Sweet potatoes have been a staple at the Thanksgiving table for years. They are versatile, healthy, and quite delicious no matter how you prepare them making them a great side dish for any meal throughout the year, in all honesty. Today's recipe, Agave Roasted Sweet Potatoes, is a new age take on the classic roasted potato recipe using agave as a sweetener, making the recipe truly Vegan as well as lowering the glycemic index for diabetics and those trying to shed a few pounds. If you are going to be a glutton at Thanksgiving you might as well enjoy some more healthy options that taste even sweeter and better, eh? Whether you are a die-hard Vegan or just looking for sugar alternative recipes, these Agave Roasted Sweet Potatoes will have you asking for more....Let's Get Cooking!
Prep work for this recipe is simply peeling and dicing the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes so depending on your knife skills and oven I highly suggest beginning by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. By the time you peel and chop up the sweet potatoes the oven should be just about ready to go. The only real thing to note with the prep work for this recipe is to dice your sweet potatoes into equal sized cubes. Otherwise, some will cook faster than others leaving you with over and undercooked sweet potatoes. You don't have to be exact by any means, but try and keep everything fairly similar sized and adjust your cooking time based on that aspect rather than uneven cooking.
Once all your sweet potatoes have been peeled and diced, pour over some olive oil, agave, lemon juice, and a bit of salt before tossing everything well until all the pieces are evenly coated with the mixture.
Pour this mixture into a 9x13 baking pan and spread the cubes out evenly. There will be excess liquids in the bottom of the pan at first, but they will be gradually soaked up by the sweet potatoes as they cook and soften. Once your oven is preheated, slide the baking dish in as is, uncovered, and bake for 60 to 90 minutes, depending on how small you initially diced your sweet potatoes. Be sure to remove and stir the sweet potatoes around as they bake, about every 20 to 30 minutes, so they remain covered in those sweet juices and roast evenly throughout.
My batch ended up taking closer to the 90 minute range to get cooked and softened. Every oven and sweet potato is different, though, so just check them when you take them out to stir and base your cooking time on their softness. be careful not to overcook them to mushy mashed sweet potatoes, but make sure they are soft in the middle and not still hard before you remove them from the oven completely.
It is really that simple to make these delicious Agave Roasted Sweet Potatoes! They are great for holiday meals such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, but they also pair well with just about any meal so feel free to make these part of your normal weekly dinner. The recipe card below will help you adjust portion sizes accordingly so whether you make a giant batch or just enough for a meal, anyone can bring these to the table knowing everyone will be satisfied and eating a healthy side dish! These sweet potatoes are fully Vegan and great for anyone watching their weight or have diabetic dietary restrictions so don't worry about Crazy Aunt Sally or your EMO teenager complaining about any part of the recipe....Just Keep Cooking!
AGAVE ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
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