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I’m a salad lover—one who prefers big, interesting salads piled high with tasty toppings. I don’t do tiny side salads; I want a bowl that’s satisfying and full of flavor. Lately my favorite topping has been sweet potato croutons. These small, crunchy baked cubes of sweet potato add a toasty, slightly sweet crunch to salads, soups, and snacks. They’re simple to make, store well, and even the pickiest eaters in my family devour them.
Sweet potato croutons are one of those magical recipes that appeal to everyone, including kids who usually avoid vegetables. My own children often snack on them straight from the baking sheet, which means I try to keep a batch ready in the fridge. They’re best hot from the oven, but remain pleasantly crunchy for a couple of hours after baking and are still tasty cold from the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If you’ve stored them and want to refresh the texture, lay them in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan and reheat at 400°F for about 4 minutes to return them to near-fresh crispness.
Cook’s Notes
- Even cuts are essential. If the sweet potato cubes are uniform, they’ll roast and crisp evenly. Peel the potato and slice off a thin wafer lengthwise (about 1 centimeter, just under 1/2 inch) so the potato sits flat on the board. Cut the potato into 1-centimeter “cards,” slice each card into 1-centimeter strips, then rotate and cut those strips into 1-centimeter cubes. Repeat until you have evenly sized cubes for uniform roasting.
- Choose large sweet potatoes for this recipe—small, delicate ones are better saved for other uses.
- You only need a small amount of oil: about 1 1/2 tablespoons per large sweet potato. Use a neutral oil with a higher smoke point, such as canola, grapeseed, or pure (not extra-virgin) olive oil. If a potato is especially large, increase the oil to 2 tablespoons. Each cube should look shiny and coated but avoid pooling oil in the bowl.
- Season with a dry rub you enjoy. I often use Cranberry Dry Rub, but za’atar, Cajun seasoning, or homemade buttermilk ranch mix work wonderfully. Toss just enough seasoning with the oiled cubes to coat them without overwhelming the sweet potato—about 1 tablespoon per potato for low-salt blends or 1 teaspoon for high-salt blends is a good starting point.
- Don’t crowd the baking sheet. To get the edges crisp, air needs to circulate around the cubes. Spread them in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan and resist stirring until the bottoms have crisped and released from the pan. Then shake the pan or turn the cubes and return them to the oven to finish crisping.
- Cooking time varies depending on how crunchy you want the croutons. The lower end of the time range gives a softer bite; longer roasting yields a very crunchy crouton. Start tasting a cube every few minutes after the initial recommended time until you reach your preferred crispness.
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Sweet Potato Croutons
Rebecca Lindamood
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Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into ~1 cm cubes (see Cook’s Notes for instructions)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons neutral oil such as canola or grapeseed
- 1 tablespoon Cranberry Dry Rub or another dry seasoning
- sprinkle of kosher salt
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a mixing bowl, toss the sweet potato cubes with oil until all surfaces are shiny and coated. Sprinkle the dry rub over the cubes and toss to distribute the seasoning. Spread the cubes in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan, leaving room for air to circulate. Bake for 25 to 40 minutes, stirring once after about 15 minutes to release any cubes that cling to the pan. After 25 minutes, cool slightly and test one cube for crispness. If you prefer them crispier, return the pan to the oven and check every 5 minutes until they reach the texture you like. Allow the croutons to cool completely to room temperature before using or storing.
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To re-crisp stored croutons:
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Arrange croutons in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan and place in a preheated 400°F oven for 4 to 6 minutes or until hot and crisp. Cool briefly before serving.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutritional values with the actual ingredients you use, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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