Anyone who says it’s possible to make perfectly crispy sweet potato fries from the oven is probably lying. In the oven, sweet potatoes burn easily, steam easily, and just don’t have what it takes to become a perfectly crisp, baked, fry.

Here’s my attempt.

I soaked evenly cut sweet potatoes in cold water for an hour to draw out the excess starch. Then, I spun the fries in a salad spinner and wiped down each fry with paper towels until they were completely dry. I tossed the fries in a light coating of cornstarch and cayenne pepper. I lightly coated the fries (and baking sheet) with a quick and even spray of olive oil. After baking the fries for 25 minutes at 425°F, I flipped each fry over, maintaining even spacing, and cooked for another 20 minutes.

I made a quick dip with nonfat, plain, Greek yogurt as  a base. I added fresh dill, lime juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar.

Some were flimsy, some were crispy, and some were burnt. While nothing beats deep fried fries, these were tasty!