These air fryer sweet potato wedges are crisp around the edges, tender inside, and full of sweet-savory flavor. Ready in about 15 minutes, they make an easy side, snack, or addition to a simple bowl.
I love serving these with my creamy vegan chipotle sauce, adding them to a Mexican rice bowl, or turning them into chili sweet potato fries.
🔍 A Quick Look: Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
- 🍠 Recipe: Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
- 🕒 Total Time: 17 minutes
- 🔥 Air Fry Time: 12 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 16 wedges
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, maple syrup, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, plant-based, dairy-free
- ✨ Best For: Easy sides, snacks, bowls, and weeknight dinners
- 💕 My Favorite Part: The sweet-smoky flavor, especially once the edges start to caramelize
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- 🔍 A Quick Look: Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sweet Potato Wedges Seasoning
- How to Make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
- How to Cut Sweet Potato Wedges
- Tested Tips
- Storage
- Serving Suggestions
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges FAQs
- More Easy Recipes to Serve With Sweet Potato Wedges
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Sweet potatoes are a staple in my weekly meals, and these air fryer sweet potato wedges are one of my favorite ways to enjoy them. They’re naturally sweet, crispy on the outside, and really hard to stop eating!
I usually bake sweet potatoes plain, but when I’m craving that sweet–salty crunch, this is my go-to. Quick to prep, easy to love, and even better with a homemade soy burger and a sauce to dip them in.
Most of the time, I’ll turn them into more than a side dish. I love piling them into a bowl with black beans, avocado, and creamy chipotle sauce. So good!
Why This Recipe Works
- The centers stay tender. Cutting the sweet potatoes into thicker wedges gives you a soft center instead of something thin and fry-like.
- Maple balances the savory seasoning. There’s only a teaspoon, so the wedges taste sweet-savory rather than sugary.
- Smoky spices work especially well with sweet potatoes. Smoked paprika, garlic, onion, and cayenne balance their natural sweetness.
- Cornstarch helps the coating brown. Tossing it with the dry seasonings helps create a drier exterior in the air fryer.
Looking for more potato ideas? Try my crispy air fryer wedge potatoes, grilled potato foil packets, or dairy-free cheesy cauliflower and broccoli potatoes.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make homemade sweet potato wedges.
- Sweet potatoes – I use orange sweet potatoes for their naturally sweet flavor and tender texture. Other sweet potato varieties can work, although the texture and sweetness may vary.
- Avocado oil – Helps the seasoning coat the potatoes and encourages browning. Olive oil, grapeseed oil, or another neutral cooking oil can be substituted.
- Maple syrup – Adds a subtle sweetness that works with the smoky seasoning. Agave or date syrup can be used instead, or leave it out for a fully savory version.
- Nutritional yeast – Adds a savory layer without dairy. If you don’t use nutritional yeast, you can simply leave it out.
- Cornstarch – Helps create a drier coating around the wedges. Potato starch or arrowroot can be substituted 1:1.
See recipe card below for full list of ingredients and amounts.
Looking for a sweet potato wedges dip? These are especially good with creamy chipotle sauce, vegan nacho cheese sauce, and vegan lime crema.
Sweet Potato Wedges Seasoning
The seasoning is what takes these from plain sweet potatoes to something irresistible. I use garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, sea salt, and nutritional yeast.
For more heat, add extra cayenne. For smokier heat, use chipotle powder. For a milder version, leave the cayenne out. And if you don’t have smoked paprika, regular paprika works, but you’ll lose some of the smoky flavor.
How to Make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Wash and dry 2 medium-large sweet potatoes thoroughly.
- Step 2: Then, trim both ends of the sweet potato. Slice it into 3-4 equal parts lengthwise. Then cut each part into ½-inch wedges.
- Step 3: After slicing, place the sweet potato wedges in a large bowl. Toss with oil and seasonings until evenly coated.
- Step 4: Place sweet potato slices in a preheated air fryer at 375°F in a single layer. Cook for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through at 6 minutes.
For more easy potato recipes, try these crispy mashed potato tacos, vegan mashed potatoes, or milk free mashed potatoes.
How to Cut Sweet Potato Wedges
The most important thing is keeping the wedges fairly even in thickness so they cook at roughly the same rate.
I aim for about ½-inch-thick wedges, which works well with the 12-minute cooking time in this recipe.
- Wash and dry the sweet potatoes.
- Trim off both ends.
- Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise.
- Continue cutting each half lengthwise into wedges about ½-inch thick.
They don’t need to be identical. Consistent thickness matters more than an exact shape.
Sweet potato wedges pair really well with refried black beans made with canned beans and vegan lentil meatloaf.
Tested Tips
- Dry the sweet potatoes thoroughly before seasoning. Moisture on the surface makes it harder for the wedges to brown well.
- Coat in two stages. Toss the wedges with the oil and maple syrup first, then add the cornstarch mixed with the dry seasonings. This helps everything cling evenly without powdery patches.
- Give the wedges room to cook. Crowding the basket traps steam, so arrange them in a single layer and cook in batches if needed.
- Watch the color near the end. Because of the maple syrup, the edges can darken quickly. Start checking around the 10-minute mark.
- Finish with salt to taste. A small pinch right after air frying sharpens the sweet and smoky flavors.
Most of the time, I’m not just eating these on their own. I’ll add them to a simple bowl with rice, veggies, and a sauce, like this tofu rice bowl or Mexican burrito bowl.
Storage
- These sweet potato wedges are best enjoyed fresh from the air fryer, when the edges have the best texture.
- If you have leftovers, store them covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days and reheat them in the air fryer until heated through.
Serving Suggestions
These sweet potato wedges are easy enough to serve as a side, but I often turn them into part of a bigger meal.
- For a fresh side, serve them with Southwest pasta salad or cucumber tomato salad with vinegar.
- To make them more of a meal, add black beans, avocado, greens, and this simple Mexican rice.
- For a Mexican-style side, pair them with cowboy caviar dip or fresh pico de gallo.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges FAQs
Dry the potatoes well and don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. Sweet potatoes stay softer than white potatoes, so aim for browned edges and tender centers rather than a fully crunchy wedge.
Yes! You can skip the oil for a lighter version, but a little oil helps achieve those crispy edges.
No. You can peel them or leave the skins on. I prefer leaving the skins on, but it's a personal preference.
To add spice, increase cayenne pepper, add chipotle powder, or use crushed red pepper flakes. For a milder heat, sprinkle chili powder or drizzle with hot sauce after cooking.
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
More Easy Recipes to Serve With Sweet Potato Wedges
📖 Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
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Ingredients
- 2 medium-large orange sweet potatoes, skins on or off, cut into wedges
- 1.5 tablespoons avocado oil, or your preferred oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional, for heat
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Wash and dry the sweet potatoes thoroughly, trim off the ends, and cut them into wedges about ½-inch thick.
- Add the wedges to a large bowl and toss with the oil and maple syrup.
- In a small bowl, combine the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, sea salt, and cornstarch.
- Add the seasonings to the sweet potatoes and give them a good shake to coat evenly.
- Air fry for about 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Start checking around the 10-minute mark and continue cooking until the centers are tender and the edges are browned.
- Taste and add another pinch of sea salt if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- You can leave the skins on or off; I prefer them left on.
- For a slightly less caramelized maple finish, add the maple syrup after flipping the wedges instead of at the beginning.
- Top crispy wedges with fresh cilantro, parsley, green onions, or avocado for a pop of color and freshness.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Our favorites are creamy vegan chipotle sauce or creamy maple dijon dressing — or enjoy them on their own!
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
These wedges are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. And the maple-glazed sweetness is so good! I love piling them into a bowl with black beans, avocado, and creamy chipotle sauce.