Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes and Apples

When the foil comes off, the sweet potatoes are glossy and the apple pieces have softened around their edges, but there’s still enough shape left to scoop a little of everything onto a plate. That’s the moment I look forward to with Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes and Apples: the maple and butter collect in the bottom of the dish, and a forkful tastes gently sweet without turning the whole side dish into dessert.

I keep the sweet potatoes and apples in generously sized, even pieces so they cook together instead of one disappearing while the other is still firm. The cinnamon is there to warm the maple, not cover up the fruit. It’s a simple combination, but the contrast between tender sweet potato and soft, bright apple gives every bite a little variety.

Why This Dish Needs a Covered Start Before the Maple Syrup Thickens

Sweet potatoes are dense, and they need time in the oven to soften all the way through. Apples cook down more quickly, while maple syrup and butter can get sticky around the edges if they’re exposed to direct oven heat for the entire bake. Covering the dish first gives the sweet potatoes a steamy head start and keeps the maple mixture from reducing too soon.

After 25 minutes under foil, uncover the dish for the remaining 15 to 20 minutes. That second stretch lets excess moisture escape and gives the syrup a chance to cling to the pieces. If you skip the covered portion, the outside can get tacky before the centers of the sweet potatoes are tender; if you leave the foil on the whole time, the juices stay looser. The two-stage bake handles both problems without extra pans or a stovetop step.

Firm Apples Keep This From Turning Into Sweet Potato Sauce

• Firm apples — Choose apples that hold their shape through baking, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. A softer apple is more likely to break down into the maple juices. There’s no need to buy a specialty variety; firmness matters more than a perfect-looking apple.
• Sweet potatoes — Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes bring the soft, earthy base that balances the fruit and syrup. Pick firm potatoes without soft spots, then peel them and cut them into even 1-inch cubes so the pieces finish at about the same time.
• Pure maple syrup — Its woodsy, caramel-like flavor gives the glaze its character. Pancake syrup can make the dish sweet, but it won’t bring the same maple taste, so pure maple syrup is the worthwhile choice here.
• Unsalted butter and cinnamon — Melted butter carries the syrup and spice over the pieces, while unsalted butter lets the kosher salt stay in control. Ground cinnamon is a pantry-friendly choice; check that it still smells fragrant, since an old jar can make the finished dish taste flat.

Building Tender Sweet Potatoes Without Losing the Apple Pieces

Set Up the Baking Dish

Heat the oven to 400°F and coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Peeling and cutting the sweet potatoes before you start mixing keeps the pieces ready to go into the dish. Aim for 1-inch cubes, and cut the cored apples into 1-inch chunks; close sizing helps the two ingredients bake together.

Coat Everything in the Dish

Add the sweet potatoes and apples to the prepared baking dish. Pour in the melted butter and pure maple syrup, then add the cinnamon and kosher salt. Toss the pieces right in the dish until the coating reaches the surfaces instead of pooling in one corner. Spread everything out in the dish rather than leaving a mound in the middle.

Let the Foil Trap the First Round of Heat

Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. A snug cover holds in steam while the sweet potatoes begin to soften. Don’t leave gaps around the edges; loose foil lets steam escape before the dense pieces have had their covered bake.

Uncover, Check for Tenderness, and Rest

Remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until a fork pierces the sweet potatoes easily. Test a larger cube, since smaller pieces soften first, and keep baking until the center is tender if it still feels firm. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Two Easy Ways to Change the Maple and Apple Balance

Questions That Come Up Before This Dish Goes in the Oven

Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Maple cinnamon sweet potatoes and apples bake in a 9x13-inch dish until the potatoes are fork-tender and the apples are soft. Butter and pure maple syrup coat the cubes and chunks in a warm cinnamon glaze.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Resting time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Calories: 280

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 Nonstick cooking spray for coating
• 2 lb sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 apples medium, firm, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 0.33 cup pure maple syrup
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp kosher salt

Equipment

• 1 9x13-inch baking dish

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Toss the sweet potatoes and apples in the baking dish with the melted butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
5. Bake for 25 minutes.
6. Remove the foil.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
8. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

For even cooking, cut the sweet potatoes and apples into uniform 1-inch pieces. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the apples can become soft. For a dairy-free option, use plant-based butter.