Healthy Baked French Fries

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This healthy Baked French Fries recipe is one of my go to snacks and side dishes. I use just potatoes, a touch of oil, and a little cornstarch, and they bake up perfectly golden in under an hour. They come out crispy on the outside, soft inside, they’re always a favorite in my house.

I have been making fries in the oven for years, trying all sorts of tricks to get the perfect crisp without frying, and I finally found it with this recipe!! It’s just as easy as rosemary roasted potatoes, but with a secret ingredient: cornstarch.

This flour-like powder gets the fries extra crispy. Yes, that is right! They’re amazing, and we can’t get enough of them! Even my oldest son, whose favorite potato recipe is healthy mashed potatoes, says my new crispy fries are irresistible.

🥘 Ingredients

All you really need are potatoes, but I like to add a few extra ingredients for flavor and texture. Here’s what I recommend:

Potatoes: I like using red potatoes because they bake up crispy on the outside and stay soft inside. They’re also easy to slice into even strips.

Oil or broth: I usually go with olive oil, but veggie broth works if I want to keep things lighter. Both help the fries crisp up in the oven.

Cornstarch: I add a little cornstarch to coat the potatoes. It helps them get that extra golden crunch.

Seasonings: I keep it simple with sea salt and ground black pepper.

🔪 How To Make

There are a few simple steps I always follow to get the crispiest oven baked fries.

Prep the potatoes: I cut the potatoes into thin strips and place them in a bowl of salted water. Then, I let them soak.

Dry the potatoes: I drain the soaked potatoes and spread them on a clean towel. Then, I pat them dry completely so they crisp up in the oven.

Season and bake: I toss the potatoes with a little oil, cornstarch, salt, and pepper until they’re evenly coated. Then, I spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp.

Finish and serve: I take the fries out of the oven and sprinkle them with a little extra salt while they’re still hot. Then, I serve them right away.

📖 Variations

I’ve tried so many variations over time, and they all work well. Since I have three kids who adore fries like most kids do, here are the ones I suggest you try.

Garlic Herby: I sprinkle garlic powder and dried parsley over the fries before baking. My kids say these taste just like the fries we get at restaurants, and they always ask for extra.

Smoky Paprika: I season the fries with a teaspoon of smoked paprika along with the salt. My husband loves these because they have that smoky flavor he always craves at cookouts.

Cheesy Fries: I sprinkle dairy free parmesan on the fries right after they come out of the oven. Whenever I make this version for movie night, the bowl is empty in minutes.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Whether we’re having Mexican-themed dinner parties, kids’ parties, or cinema snack night, these fries go with everything! 

To start with, I could happily eat these crispy oven-baked fries on their own without anything else! My husband, on the other hand, needs a juicy high-protein veggie burger for a complete meal or an ooey-gooey sourdough grilled cheese sandwich.

They are also a must-have item on party platters with lots of different dips like jalapeno artichoke dip and spinach artichoke, served alongside vegan gluten-free chicken nuggets and pinwheels. No matter what you decide to serve your crispy fries with, they’ll be the first to disappear!

🧊 Storage Directions

Refrigeration: I keep leftover fries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Freezing: I freeze the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet first, then move them into a freezer bag. This way they do not clump together and last for about two months.

Reheating: I reheat the fries in the oven at 400 F until hot and crispy again. If I am in a rush, I use the microwave, but the oven always gives the best crunch.

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