This Easy Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Apples and Cranberries recipe is one of those go-to dishes that you will be making over and over. Everyone loves a simple, tasty and healthy side dish and this deliciously seasoned sweet potato-apple casserole delivers on flavor.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples
The Goodness of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are so versatile and can be used in stews and soups, they can be baked whole, mashed into casseroles and fried. But my friends, roasting a sweet potato brings out some tasty flavors, you can’t get otherwise. Roasting sweet potatoes carmelizes the edges and keeps the center nice and creamy with all its sweet, earthy flavor. Pure sweet potato goodness.
Sweet potatoes adapt well to flavoring and adding cinnamon, maple syrup and sage adds a sweet and savory flavor to baked sweet potatoes.
This tasty casserole is one you can serve along with a big turkey or ham for the holidays, it pairs well with pork chops and sausages and, one of my favorite meals is a big salad and a plate of this baked sweet potato-apple casserole.
Ingredients you need for this recipe
- Sweet Potatoes – I use garnet sweet potatoes
- Apples
- Cinnamon
- Maple Syrup
- Olive Oil
- Sage
- Salt
How to make roasted sweet potatoes with apples and cranberries.
Remember I said this recipe is easy to make, all you need is one bowl and one baking dish, and for that matter, you can just mix everything in the baking dish if you prefer. I just like to dirty more dishes.
With a vegetable peeler, peel and then cut the sweet potatoes in half then slice into half-moon shapes.
No need to peel the apples, just cut into quarters and slice.
Add the sweet potatoes, apples, cranberries, maple syrup, cinnamon, sage, olive oil, and salt to a bowl, and mix to incorporate all the ingredients. 
Pour all the ingredients into a baking pan and bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Is it a Sweet Potato or a Yam and why is it confusing?
First of all Sweet Potatoes are a root vegetable and native to the Americas and Yams are a tuber and native to Africa and Asia.
Garnet Sweet Potatoes – have rosy skin and orange flesh that is moist when cooked or baked. Their shape can be big and oval to cylindrical.
Jewel Sweet Potatoes – have light brown to golden skins with a creamy yellow flesh that is firm. They have a cylindrical shape with tapered ends
Real yams – are mostly grown in Africa and Asia and hard to find in the U.S. Yams are larger in shape and starchier than a sweet potato and have a skin that almost resembles a tree trunk.
Here in the U.S. mostly what is available to buy in stores are really Sweet Potatoes but in many places, they are called yams. I have actually never had a real yam. My local store calls the garnets yams and the jewels sweet potatoes which apparently because of USDA labeling.
The real reason for the name variations goes back to the African slaves that were brought to the US and sweet potatoes reminded them of their homeland yams and the name started to be used interchangeably.
Other One Hot Oven Recipes with fall flavor you might enjoy
Apple Cider Baked Apples are sweet and tender with a tangy apple cider glaze.
Spicy Pumpkin Sheet Cake is a simple cake to make that delivers on a great pumpkin flavor.
Spiced Orange Cranberry Bread is full of tart cranberries and sweet orange with all the great fall warming spices to add flavor.
Maple Syrup Walnut Muffins are sweetened with just the maple syrup for a lightly sweet walnut muffin.
More Baked Deliciousness from One Hot Oven
Apple Cider Baked Apples ~ Pumpkin Sheet Cake ~ Spiced Orange Cranberry Bread ~ Maple Syrup Walnut Muffins
Your recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Easy Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Cranberries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized garnet sweet potatoes about 1 lb sweet potatoes
- 1 granny smith apple
- 1 cup cranberries
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. dried sage leaves fresh sage leaves can be used
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. You will need a medium-size baking pan.
- Peel the sweet potatoes then cut in half and slice into 1/4" half-moon shapes. Add to a large bowl or you can add directly to the baking pan
- Cut the apples in half, then into quarters. Remove the core and seeds. No need to peel. Add to the sweet potatoes
- Mix in the cranberries, olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, sage, and salt.
- Place the mixture into a baking pan large enough to hold the mixture. It is best to not overcrowd the potatoes so they roast better.
- Roast the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes or until the potatoes and apples are nice and tender. Stir the casserole several times during baking.
Notes
Nutrition
Quick and Easy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Recommendations for baking this recipe
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This is such a great idea – it looks soo good and this would make a perfect dessert for me – such a great combo – will make it as soon as tonight – delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I love roasted sweet potatoes and eat them all the time in our house, especially love the combo with apples and cranberries! They go great together!
The apples and cranberries add some great flavors.
I am so glad you did this post. I always have arguments with friends and family about the difference between yams and sweet potato, and if there really is a difference. Next time that happens, I will point them to this post 😉
Haha so funny. It’s confusing and I have only known these potatoes to be sweet potatoes, but then I couldn’t figure out what a yam was. Now I know too.
What a beautiful winter side dish! The apples and cranberries give the perfect amount of sweetness and tartness to balance everything out here. Can’t wait to serve these with a simple main like roasted chicken!
I can’t stop making these potatoes, this dish is turning into my favorite winter comfort food.
I really appreciate all the seasonal flavors in here, it was just the inspiration I needed to use up some sweet potatoes in my pantry. The apples really made it perfect for me, total winner recipe here!
I love how the apples add so much great flavor to the potatoes.
We are having an English Sunday lunch this weekend but I like to throw in some dishes that my American friends love too! This will be a big hit with everyone!
Sound like fun. I would love to hear everything you serve.
This is something that I need to prepare for our family get together on this coming weekend. It looks really delicious and healthy, I am sure that it will be a hit for everyone.
Such a great combo of flavors in this dish! I love roasted sweet potatoes. Never tried with apples, so I definitely will next time!
The apples and sweet potatoes are a great flavor pairing, I love the two flavors and textures together.
mmm…this looks tempting . A wonderful combination of sweet potatoes apples and cranberries. My kids would love this as is and would be such a healthy meal for them. Thanks for the recipe
My kids are finely realizing how good sweet potatoes are.
This is the perfect side dish this time of year. I bet this packs a punch with flavor!
You are right, this dish is full of great flavors.
What a beautiful blend of flavors. It is almost like a dessert as a side dish, and I love it.
So true, with the apples and cranberries it does make this like a dessert.
Yummy! I loved the cranberries and apples with the sweet potatoes. Great flavors.
This was soooo good! Love the sweet potatoes, great sweet flavors!
So glad you liked the potatoes.
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
Ohh, so glad you like it. It is a hit with my family too,
I don’t eat roasted sweet potatoes nearly enough, and the addition of apples and cranberries sound amazing.
Such a great and healthy dish. Sweetness from the maple syrup and lovely tartness from the cranberries. Defo one to make over the Christmas period
These potatoes go great with a Christmas meal.