A few Thanksgivings ago I was in charge of the sweet potato dish for our dinner at my in-laws. I was going to make roasted sweet potatoes in the oven, but my mother-in-law didn’t have a couple of the spices that the recipe called for. She did have a container of Pumpkin Spice so we decided to try that. It was Thanksgiving after all and it seemed to fit the theme. They turned out amazing and those of us who like sweet potatoes loved them!
Now this is the only way I make sweet potatoes. They only require 3 ingredients so they are super easy to make. I used to make these just for myself, but my kids have taken a liking to sweet potatoes too, so now I have to make extra so they don’t steal all of my share. 😊
Sweet potatoes or yams?
Some call them sweet potatoes and some call them yams. They all have a similar shape and taste, but there are a variety of skin and flesh colors. They also have different origins, but you will often see the red skinned sweet potatoes labeled as yams. The types you will usually see in the store are sweet potatoes (light yellow skin), Jewel Yams (similar looking skin to the russet potato), and Garnet Yams (rough dark red skin with orange flesh). The most common variety that people eat are Garnet Yams that are actually Sweet Potatoes according to some sources. If you are interested in learning more about sweet potatoes and yams, this article explains more about the origin of them.
The difference between sweet potatoes and yams
How to cook Pumpkin Spice Sweet Potatoes
To start, peel and cut your sweet potatoes into chunks. The amount you use is totally up to you. It all depends on how many in your family like sweet potatoes. For my kids and myself, I cut up 2-3 medium sized sweet potatoes.
Next, place the sweet potatoes in a bowl and toss with some extra virgin olive oil. You want to add just enough oil so the potatoes are covered.
Now is the fun part which is sprinkling on the pumpkin spice. Again, I just sprinkle the spice until the sweet potatoes are well covered, stirring and mixing as I go. You can decide how much spice you like.
Finally, spread the sweet potatoes out in a greased baking dish and place them in the oven. Bake them at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, stirring them every 15-20 minutes. You want the potatoes to be soft, but not mushy.
Once you start cooking sweet potatoes this way, you may be hooked and never try another way again. Enjoy! 🙂
Recommended posts: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Pumpkin Spice Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes/yams
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1-2 tbsp pumpkin spice seasoning
Instructions
- Peel and cut sweet potatoes into chunks.
- Toss in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil.
- Sprinkle pumpkin spice on sweet potatoes while stirring until potatoes are well covered.
- Place sweet potatoes into a greased baking dish.
- Baked in oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, checking potatoes and stirring them every 15 minutes or so. Cook until potatoes are soft, but not mushy.
Notes
