sweet Potatoes Recipe
- Insanely simple - perfect for busy weeknights
- Crispy on the outside and pillowy soft in the middle
- Beautiful bright purple color
- Addictive savory flavors
- Versatile dish - pairs well with many different sauces
- Nutritious
Types of Purple Sweet Potatoes
There are multiple types of purple sweet potatoes. For this recipe I used Stokes Purple, which surprisingly is actually a brand started by a farmer in North Carolina (most of these are now grown in California).
- Stokes: These have purple-tinted skin and bright purple flesh inside. Stokes purple sweet potatoes are sweeter than Okinawan sweet potatoes.
- Okinawan: These have light tan-colored skin and deep purple flesh inside. They tend to be a little creamier than Stokes. They are grown in both Japan and Hawaii and are exported to the mainland United States.
- Murasaki: Also known as Japanese sweet potatoes, these have reddish-purple skin but are white on the inside. I find these to be both the sweetest and moistest of the three, however they look more like regular potatoes once cut into.
- Ube (technically not a sweet potato): I'm adding these because they are often thought of as sweet potatoes when in fact they are purple yams. Ubes have rough skin (almost like tree bark), have light purple fresh and a sweet and nutty flavor.
Ingredients
This easy recipe for delicious roasted purple sweet potatoes uses just the following ingredients:
- Purple sweet potatoes
- Avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
- Salt and black pepper
Talk about simple preparation! I keep it pretty basic here but feel free to add other seasonings such as garlic powder or fresh herbs. You can also use maple syrup for more natural sweetness if making for kids.
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for measurements.
How to Roast Purple Sweet Potatoes
This purple sweet potato recipe is as easy as it gets. For starters, we are keeping the skin on so no peeling is necessary. The prep work only takes a minute!
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Halve the sweet potatoes and coat all sides generously in oil, salt and pepper.
3. Place potatoes facedown in a single layer (not touching one another) in a cast iron skillet and roast for 30-35 minutes. They will be super crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
4. Serve immediately, ideally with a dipping sauce to add more moisture and flavor. I love pairing it with this 5-minute lemon herb tahini, my dairy-free roasted garlic dip or this crazy addictive vegan whipped feta.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Tips
Use a cast iron skillet for best results. Achieving a crispy exterior comes from roasting them at high temperatures, and a cast iron skillet is the best of the best in terms of retaining heat. Cast iron skillets (not enameled cast iron) produce crispy results without burning the potatoes. If you don't have one, a baking sheet lined with parchment paper will work as well but the results just won't be as crispy and caramelized.
Size matters. Adjust the cooking time based on the size of the potatoes. Larger sweet potatoes require longer cooking times and vice versa. Feel free to chop into smaller pieces to reduce the cooking time. Make sure that each potato is a similar size to ensure even cooking.
Serving Suggestions
I've made these purple sweet potatoes so many times and I still haven't served them the same way twice. There really are so many different ways to enjoy them!
For dipping, literally any sauce will do such as a tahini-based sauce, this 5-minute cilantro lime sauce or even pesto! And my kids happily dip these in ketchup.
For more of a main dish, I love serving these with hummus and these crispy chickpeas. I've also stuffed these potatoes with this rich and creamy black lentil marinara sauce!
Purple Sweet Potatoes vs. Regular Sweet Potatoes
Despite sharing the same name and shape, purple and orange sweet potatoes are completely different - way more than just their color!
Purple sweet potatoes are denser, noticeably starchier and have a drier texture than regular sweet potatoes. As a result, purple potatoes tend to not absorb flavors as well as their orange counterparts. I've found that roasting them facedown in the oven not only crisps them up on the outside, but also locks in the moisture and flavors on the inside.
Health Benefits
There are key nutritional differences between orange and purple sweet potatoes too. Both contain vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium and fiber, but whereas orange sweet potatoes boast beta carotene (which converts to vitamin A), purple sweet potatoes are rich in anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins are a class of flavanoids that give many fruits and veggies their red or purple color (think grapes, berries, plums and cabbage). They contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and provide protective effects in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases (source).
I've also written about the health benefits of sweet potatoes compared to russet potatoes in this sweet potato recipe for crispy fries. Like sweet potatoes, russets are a good source of fiber but sweet potatoes contain almost double the amount of vitamin C, which is well known for its positive effects on immune system health (source).
I hope you enjoy these beautiful, nutritious and easy-to-prepare roasted purple sweet potatoes! If you make this colorful side dish, please tag @eatingbyelaine so I can see your creations!
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Crispy Oven-Roasted Purple Sweet Potato Halves
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Swap out the standard orange sweet potatoes for these oven-roasted purple sweet potato halves! Boasting a beautiful vibrant color, these purple sweet potatoes are crispy on the outside yet light and fluffy on the inside. Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 3-4 small purple sweet potatoes, halved
- ¼ cup avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Halve the sweet potatoes and coat all sides generously in olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Place the sweet potato halves facedown in a cast iron skillet and roast for 30-35 minutes. They will be super crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
- Serve immediately, ideally with a dipping sauce to add more moisture. I love pairing them with this 5-minute lemon herb tahini or this crazy addictive vegan whipped feta.
- Prep Time: 2
- Cook Time: 33
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasted
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