Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
Roasted sweet potatoes and beets get tossed in a sweet, spicy, and cozy herbs and spices for an easy and delicious side dish!
Crispy-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside, these roasted sweet potatoes and beets are sweet, savory, a little bit spicy, and totally delicious. Lovingly called “Sweets & Beets” in our house, their delicious flavor will turn a beet skeptic into a lover! Plus, this recipe is made from affordable fall/winter produce and has only 10 minutes of prep time . It’s the perfect weeknight dinner side dish.
INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION
This recipe is courtesy of my partner, Dylan – it’s one of his signature dishes, and actually one of the first things he cooked for me! He came up with the name, too 🙂
Dylan is a “throw it all together without measuring” kind of guy, but we finally sat down one day and wrote down the details of this recipe. That being said, feel free to adjust the seasonings, oil, or maple syrup to your own preference 🙂
The main ingredients for this recipe are sweet potatoes and beets – their sweet and earthy flavors pair well together, and are further enhanced by some cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup! The addition of thyme and cayenne pepper keep this dish in a savory-sweet balance, making it the perfect side dish on a chilly fall or winter day.
HOW TO MAKE SWEETS & BEETS
This recipe is incredibly fuss-free – after you chop your veggies, it’s really just tossing everything together! We prefer to use a bowl to prep the veggies, but you could also just mix everything directly on the sheet pan as well.
- Add the sweet potatoes and beets to a large mixing bowl
- Toss in the cinnamon, thyme, cayenne, oil, maple, salt, and peppr
- Stir it all up, then spread on a baking sheet and bake until crispy!
I know some of my readers are oil-free, but I wouldn’t skip the oil on this one – it helps make the sweet potatoes and beets perfectly tender (read: not dry and rubbery), plus it gives them a crispy edge – a.k.a texture heaven!
These Sweets & Beets smell so dang good while baking in the oven, and their vibrant colors make them look even better! I love how they can add a pop of fun and variety to our often tan or brown winter comfort foods 🙂
COOKING TIPS + FAQ:
- Not a fan of beets? I would say that this recipe might convert you, but if you truly don’t like the taste of beets, it probably won’t – and that’s ok! You can make this recipe using all sweet potatoes, or sub the beets for another root vegetable of your choice, like parsnips or carrots.
- Make-ahead: You can prep the veggies and toss them in the marinade ahead of time – in fact, they’ll probably be even better! Just store everything in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking.
- Can I use a different sweet potato? Yes! I like to use orange sweet potatoes (which are technically yams) here for color and texture, as they tend to be a little softer when cooking. However, you can totally use a white sweet potato – or even a purple one – instead. Or, swap the sweet potatoes for carrots for a low-carb option.
If you’re looking for more recipes using beets and root vegetables, check out these Amazing Beet Burgers, these Smoky White Bean Bowls with Roasted Vegetables, and this Tangy Beet Salad with Avocado Dijon Dressing!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
Sweets & Beets (Roasted Root Vegetables)
Roasted sweet potatoes and beets get tossed in a sweet, spicy, and cozy herbs and spices for an easy and delicious side dish!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 25 Minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2–3 beets, peeled and diced
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1–2 teaspoons grade A maple syrup*
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 420F and set a nonstick baking sheet (or lined baking sheet) aside. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and beets.
- Season: Add the sweet potatoes and beets to a large bowl and drizzle with oil. Then, add in the maple syrup, thyme, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Stir well, until the veggies are evenly coated.
- Bake: Spread evenly across a baking sheet. Bake in the top rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the veggies are tender and have slightly crispy edges. Remove from the oven.
- Serve & Store: Serve warm as a side dish or snack. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Sweetener: maple syrup can be replaced with agave, or brown sugar.
- Other Substitutions: this seasoning blend will work with any root vegetables (parsnips, turnips, or even squash) – so mix and match as you’d like!
Keywords: roasted beets, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted root vegetables
It’s the day before Thanksgiving and I’ve just prepped this for tomorrow. I used rosemary (thanks Cheryl), brown sugar, and added carrots…. Can’t wait to try it! Will come back and let you all know 😊
★★★★★
This was delicious! I used rosemary instead of cayenne.
★★★★★
Thank you, Cheryl!
I can’t believe how good this is! This is my second time making it this week. Thank you for sharing! 😊
★★★★★
Glad you love it, Tana!
I thought I hated beets I had to buy them for a seitan recipe so with the extra I made this. I usually cook with low oil or no oil and I trusted you when you said you need it for this recipe and I agree, it makes the veggies beautifully tender. I used butternut squash instead of sweet potato because it’s what I had and it turned out SO good! Served it with quinoa and smoked tofu and some greens. Made the perfect bowl. Thank you 🙂
We’re happy to hear about your new-found love for beets!
Who would have thought beets and sweet potatoes go together? This was a fabulous recipe that we’ll make again and again.
★★★★★
Glad you gave it a try and loved it!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Just made it for dinner tomorrow for Christmas Eve and it’s wonderful! Wish I could attach a photo because I made this dish into a wreath. Thanks again!!
★★★★★
Lovely idea, thank you for the kind review 🙂
Delighted to have found this recipe. I was looking for herbs and spices to put in the soup I just made with beetroot and sweet potato, which came in my weekly organic box. I had no cayenne pepper so substituted paprika and it worked beautifully with the thyme and cinnamon. I will make roasted sweets and beets next time. Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
So glad you liked the recipe, Clare!
This may be a crazy question…but any time I’ve tried to cut or dice sweet potatoes I just give up! They’re so hard!! I love sweet potatoes but just always eat them baked. Any tips for cutting/dicing?
You can use a large knife and gently apply your weight forward to thrust the knife through the sweetpotato. The main reason sweet potatoes are so hard to cut is because they’re much denser than a regular potato.
Make sure your large knife is well-sharpened. Cutting across the sweet potato is sometimes easier…then just dice the slices.
YUM! Thank you for this recipe. Whenever I cook beets, they take forever, way longer than sweet potatoes. Would you recommend dicing the beets smaller or putting them in first?
Hi Cheryl! If that’s the case you can dice them a bit smaller.
Rub medium-sized beets with the oil of your choice. Wrap in foil & cook in a 400* oven for 40-45 minutes. They will be easy to slice.
Caitlin and Dylan gave me this recipe a while back and I have made Sweets & Beets many times. We love it! Before this recipe, I always said that I didn’t like beets. Well I still am not fond of them by themselves, but this recipe makes them delish! I do cut my beets into smaller pieces than the sweet potatoes so that they both get cooked to similar textures. I think I need to make this real soon…..
★★★★★
So glad you love it!