Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans

BRING IT at Thanksgiving this year with these flavorful Roasted Sweet Potatoes with  Pecans! These are the BEST Oven roasted sweet potatoes! The pecans are tossed with apple brandy and coconut for an absolutely delicious way to serve sweet potatoes without all that marshmallow stuff!

Sweet with a little spice from cayenne, these Apple Brandied Coconut Pecans are the perfect topping to most any Thanksgiving dish.

Plus they can also be served as an appetizer to accent your cheese platter! Spend 15 minutes making them a few days in advance and you’ll be free to concentrate on enjoying your day with friends and family.

Calvados Apple Brandy

I used Calvados Apple Brandy to make these roasted pecans. However, any brandy or even whiskey will work. Apple brandy has a nice subtle apple flavor. In my opinion it’s worth the splurge.

You can use Calvados to accent many dishes like crispy delicata rings with apple relish, salted caramel galette or this creamy polenta with sautéd apples. Last year I made this delightful apple sangria.

And of course, you can drink it in plenty of adult beverages like these. I like it in an old fashioned with a twist of orange and maybe a dash of fancy bitters.

Don’t you just want to start snacking on these?
Now to the Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

The BEST way to Roast Sweet Potatoes

I tried a new method for these and I adore it! Following the advice from food guru, Kenji Lopez-Alt, I par-boiled the potatoes.  This actually works really well for Thanksgiving day because it forces you to do some prep work and cuts down the oven time.

You can read the science behind it, but basically it causes the potatoes to naturally produce more sugar and makes them more flavorful.  Which means YOU don’t need to add much to make these reminiscent of that sugar laden sweet potato casserole that’s probably on your menu.

This Thanksgiving cut out all that silly old marshmallow sweet potato casserole fluff and switch up your sweet potato game with this delicious sweet and spicy combo!

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Just try not to eat all the pecans before you serve Thanksgiving dinner!

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

8 mins

Total Time

13 mins

 

The BEST Oven roasted sweet potatoes with pecans. These pecans are tossed with apple brandy and coconut for an absolutely delicious way to serve sweet potatoes without all that marshmallow stuff!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pecans, sweet potatoes, Thanksgiving

Servings: 12

Calories: 262 kcal

Author: Emily Brees | OatandSesame

Ingredients

Apple Brandied Coconut Pecans

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/8 teaspoon clove
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons Calvados apple brandy or other brandy
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 cups pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Par Boiled)

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs maple syrup
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley leaves
• a few handfuls Apple Brandied Coconut Pecans (above)

Instructions

Apple Brandied Coconut Pecans

1. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, cinnamon, cayenne, and clove.
2. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut oil followed by the apple brandy, vanilla, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then add the pecan halves and cook until the liquid starts to dry and pecans are coated, about 3 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the pecans. Stir to combine, then continue cooking until the sugar has melted and coated the pecans, about 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with shredded coconut and mix to incorporate.
5. Transfer to a cookie sheet to cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1. Place sweet potatoes and cold water in a large stock pot. Bring to 160F. Turn off heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour. 

2. Go about your other kitchen tasks while you wait. After an hour, heat oven to 400F (I use convection so you might need an extra few minutes of cooking time). 

3. Drain potatoes, place them in a large bowl and toss with 3 Tbs olive oil and generous pinches of salt and pepper. 

4. Place them on a dark rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 30 - 35 minutes. Flipping them at the halfway mark once the bottoms are browning.

5. During the last 3-4 minutes of roasting, toss a couple handfuls of Apple Brandied Coconut Pecans (above) to heat them through. 

6. After roasting, remove potatoes and place in a large bowl, toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a few extra dashes of salt and pepper. 

7. Put the potatoes on your serving platter and drizzle with 1 Tbs maple syrup and a dash of fresh parsley.

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 262

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope your day is wonderful + warm + full of great food!

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