2poundssweet potatoesscrubbed, peeled if desired and sliced crosswise into ½” rounds
2tablespoonsmelted butter
salt and pepperto taste
¼cupmaple syrup
1tablespoonsbrown sugarmore or less to taste
½cupchopped pecans
Instructions
Prep: Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Season sweet potatoes: Toss the sweet potatoes with melted butter, salt and pepper. Spread out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake sweet potatoes: Bake for 20 minutes, until the bottoms are starting to brown.
Add maple syrup mixture: Combine maple syrup, brown sugar and chopped pecans. Flip the sweet potato slices, then divide maple syrup mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes. Finish baking for 5 minutes, or until syrup is bubbly.
Video
Notes
Note: I first published this recipe in 2019, calling for a temperature of 500°F. Some readers sliced the sweet potatoes too thin and the high temperature ruined their Thanksgiving side. I don't want to ruin anyone's holiday dinner, so I changed the recipe to call for a lower baking temperature. If you're previously made it at 500°F with success, feel free to continue doing so!Ingredient notes
skip the brown sugar to make it entirely naturally sweetened - it will be a little less caramelized but still divine
you can use something like coconut oil in place of the butter to make this dairy-free and vegan
use walnuts in place of the pecans if you don't have them on hand
Recipe tips
Make sure to slice the potatoes into ½ inch slices, otherwise the roasting times given in the recipe will be off.
Try to place the maple syrup mixture into the middle of each sweet potato round so it doesn't run down the side so much; that's how you get the most tasty topping onto every slice.
For a nice hint of warm spices, try adding your favorite spices - I used cinnamon here, but allspice, a pinch of nutmeg or even pumpkin pie spice are all delicious, too.
Make ahead tipsYou can prep all the ingredients a day ahead - slice up the sweet potatoes and keep them in an airtight container covered with first a layer of damp paper towels and then the lid tightly secured. Chop the pecans and combine the maple syrup and brown sugar in a small jar with a lid (do not mix the pecans and maple syrup yet, or the nuts will turn very soft).