Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes (Easy + Healthy)

Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes With Miso Maple Tahini

These oven-roasted Japanese sweet potato cubes are paired with a delicious miso maple tahini dressing. They’re so easy to make, perfect for a comforting and healthy vegetable side dish! Recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

Have you ever tried Japanese sweet potatoes before? The first time I made them I was so blown away by how delicious they tasted! They are just so soft, creamy, and luscious on the inside.

This roasted Japanese sweet potatoes recipe is a super simple way of cooking them! I’ve paired these roasted cubes with a tasty miso maple tahini dressing. It pairs so well; however, you’re welcome to serve the roasted sweet potatoes on their own or with another dressing/sauce as desired.

As a dietitian, I’m happy to share that Japanese sweet potatoes are packed with nutrition benefits. I share a little more details for you below, if interested!

As well, I’ve included a bunch of serving ideas to make this vegetable side dish recipe a complete meal. Enjoy!

Want more sweet potato recipes? Checkout my roundup of easy sweet potato recipes for more inspiration! For more veggie sides, you can checkout my roundup of healthy vegetable side dish recipes 🙂

Japanese Sweet Potatoes vs. Orange Sweet Potatoes

Curious how Japanese sweet potatoes differ compared to the orange variety you may be more accustomed to (if you live in North America, at least)?

Japanese sweet potatoes have a purple-ish skin, and an off-white/pale yellow interior. Not to be confused with purple sweet potatoes, which have a very vibrant purple flesh!

From a taste perspective, I find them a bit more earthy and nutty. I heard someone describe them as tasting like roasted chestnuts, and that is such an accurate way to describe the flavour.

From a texture standpoint, I find Japanese sweet potatoes to have a bit of a thicker, denser, and smoother flesh. I’m a huge fan of all varieties of sweet potatoes, but the Japanese ones are a real treat!!

Japanese Sweet Potato Nutrition Benefits

Like orange sweet potatoes, Japanese sweet potatoes are full of nutrition benefits. In fact, most sweet potato varieties have similar nutrition profiles. The colour of their skin and flesh, however, can indicate differences in beneficial phytonutrients (like carotenoids) and antioxidant content.

Japanese sweet potatoes are a good source of dietary fiber, important for digestive health, heart health, and blood sugar control.

Like all sweet potatoes, they’re a good source of a type of fat-soluble antioxidant called beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body.

Japanese sweet potatoes are also a source of multiple B-vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, and many other micronutrients.

Did you know that both tahini + miso paste (used in this recipe’s dressing) are packed with nutrition benefits, too? You can learn more about both ingredients – and find many more recipes that use them – in either my tahini recipe roundup or miso recipe roundup. Both are great resources to help you use up the rest of the tahini or miso that you purchased for this recipe!

Recipe Ingredient & Swaps

All you need to make these Japanese sweet potatoes are 7 simple ingredients:

1. Japanese sweet potatoes: Japanese sweet potatoes have a purple-ish skin, and an off-white/pale yellow interior. If you can’t find Japanese sweet potatoes at your local grocery store, you can always make this recipe with the orange variety that is more commonly found in North America.
2. Olive oil: Used to toss the sweet potato cubes in, to allow them to roast!
3. Tahini: This sesame paste is the base of the miso-tahini sauce that I paired with these roasted Japanese sweet potatoes. As per the note below, you can always serve the roasted sweet potatoes by themselves or with another sauce if preferred. They are so delicious either way!
4. Miso paste: Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning made from fermented soybeans. It adds a fantastic salty, umami flavour to so many recipes. It’s one of my personal flavour enhancers to use in my cooking! I typically go for a lighter-coloured variety, like a white or yellow miso, as they’re a bit milder in taste. Miso will usually be stored in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
5. Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup pairs SO well with miso. It adds a lovely sweetness to balance out the sauce recipe.
6. Garlic powder: I love the way that garlic powder smoothly integrates into various sauces, but it can be swapped with finely minced or crushed fresh garlic, if desired.
7. Lemon juice: Adds a touch of acidity to this dressing recipe – I simply forgot to photograph it, which is why it’s missing from the ingredient flatlay image!

NOTE: If you want to make this recipe without the tahini dressing, all you need are the sweet potatoes, olive oil, and some salt and pepper! Follow the roasting instructions, and then serve on their own or with dressing of choice. The miso maple tahini is just one way to enjoy them 🙂

Full ingredient measurements and detailed recipe instructions located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Step By Step: How To Roast Japanese Sweet Potatoes

Start by preheating your oven to 400F. Wash and dry your sweet potatoes. With the skin on, cut sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces.

To do this, I typically slice 1-inch rounds down the length of the sweet potato. Then I take each round and cut it into quarters (or 6 pieces, depending on how large your sweet potatoes are).

Then, place the sweet potato cubes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out in a single layer, leaving room between each piece. This helps to get them nice and crispy on the outside.

Place the baking sheet in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until sweet potatoes are lightly browned and fork-tender.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, you can make the miso maple tahini dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

The tahini dressing can either by drizzled on top of the roasted sweet potatoes, or served alongside them as a dip!

What To Serve With These Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Because this recipe is a source of complex carbohydrates (sweet potatoes) and healthy fats (tahini dressing), I recommend serving this with some non-starchy vegetables and a quality protein to balance out your meal. Some ideas:

• pair with some simple seafood, like baked salmon, baked cod, or garlic-sautéed shrimp
• pair with simple meats or poultry, like grilled chicken
• pair with plant-based protein sources, like baked tofu or tempeh
• add the sweet potatoes to a salad or grain bowl + drizzle the tahini dressing overtop
• pair with other roasted veggies, like broccolini or cauliflower or some leafy greens, like sautéed spinach or kale

TIP: feel free to make some extra maple tahini dressing to drizzle over the rest of your meal!

More Sweet Potato Recipes

• Sweet Potato Salad With Smokey Tahini Dressing
• Sweet Potato Smoothie With Apples
• Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges With Curry Tahini
• Salmon With Sweet Potato Mash & Miso Coconut Sauce
• Miso Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Did you give this Roasted Japanese Sweet Potato Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

Get the Recipe: Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes (Easy + Healthy)

Ingredients

• 2 medium-large Japanese sweet potatoes (washed + dried)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt + pepper, to taste
• Optional garnish: fresh parsley or green onion/scallions, chopped

Miso Tahini Dressing:

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1.5 Tbsp miso paste
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2-3 Tbsp hot water

Instructions

• Start by preheating your oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• With the skin on, cut sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces. TIP: To do this, I typically slice 1-inch rounds down the length of the sweet potato. Then I take each round and cut it into quarters (or 6 pieces, depending on how large your sweet potatoes are).
• Then, place the sweet potato cubes on your baking sheet. Toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out in a single layer, leaving room between each piece.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until sweet potatoes are lightly browned and fork-tender.
• While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the miso maple tahini dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste, then set aside.TIP: I’d recommend starting with 2 tablespoons of hot water first. If you want it a bit more runny, you can add an additional tablespoon!
• Remove sweet potatoes from the oven. Transfer to a serving plate or bowl. The tahini dressing can either by drizzled on top of the roasted sweet potatoes, or served alongside them as a dip. Garnish with fresh pepper and parsley/green onion as desired. Serve + enjoy hot!

Notes

• While best enjoyed fresh, leftovers will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
• If you plan on having leftovers, I’d recommend storing the tahini dressing in a separate container (rather than drizzled overtop).
• You can reheat them in the oven or on the stovetop, if you want to maintain the crispy outside. If you don’t mind them being a bit softer, you can simply pop them in the microwave!

• If you can’t find Japanese sweet potatoes at your local grocery store, you can always make this recipe with the orange variety that is more commonly found in North America. That said, Japanese sweet potatoes are found in a lot of grocery stores (I purchase them at my local Whole Foods)
• Garlic powder can be swapped with finely minced garlic cloves or crushed fresh garlic. I’d go for about 1-2 large cloves.
• If you want to make this recipe without the tahini dressing, all you need are the sweet potatoes, olive oil, and some salt and pepper! Follow the roasting instructions, and then serve on their own or with dressing of choice. The miso maple tahini is just one way to enjoy them 🙂

• pair with some simple seafood, like baked salmon or garlic-sautéed shrimp
• pair with simple meats or poultry, like grilled chicken
• pair with plant-based protein sources, like baked tofu or tempeh
• add the sweet potatoes to a salad or grain bowl + drizzle the tahini dressing overtop
• pair with other roasted veggies, like broccolini or cauliflower or some leafy greens, like sautéed spinach or kale

• Yes, you can eat sweet potato skin! It’s a great way to reap the nutrition benefits 🙂
• Need help using up the rest of the tahini or miso that you purchased for this recipe? Checkout my tahini recipe roundup and my miso recipe roundup for more inspiration!

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!