Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Bacon

Lightly sweet and slightly smoky, these Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Bacon are a deliciously simple side dish for everyday meals or your next holiday feast. Everything can be prepped ahead so that all you have to do is assemble and bake when you’re ready!

This post was originally published on September 25th, 2018. Updated on November 9th, 2020.

Step Aside, Marshmallows

These Maple-Bacon Sweet Potatoes are about to win a place at your family dinner. Made with fresh sweet potatoes (not canned!) and studded with crispy bacon and caramelized onions, this dish has converted many a sweet potato-hater (myself included) into loyal fans.

And the chances are good that you won’t miss that overly sweet dish topped with marshmallows – but if you do, before you reach for that bag of puffy pillows of corn syrup, consider this Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans. It’s every bit as festive and sweet but without the added refined sugars.

Although we’ve added a touch of maple syrup for flavor and sweetness, you can leave it out if you’re looking for a Whole30-friendly dish to pair with turkey on Thanksgiving or roast chicken on any given Tuesday or…well, just about anytime really. They’re even pretty amazing served over a bed of greens with a couple of fried eggs on top for breakfast! Talk about a versatile roasted sweet potato recipe!

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Bacon Ingredients

You’ll need just 5 ingredients – not including salt and pepper – to make these baked sweet potato cubes. If you don’t already have everything on hand to make them, you’ll probably start once you give them a try.

• Sweet Potatoes – Any kind will work…yams, garnet yams, sweet potatoes – they’re all pretty much the same thing anymore meaning that they’re all interchangeable so use what you have available to you or what you prefer.
• Bacon – Choose the best quality bacon you can source. You only use a few slices so choose one that has a good, smoky flavor. We love thick-cut bacon for this recipe.
• Maple Syrup – Be sure to use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. For a Whole30-friendly option, omit the maple syrup.
• Red Onion – Substitute yellow or white onion, if desired.
• Oil – Avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil both work well. Resist the temptation to add more oil than what the recipe calls for. As the bacon cooks the fat renders out giving the dish just the right amount of fat to be rich and tasty without being greasy or oily.
• Salt and Pepper

How to Make Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Bacon

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425℉. 

Step 2: Combine the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes and sliced onions in a 9×13-inch baking dish or on a large rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup). Toss with maple syrup and oil.

Step 3: Sprinkle the chopped (raw) bacon evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then bake for 20 minutes.

Step 4: After 20 minutes, stir the potatoes to distribute the fat that renders from the bacon. Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, bacon is crisp, and onions are caramelized. Garnish with fresh parsley or thyme, if desired.

Can I make these vegetarian or vegan?

For a vegetarian or vegan option, leave out the bacon and add an additional teaspoon of oil. They won’t have the smoky flavor that you get from bacon, but swapping smoked sea salt for regular salt can add back some of that smoky flavor.

Can these roasted sweet potatoes be made Whole30-friendly?

To make those Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Bacon compliant with a Whole30 program, look for bacon made without sugar or other added sweeteners and omit the maple syrup.

Prep Ahead Tips

If’ you’d like to prepare these Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes with Maple and Bacon for your next holiday feast consider prepping them ahead to cut down on the amount of work you need to do on the big day. Here’s how:

1. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and place them in a large zip-top bag or another container with a lid.
2. Add sliced onions to the bag or container and seal. These can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.
3. Slice the bacon and store it in a small covered container in the fridge (or tuck the container right into the bag with the veggies so that it’s all in one place when you’re ready to cook).

When you’re ready to cook, spread the sweet potatoes and onions over the bottom of a large baking dish or baking sheet. Toss with oil and maple syrup before scattering the bacon evenly over the top and sprinkling with salt and pepper before roasting as directed.

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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

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