Roasted Sweet Potatoes Pecans (Print Version)

Sweet potatoes roasted with pecans and maple syrup for a warm, flavorful side dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1.5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

→ Nuts

02 - 3/4 cup pecan halves

→ Seasonings

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss the sweet potato cubes with olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until evenly coated.
03 - Spread the coated sweet potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Roast the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes, then gently toss and scatter pecan halves over them.
05 - Drizzle maple syrup evenly over the sweet potatoes and pecans.
06 - Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender and caramelized and the pecans are toasted.
07 - Serve warm, optionally garnished with extra pecans.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like a sophisticated side dish but requires almost no skill, just a hot oven and your attention for 30 minutes.
  • The pecans stay impossibly crunchy while the sweet potatoes get soft and slightly caramelized, creating this texture contrast that keeps you coming back for more.
02 -
  • If you skip the parchment paper, the bottoms will stick and you'll spend twenty minutes scrubbing—I learned this the hard way so you don't have to.
  • The maple syrup added halfway through matters because if you mix it in at the beginning, it can burn; added at the end, it caramelizes perfectly with the pecans.
03 -
  • Cut your sweet potatoes to the same size so they roast at the same rate—one piece shouldn't be done while another is still firm.
  • Don't wash the pecans or soak them; they'll release their oils naturally during roasting and toast more evenly if they start dry.

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