Rosemary Sweet Potatoes with Orange (Healthy and Sugar Free)
Enjoy the delicious flavor of orange rosemary sweet potatoes! Made with fresh orange juice, tart cranberries, & savory spices for a delicious side dish perfect for entertaining.
I love sweet potatoes and don’t know many people that don’t. However, many sweet potato recipes are laden with sugar and the wrong types of fat. I set out to create a rosemary sweet potato recipe that is good for your body and sure to please.
It’s a healthier sweet potato recipe that you don’t have to feel guilty about eating. Flavors like rosemary and orange blend together perfectly in this recipe. The flavors are further complimented by the sweet and tart of dried cranberries.
Did I mention that this recipe is also famous? A variation of this recipe was once featured in Oprah’s O magazine.
Although most people enjoy making this recipe for Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can have these rosemary sweet potatoes any time of the year.
If you want a delicious change for a holiday or special occasion, trade out normal sweet potatoes recipes and try these sweet potatoes instead.
Ingredients in Orange Rosemary Sweet Potatoes
- sweet potatoes – Use medium-sized jewel or garnet sweet potatoes
- dried cranberries – Use dried cranberries sweetened with only apple juice if you can. By the way, it’s super hard to find dried cranberries that do not have added seed oils, that don’t cost an arm and two legs.
- orange juice – Use fresh squeezed orange juice. If you cut the orange into quarters and use a lemon squeezer for the task, it make getting the juice easy
- cinnamon – Using ground Ceylon cinnamon make a difference
- rosemary – Fresh rosemary makes this dish super fragrant and tasty
- ground nutmeg – Ground nutmeg is good, using fresh nutmeg is even better
- course salt – Slat is a necessity to enhance flavor
- black pepper – If you don’t have one, this is your sign to get a pepper mill ASAP, to really enhance your meals
- maple syrup – Use real maple syrup for depth of flavor and trace minerals like manganese, calcium, zinc and magnesium
Tips for Making Rosemary Sweet Potatoes with Orange
- To make the best orange rosemary sweet potatoes, you’re going to start out with some sweet potatoes. Wash them and dry them thoroughly before peeling. Once you peel the sweet potatoes it’s very important that you don’t wet them again.
- Next cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces. This part is important to get all those tasty pieces to cook evenly.
- In addition, to get the best sweet potatoes for this delicious side dish, it’s super important that you don’t crowd the pan. Use two low lying aluminum sheet pans if you need to so that the potatoes are evenly spaced.
- If your oven has a convection roast feature that will also help.
- Crowding the pan will cause more steaming versus roasting and you don’t want that.
- Soaking the cranberries in orange juice for at least 30 minutes first will lesson the chances that you get too many burnt cranberries. Don’t skip that part. Soaking the cranberries will also give you lots of unexpected flavor.
Other things to note
This recipe is a huge crowd pleaser. I’ve brought it to potlucks and parties with no problem. Once I even brought these sweet potatoes to a breakfast gathering and it was delicious for breakfast too.
Just think as them as a major upgrade to breakfast potatoes. Pair it with eggs and/or bacon for breakfast or brunch. Everyone will love it.
Give these healthy recipes for your next holiday or celebratory occasion!
Orange-Rosemary Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 sweet potatoes (medium potatoes)
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (fresh cracked pepper)
- 2 sprigs 2 tbsp fresh rosemary – stems removed
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp butter (melted- equally divided)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 ° F.
- Put cranberries in orange juice and let soak for 30 minutes1 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup orange juice
- Peel and cut potatoes into bite-sized 1 inch pieces5 sweet potatoes
- Toss with half the butter in the large bowl with clean hands.2 tbsp butter
- Add cranberry-orange juice mixture and toss well.
- Add maple syrup, sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and rosemary and continue to combine to coat the potatoes.1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 sprigs, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- You may have to split the potatoes into two different batches to cook them evenly.
- Pour remaining butter over the sweet potatoes before placing them in the oven.2 tbsp butter
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until fork tender-making sure to flip potatoes half-way through cooking.
- Garnish with fresh orange slices and rosemary as desired.
Notes
-
- To make the best orange rosemary sweet potatoes, you’re going to start out with some sweet potatoes. Wash them and dry them thoroughly before peeling. Once you peel the sweet potatoes it’s very important that you don’t wet them again.
-
- Next cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces. This part is important to get all those tasty pieces to cook evenly.
-
- In addition, to get the best sweet potatoes for this delicious side dish, it’s super important that you don’t crowd the pan. Use two low lying aluminum sheet pans if you need to so that the potatoes are evenly spaced.
-
- If your oven has a convection roast feature that will also help.
-
- Crowding the pan will cause more steaming versus roasting and you don’t want that.
-
- Soaking the cranberries in orange juice for at least 30 minutes first will lesson the chances that you get too many burnt cranberries. Don’t skip that part. Soaking the cranberries will also give you lots of flavor.
Nutrition
Original November 2, 2013.
Updated 11/14/2018 & 10/14/2020 11/8/23, 04/02/26
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Wow! These sweet potatoes look soooo yummy. I don’t like the traditional sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving. Much prefer something like this. I will definitely put the recipe in my “to try” file. Thanks for sharing.
I am so glad that you stopped by Nancy. You will really enjoy these. Let me know if they make it onto your Thanksgiving menu.
Yum! These look so tasty! I love the sweet potato and orange combo! Stopping by from Moonlight and Mason Jars!
The flavors really do compliment each other well. A little bit of tart and sweet.
These look delish!! Definitely going to try these!! 🙂
I love sweet potatoes and these look incredible! Thanks for sharing!
YUM! Those look delish!!
They really are. I hope you get to try it.
So glad I popped by to say g’day via Foodie Friday-this recipe looks amazing! YUM!
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
I’m with you. I’m not looking for sickening sweet sweet potato recipes. This one is perfect . I love fresh rosemary and the orange and cinnamon. found you on Rattlebridge Farm blog hop;.
These look yummy and sweet potatoes are my absolute fav! Can’t wait to try!
Oh Emerald…These are going to make it on your family’s favorite list too!