Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes

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Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes are a sweet, smoky, savory side dish that blends soft and crispy textures! Perfect for holiday gatherings or dinnertime any night of the week! {Gluten-Free + Paleo-Friendly}

MAPLE BACON SWEET POTATOES?!?!?!? Oh yes, indeed. Move over, marshmallows. We will eat our sweet potatoes and have them with maple syrup, ALL the spices, and bacon, too. We’ll also add a little bacon fat for ridiculously good measure. These Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes are here for us at breakfast, lunch, and dinner times.

I looked up what a sweet potato actually is, and according to Wikipedia (only the best source for scientific information ever), sweet potatoes are “a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae.” I have absolutely no idea what any of those words mean or how to say them. But, what I DO know is this recipe is READY TO GO.

Spiriteds, I may be absolutely biased here, but I do think Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes are on par with “masterpiece,” and for the record, this vegetable was an acquired taste of mine. K-Hubs and the second born are all about the sweet potato while the firstborn and I were more cautious. But in this mixture of goodness, I will eat them all. I was sneaking bites every chance I got. The firstborn, for her part, was willing to try one piece of diced sweet potato. You can take that to the bank, Spiriteds.

When I first made this I declared to anyone who would listen, “I have a delicious situation here!” And I stand by that missive. So let’s dive into exactly what you’ll want to do to make your own batch of this delicious situation.

This sweet and smoky side dish is

• Paleo-friendly and gluten-free
• Grain-free and dairy-free
• Comfort food in a bowl
• A delicious side dish for a few or a main dish situation for a two

Side note: This recipe makes about 4 small sides servings or 2-3 larger main dish-style servings. You can also easily make a larger batch to feed a larger crowd. This recipe is pretty flexible and easy to customize “to taste.”

Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes ingredients

• Sweet potatoes. Peeled and diced. We (and by “we” I mean K-Hubs) like to peel and chop the sweet potatoes a day or two in advance and store them in glass jars in the refrigerator.
• Coconut oil. I start with 2 tablespoons and then add more if the sweet potatoes start to cook hot and stick to the skillet.
• Gluten-free bacon. Fry to a crispy consistency. Paleo bacon does exist but can be hard to find and is definitely more expensive. I’ve found luck by searching locally, even at grocery stores, for brands that, while not officially paleo, have few added ingredients.
• Bacon fat. This is completely optional but definitely worth it for that smoky bacon flavor.
• Maple syrup. 100% pure maple syrup has a light, sweet flavor, so you don’t need a lot to make this recipe work.
• Ground spices: Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.
• Optional and to taste: Coarse black pepper and sea salt. The bacon is usually salty enough, but if there’s just something missing, then a sprinkle of either of these should do the trick.

How to make Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes 

1. In a skillet, fry the bacon to a crispy consistency. Then place the bacon pieces between towels or paper towels on a plate to soak up excess grease. Reserve about two tablespoons of bacon grease if using in the recipe and discard the remainder. When the bacon has cooled and hardened, crumble it into pieces by hand.
2. While the bacon fries, in a separate skillet combine the diced sweet potatoes and coconut oil and sauté covered on a LOW heat until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork but aren’t mushy. Then gently stir in the bacon fat, if using, maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.
3. Next, add the crumbled bacon and stir together until just combined. Season with coarse black pepper and sea salt, if desired, and serve warm.
4. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for about 3-4 days.

Recipe tips and tricks

• I typically start with the bacon because it takes a while for the skillet to heat up and then sauté the sweet potatoes once the bacon is cooking. However, you can flip-flop steps one and two if that works better for you. Whichever one is ready first can be kept warm while the other finishes cooking.
• Chop the sweet potatoes ahead of time. K-Hubs is our resident slicer-dicer, and he’ll chop sweet potatoes or other vegetables and store them in glass jars in the fridge a few days before we plan to use them.
• Adjust the spices to your liking. What I have listed is a guideline, however you can adjust quantities or even add/remove spices to what you love best. For example, you could try a pinch of cardamom or ground cloves.

More side dish inspo!

• Spicy Garlic-Roasted Broccoli
• Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus
• Seasoned Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
• Garlic Mashed Cauliflower Potatoes
• Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always remember I’m glad you’re here. ❤️

Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes

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Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes are a sweet, smoky, savory side dish that blends soft and crispy textures! Perfect for holiday gatherings or dinnertime any night of the week! {Gluten-Free + Paleo-Friendly}

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dishes
• Method: Stovetop
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 pound bacon, crispy-fried and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• Pinch of sea salt
• Coarse black pepper, if desired

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Instructions

1. In a skillet, fry the bacon to a crispy consistency. Then place the bacon pieces between towels or paper towels on a plate to soak up excess grease. Reserve about two tablespoons of bacon grease if using in the recipe and discard the remainder. When the bacon has cooled and hardened, crumble it into pieces by hand.
2. While the bacon fries, in a separate skillet combine the diced sweet potatoes and coconut oil and sauté covered on a LOW heat until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork but aren’t mushy. Then gently stir in the bacon fat, if using, maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.
3. Next, add the crumbled bacon and stir together until just combined. Season with coarse black pepper and sea salt, if desired, and serve warm.
4. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for about 3-4 days.

Notes

• I typically start with the bacon because it takes a while for the skillet to heat up and then sauté the sweet potatoes once the bacon is cooking. However, you can flip-flop steps one and two if that works better for you. Whichever one is ready first can be kept warm while the other finishes cooking.
• Chop the sweet potatoes ahead of time. K-Hubs is our resident slicer-dicer, and he’ll chop sweet potatoes or other vegetables and store them in glass jars in the fridge a few days before we plan to use them.
• Adjust the spices to your liking. What I have listed is a guideline, however you can adjust quantities or even add/remove spices to what you love best. For example, you could try a pinch of cardamom or ground cloves.

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