These oven baked sweet potato slices are coated with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. They are topped with pecans for some extra crunch. There is also an option to add marshmallows, if you are looking for an extra sweet treat!
These sweet potato rounds have a soft inside, yet hold their round shape well, which makes them so easy to eat and a great finger food! Pair these sweet potatoes with almost any entrée or serve them as a holiday side dish!
If making this recipe for the holidays, be sure to check out this low sugar cranberry sauce or these gluten free pumpkin bars.
Or, if you are serving these as a meal, pair them with a protein source such as these asian turkey meatballs or this rotel chicken casserole.
Reasons to Love This Recipe
- The flavor is irresistible. When you first bite into one of these roasted sweet potato slices, you will get a combination of caramelized sugar, cinnamon and pecan flavor.
- Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, so the recipe doesn’t require a lot of extra sugar.
- There is an option for a “lighter version”, which leaves off the marshmallows.
- Sweet potatoes have numerous health benefits, which makes this a nutritious side dish.
- This recipe is an easy side dish that can be served year around or brought to your next holiday gathering.
Ingredients Needed
Sweet potatoes: choose sweet potatoes that are firm and have minimal bruising or strings hanging from them. I prefer sweet potatoes that have a wide diameter, so the diameter of the slice is larger when I cut it. If you have leftover sweet potatoes, use them in these BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes or these air fryer sweet potatoes.
Butter: adds flavor, however the amount can be decreased if you are looking for a healthier option.
Brown Sugar: adds sweetness. The brown sugar will caramelize when cooking.
Cinnamon: this provides excellent flavor to the sweet potato rounds.
Pecans: add an excellent flavor and provide some crunch. These can be substituted with walnuts.
Marshmallows: this is an optional ingredient. It adds extra sweetness to the dish.
How To Cut The Sweet Potatoes
The way the sweet potatoes are cut is very important! All slices should be cut to the same thickness. This is really important, because if some slices are thick, while others are thin, they will cook unevenly as thick slices take much longer to cook.
I’ve found this recipe works best when the sweet potatoes are cut into slices that are about ¼ Inch thick- this is the equivalent thickness to about 3 quarters stacked on top of each other. This allows the slices to have a slightly crispy exterior, and soft interior.
Cutting slices too thin will result in a sweet potato chip - the sweet potato will crisp up and there will be no soft interior.
Making Oven Baked Sweet Potato Slices
Chop both ends of the sweet potato and peel all skin. I find it easiest to use a knife and make long cuts down the side of the potato.
Once the potato is peeled, cut it into even slices.
Add all slices to a bowl. Top with melted butter and mix until evenly coated. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the top. Sprinkle it evenly over all pieces and then mix well (you may need to use your hands).
Spread the slices out on a baking sheet. Place them so they are close together, but not overlapping. Top with a couple pecan pieces. If you are planning to add marshmallows, wait to add the pecans.
Bake for 30 minutes (see below note on cooking time).
Optional step: Marshmallows are optional! If adding marshmallows, remove the slices from the oven with 1 minute of cook time remaining. Add 2-3 marshmallows to each sweet potato slice and cook for one more minute, or until melted (watch closely as they will burn easily). Remove from the oven and add the pecans.
How Long To Cook the Sweet Potatoes
After much experimentation, I’ve found that these take about 30 minutes to cook. The goal is to have a soft sweet potato slice that holds together, with the perfect balance of tender and firmness. Cooking them too long will result in a mushy slice, yet cooking them too short will create a hard potato. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of potato.
Healthier Version of Sweet Potato Rounds
Here’s a few ways to make this recipe in a lighter version.
Butter: substitute the butter with olive oil to add in some healthy fats. Or cut the amount of butter used in half.
Sugar: cut the amount of sugar in half and double the amount of cinnamon.
Marshmallows: leave off the marshmallows to save on sugar and calories.
Sweet potato skin: leave the skin on the sweet potato to increase the fiber content.
Tips & Tricks
- Spread the sweet potato slices out evenly on the pan. They should not be overlapping or touching. This helps them retain their shape and prevents them from getting mushy.
- When adding the sugar and cinnamon to the sweet potatoes, sprinkle it evenly over the entire bowl, so it doesn’t end up in one spot. Then, use your hands to mix everything around so all sweet potatoes are fully coated.
- Cut the sweet potato slices evenly, so they all take the same amount of time to cook.
- If you are using small sweet potatoes, check the cooking time after 20 minutes to avoid overcooking them.
- Line the pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Oven Baked Sweet Potato Slices
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup mini marshmallows optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Scrub sweet potatoes under warm water to remove any dirt. Pat dry.
- Slice the ends off both sides of the sweet potatoes. Peel off all skin.
- Slice the sweet potato into pieces that are about ¼ inch thick. Try to keep all pieces the same thickness.
- Add the cut sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Top with melted butter. Mix until all pieces are covered with butter.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes.
- Mix well until all sweet potatoes are covered with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture (you may need to use your hands).
- Spray a baking pan with nonstick pan release spray.
- Place the slices evenly on the pan (they should not be touching or overlapping).
- Add 3-4 pieces of pecans.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft.
- Remove from oven and serve warm.
If Adding Marshmallows to the Top (Optional)
- Place the sweet potato slices on the pan and place in the oven (do not add the marshmallows or pecans yet!).
- Cook for about 30 minutes, or until soft.
- Remove from the oven and top with 2-3 marshmallows. Return to the oven and cook for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted (watch closely, as the marshmallows will burn easily).
- Remove from the oven and top with 2-3 pecan pieces.
- Serve warm.
Christine says
Could you make these early and reheat adding marshmallows?
Maggie says
Terrific recipe - these sweet potatoes would be great for a dessert option.
Thank you!