Crispy and tender air fryer sweet potato chunks - brown sugar and cinnamon spiced sweet potato cubes make an easy holiday side dish, or switch it up with a savory spice blend! Learn how long to cook sweet potatoes in air fryer -- sweet potato cubes are so easy! Best of all, this quick and easy side dish is vegan and gluten free, so it's perfect for all your guests!
For more air fryer shortcuts, check out my Air Fryer Hash Browns and my Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls!
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Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chunks - Brown Sugar and Cinnamon
We're making this air fryer sweet potato cubes two ways! First, we're channeling lots of fall and holiday goodness with our air fryer sweet potato chunks! Brown sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup bring out all of the sweetness in the sweet potatoes and make for a lovely holiday side dish! And once you've tried these, check out my baked mac and cheese recipe!
Savory Spiced Version
For a savory version, you can make these air fryer sweet potato cubes with a delicious seasoning blend! We'll toss our sweet potatoes in garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and black pepper, a blend that brings out the natural flavor of the sweet potatoes and makes them so good!
Are air fried sweet potatoes bad for you?
These air fryer sweet potatoes are vegan and gluten free (double-check your labels), they don't use too much oil, and they're a simple recipe with real ingredients! So while I'm no nutrition expert, I wouldn't say they're bad for you at all! In fact, you can even make them oil-free!
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chunks - No Oil
To make these air fryer sweet potato cubes with no oil, just prepare the seasoned potatoes as normal, and add a tablespoon maple syrup before tossing them into the air fryer! The maple syrup adds a nice caramelization, and while the sweet potatoes won't get as crisp, they'll still be so delicious!
Ingredients for Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes
- sweet potatoes - they should be peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks. Or you can use frozen sweet potato chunks -- see the recipe card below for instructions for those!
- olive oil - you'll want to add about a tablespoon of oil to help make these sweet potatoes nice and crispy!
- salt - add salt to your taste to help bring out the flavors in these potatoes!
To make the brown sugar-cinnamon version of these air fryer sweet potato chunks, you'll also need
- cinnamon - I love the addition of a bit of spice to bring out the natural sweet potato flavor!
- brown sugar - a touch of brown sugar complements the cinnamon perfectly.
- maple syrup - this is optional, but you can drizzle on some maple syrup after they're done cooking for a bit more sweetness! You can also use honey if you're not vegan.
Or for the seasoned spice blend version, you'll need:
- smoked paprika - I love how smoked paprika works so well with sweet potatoes! But if you can't get your hands on smoked paprika, regular paprika works too.
- cracked black pepper - a little cracked pepper is so delicious on these air fryer sweet potatoes! I used my new electric pepper mill, which I love!
- cayenne pepper - the heat of cayenne pepper is a perfect complement to these flavors! If you prefer, you can use less or omit it altogether.
- garlic powder - we'll add in garlic powder for a bit more savory flavor.
- ground cumin - I love the flavor of cumin along with the smoky paprika and cayenne!
Equipment
You’ll definitely need an air fryer for this recipe! I’d recommend one with lots of basket space like this one, so that you can fit more of your sweet potatoes in at once and keep them in a single layer. Other than that, you’ll just need a mixing bowl to toss your sweet potatoes in seasoning and olive oil! Here are a few tools I recommend:
How Long to Cook Sweet Potatoes in Air Fryer
So what's the sweet potato air fryer time and temp that works best? I like to start these air fryer sweet potato cubes for 8 minutes in the air fryer, then shake the basket to toss them a bit. Then another 6-7 minutes, check their doneness, and add a few minutes if necessary. Usually they're tender and crispy after 15 minutes!
Frozen Sweet Potatoes in Air Fryer
You can also use this method to cook frozen sweet potatoes in your air fryer! I often buy bags of frozen cubed sweet potatoes and I love to have the option to cook them straight out of the freezer. You'll actually want to cook them about the same amount of time -- just toss about 1½ cups of frozen sweet potato chunks in olive oil (you may need a bit extra to coat them well) and seasoning as listed in the recipe card below, and heat them in the air fryer at 400° F for about 15 minutes, checking and shaking the basket after 8 minutes. You can also toss them in a bit more olive oil halfway through to help them crisp up a bit better.
Tips and F.A.Q.
Soaking the sweet potatoes is a good way to eliminate some of their starch, giving them a crispier, french-fry texture. But I don't think it'll be necessary with these potatoes, which are more of a roasted potato texture -- they still have their starchiness, but they also have those crispy edges that we love!
You don't -- the beauty of an air fryer is that it doesn't require oil to crisp up your favorite foods! For this recipe, you have the option to toss your sweet potatoes in oil to help amp up that crispy factor, but it's not strictly necessary.
You can story your air fried sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the air fryer at 375°F for about 5 minutes or until heated.
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Side Dishes You'll Love
- Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
- Keto Cranberry Sauce
- Creamy Lemon-Garlic Roasted Cauliflower
- Shrimp Macaroni Salad With Cajun Spices
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Option:
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) light brown sugar - packed
- 1-2 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup - optional; you may also use honey (non-vegan)
Savory Spiced Option
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) cayenne pepper - optional
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) ground cumin
Instructions
- Add sweet potato chunks, olive oil, and salt to a bowl.1 lb sweet potato, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- If making the cinnamon-brown sugar option, add in cinnamon and toss to coat evenly.½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- If making the savory seasoning option, add smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and cumin and toss to coat evenly.½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Add to air fryer basket in a single layer (work in batches if necessary) and cook at 400°F for 14-16 minutes, or until tender inside and crispy and brown on the edges. Shake air fryer basket halfway through cooking.
- If making the cinnamon brown sugar option, remove from air fryer and toss with brown sugar. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve immediately.1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin these air fryer sweet potato cubes for later!
Last Updated on October 3, 2023 by Chenée Lewis
Nikki
I love this recipe. Little bites of sweet and crispy sweet potatoes. They are a perfect side dish.
Chenée Lewis
So glad you liked them!
Mirlene
I love making these sweet potato chunks in the air fryer. They're a perfect side and the brown sugar gives off the sweetest tastes!
Chenée Lewis
I love the sweet version for these sweet potatoes!
Sara Welch
Such a delicious side dish that is perfect for fall! Easily, my new favorite way to enjoy sweet potatoes; my whole family loved them!
Chenée Lewis
Great to hear it! I love how easy these are!
Dana
This is such a good recipe! We love doing our sweet potatoes in the air fryer. Love the spices and extra sweetness this recipe adds!
Chenée Lewis
So glad you like them!
Beth
This recipe is amazing! I can't decide whether to serve this as a side dish or dessert - Yum!
Chenée Lewis
It can be both! 🙂
Cuba Bound
You've given me the best idea!! I'm making this in 2 days. I'm going to par cook the sweet potato cubes and then I'm going to wrap them in bacon and finish them off. Thank You!!!
Chenée Lewis
That sounds AMAZING! Enjoy!
Greg
Nice idea, especially the frozen ones
Chenée Lewis
Thanks! Hope you liked it!
Laurie Perez
Loved them! Thank you! I followed the savory recipe, but added a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon per the sweet version. They turned out fantastic! Will be keeping this recipe and using it often! Thank you!
Chenée Lewis
Wonderful! I love the combination of sweet and savory!
Tavo
These sweet potatoes were soo good! The family devoured them!
Chenée Lewis
Yay! Glad they were a hit!
Sara Welch
Another great recipe for my Air Fryer! Enjoyed these with dinner tonight and they do not disappoint! Perfect for fall and would pair well with just about anything!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! I love them with absolutely everything!
Dana Sandonato
Yessssss! I love this so much. I LOVE all the ginger. It just adds a zip to the sweetness that I've never had with sweet potatoes before. Brilliant!
Chenée Lewis
Glad you liked them! 🙂
Amanda Dixon
The air fryer is such a great way to prepare the potatoes -- it really gives them an amazing texture. I loved the sweet spice mix, but I can't wait to try the savory mix next time for something different!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! I love them both ways!
Sharon
These air fryer sweet potatoes are becoming my healthy go-to side dish! They are perfect on salads or with beef or chicken.
Chenée Lewis
I definitely agree! So glad you like them!