Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans
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!
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
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In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, cinnamon, cayenne, and clove.
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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.
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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.
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Sprinkle with shredded coconut and mix to incorporate.
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Transfer to a cookie sheet to cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
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Place sweet potatoes and cold water in a large stock pot. Bring to 160F. Turn off heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour.
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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).
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Drain potatoes, place them in a large bowl and toss with 3 Tbs olive oil and generous pinches of salt and pepper.
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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.
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During the last 3-4 minutes of roasting, toss a couple handfuls of Apple Brandied Coconut Pecans (above) to heat them through.
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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.
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Put the potatoes on your serving platter and drizzle with 1 Tbs maple syrup and a dash of fresh parsley.