Hot Honey Baked Sweet Potato Bites Recipe

The traditional sweet potato casserole is proof that sweet potatoes do some of their best work when they are sweetly glazed and caramelized. This baked sweet potato bites recipe leans into the sweet factor and spices things up with homemade hot honey. The combination is sticky and fiery, with both a floral sweetness from the honey and a savory smoky flavor from red pepper flakes and smoked paprika, which perfectly complements the earthy, crispy-tender roasted sweet potatoes. I like cooling things off with tangy feta cheese and fresh scallions for some creamy saltiness and allium crunch. 

I've found that preheating the baking sheet and skipping the parchment paper means the oiled sweet potato cubes hit the hot metal and begin searing right away, like food dropping into a hot skillet. The hot honey goes on after the potatoes come out of the oven, so there's no sticky mess during cleanup. The fun thing about this recipe is that it can be both a side and an appetizer. It's a great way to add a little sweet heat to your holiday table, or you can serve the bites with a cube of feta with a toothpick inserted, for the game day snack no one is expecting.

To make this recipe, start by picking up some sweet potatoes. Ideally, you want to use garnet or jewel sweet potatoes. It can be confusing at the store because many times they aren't labeled or they are labeled as yams. Garnets are a deep reddish-purple color, and the jewel variety has a tan, orange skin. The two types to avoid for this recipe are Japanese sweet potatoes, which have more of a purple skin and a white interior, and purple sweet potatoes, which also have a purple skin and are typically long and skinny. While in the produce section, pick up some scallions.

Any mild type of honey works well in this recipe. It's best to avoid dark varieties like manuka and buckwheat, or their strong flavors will take over. You can simplify the recipe and buy premade hot honey. Grab some feta cheese, then check your pantry for apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.

Place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack and heat the oven to 425 F.

In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Spread the sweet potatoes on the hot baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast for 15 minutes.

Flip and roast until the edges are caramelized and a fork slides in easily, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Meanwhile, warm the honey and the remaining red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over low heat for a few minutes until melted and smooth.

Remove the honey from the heat, transfer to a small bowl, and stir in the vinegar.

Transfer the sweet potatoes to a serving platter and drizzle with the hot honey.

Top with the feta and scallions before serving.

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I'm partial to the sweet and heat combination that hot honey provides, and I find it goes with just about everything. I love to use it on any number of salty, crispy, and creamy foods. You can try it with your favorite roasted veggies, like butternut squash, delicata squash, sliced carrots, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. For most of these, you can just follow the recipe as written, but since delicata squash doesn't need to be peeled, I typically just slice it into ¼-inch half-moons instead of chopping, which is a fun and pretty presentation. The same feta and scallions work on all these options. 

This hot honey is a natural accompaniment to a charcuterie board. Simply drizzle it over your meats and cheeses of choice, or serve it in a small bowl with a wooden honey dipper for guests to add themselves. Hot honey can really liven up a vinaigrette dressing, and that hot-sweet combo goes beautifully with bitter greens like arugula or chicories. It's a delicious way to finish off a pepperoni, sausage, or veggie pizza or flatbread — in fact, this is a combination that's so good it's gone a bit viral in recent years. Try it as a sauce on top of grilled chicken, broiled salmon, shrimp skewers, or seared tofu. Also, it's a nice touch to brush it on fried chicken or wings right after you pull them out of the oven, so the sauce melds with the chicken while they are still hot.

When your oven is tied up, and you want to explore other cooking methods for these sweet potato bites, you have several options. If you have a large air fryer, you can cook the seasoned cubes for about 20 minutes at 400 F. This works especially well for making a half batch, if you have a smaller air fryer. A cast iron skillet will char them up nicely too, though this method is a bit more hands-on. Preheat the skillet to medium-high before adding the sweet potatoes. Cook them undisturbed for 10 minutes before turning. You can use this same method if you're using a griddle. To make the sweet potatoes on the grill, use a grill basket and turn them often to char them on all sides.

Instead of cutting the sweet potatoes into cubes, you can halve them, season them, and cook them face down on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes at 375 F. Then turn them over and fluff up before drizzling on the hot honey, feta cheese, and scallions, and serving them alongside your favorite protein. You can even enjoy this flavor combination on mashed sweet potatoes. Cube the potatoes, then boil until tender. After draining, mash them, and add the hot honey, feta, and scallions.

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