Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Honey and Cinnamon: Which Honey and When to Add It

Reviewed by Thomas B. · How we review

Roasted sweet potatoes with honey and cinnamon are 1-inch cubes roasted at 425°F with oil, salt and cinnamon until nearly tender, then glazed with honey for the last 8 to 12 minutes. Adding the honey late keeps it from burning, because honey’s main sugar, fructose, browns at a lower temperature than table sugar.

Key Takeaways

• Ten of the 13 recipes we compared add the honey at the start. Adding it for the last 8 to 12 minutes is the safer route at 400°F and above.
• Use about 1.5 tablespoons of mild honey per pound of sweet potato; recipes that give a weight use 1 to 2.
• Honey is 41% fructose (USDA), and fructose caramelizes at about 230°F, some 90°F below table sugar.
• Judge doneness by texture: a fork slides in easily and the edges brown.
• Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. No honey for babies under 12 months.

Table of Contents

• The Recipe
• Which Honey to Use
• Why Honey Burns, and the No-Burn Method
• How 13 Recipes Handle the Honey
• How to Tell When They Are Done
• Variations
• Make Ahead, Leftovers and Serving
• Frequently Asked Questions

The Recipe

We built this from the 13 recipes compared below and USDA data. We have not test-cooked this exact version, so go by the doneness cues. Serves 4 as a side.

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) sweet potatoes, about 3 medium, peeled or scrubbed, in 1-inch cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• 3 tbsp (63 g) mild liquid honey, such as clover

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Toss the cubes with the oil, salt, pepper and half the cinnamon. Spread them in one layer on a large sheet pan, with space between pieces.
3. Roast 20 minutes, then turn them.
4. Stir the remaining cinnamon into the honey, warming it briefly if thick or crystallized.
5. Drizzle on the honey, toss and roast 8 to 12 minutes more, until fork-tender and browned at the edges. If the syrup on the pan turns dark brown, take it out.

Halves: in this KQED video, Jacques Pépin halves a large sweet potato, scores the cut faces and adds salt, pepper, butter and at least a teaspoon of honey per half. He bakes them at about 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes (his took 45), then glazes them with more butter and honey. This summary is from the video’s captions and description.

Which Honey to Use

A mild liquid honey lets the cinnamon lead. None of the 13 recipes names a variety.

“As a general rule, the flavor of light-colored honey is milder, and the flavor of darker-colored honey is stronger.”

National Honey Board, “Honey Varietals“

The National Honey Board (NHB) describes clover as mild and says it “excels on the table or in the oven.” Buckwheat honey is dark, with molasses and malt flavors, so it suits a savory version better. For other options, see 16 popular U.S. honey varieties.

Crystallized honey is still good; the NHB says the crystals are glucose coming out of solution. Warm it until pourable, or see how to reliquefy crystallized honey.

Cinnamon adds aroma, not sweetness: USDA lists a teaspoon at about 6 calories.

Why Honey Burns, and the No-Burn Method

USDA FoodData Central lists honey as 40.9% fructose and 35.8% glucose, with under 1% sucrose (table sugar). The Science of Cooking puts fructose caramelization at 230°F, and glucose and sucrose at 320°F. University of Missouri Extension puts it plainly: “Products made with honey brown faster than foods made with other sweeteners.” That is also why bakers lower the oven 25°F when they substitute honey for sugar.

Our inference: a wet coating stays near 212°F, but once it dries on a 425°F pan it climbs past 230°F. Hence honey last.

The potato sweetens itself, too. A USDA Agricultural Research Service chapter on sweet potato purees explains that at 140°F to 172°F, the root’s own amylase enzymes turn starch into maltose. USDA data show it: maltose goes from 0 g per 100 g raw to 3.12 g baked.

• Honey last. What Molly Made adds it after 25 minutes at 425°F; the USDA farmers market recipe tosses it on in a skillet after roasting.
• Or moderate heat. Cooking Classy bakes at 350°F “so the honey doesn’t burn.”
• Give pieces room. The North Carolina recipe warns that overlapping pieces steam instead of roast, and that pan liners slow browning.

How 13 Recipes Handle the Honey

We saved the top 10 Google results for this keyword on November 9, 2026, plus three top “honey roasted sweet potatoes” recipes and three government or school-meal recipes. Four of the top 10 share Tyler Florence’s Food Network recipe, so it appears once.

*Same ingredients and method on Snellville Farmers Market, Edible Jersey and Uncle Charley’s. Recipe cards saved November 9, 2026.

How to Tell When They Are Done

None of the recipes or agency sources gives an internal temperature; they go by texture.

“Roast at 375°F for 35–40 minutes or until easily pierced by a fork. Potatoes should brown slightly around the edges.”

North Carolina Farm to School Program, “Cinnamon Roasted Sweetpotatoes,” North Carolina SweetPotato Commission

That recipe uses ½-inch slices. If cubes are soft but pale, roast a few minutes longer before adding the honey.

Variations

• Vegan or butter-free: use oil and pure maple syrup, which Buns In My Oven and What Molly Made list as a swap.
• Hot honey: brush it on after roasting, as Souffle Bombay does with wedges at 400°F, or make your own hot honey.
• Savory herb: What Molly Made uses paprika and garlic powder, then feta and fresh thyme.
• More spice: the USDA recipe adds allspice; Kroll’s Korner adds pumpkin pie spice.

Make Ahead, Leftovers and Serving

For Thanksgiving, What Molly Made dices and seasons the potatoes up to a day ahead and roasts them before serving. USDA FoodKeeper gives whole raw sweet potatoes 2 to 3 weeks in the pantry.

USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat them to 165°F. FoodKeeper gives cooked vegetables 3 to 4 days refrigerated or 1 to 2 months frozen.

Food Network suggests serving them with turkey or ham. By our USDA-based arithmetic, a serving has about 300 calories, 59 g carbohydrate (22 g sugars) and 7 g fiber, excluding salt; the honey supplies about 48 of those calories.

“Honey can contain the bacteria that cause botulism. Do not feed honey to a child who is younger than 1 year old.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Botulism Prevention“

That includes cooked honey dishes like this one; read why honey is unsafe for babies. This is educational information, not medical advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you roast sweet potatoes with honey?

Roast oiled, seasoned 1-inch cubes at 425°F for about 20 minutes, then toss with honey and roast 8 to 12 minutes more, until fork-tender and browned.

What does adding cinnamon to sweet potatoes do?

It adds warm aroma without sugar. Most recipes we compared use 1 to 2 teaspoons per batch.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when roasting sweet potatoes?

Crowding the pan, which makes them steam; pieces of mixed sizes (Food Network says similar-size cubes cook evenly); and honey added early to a hot oven.

Is it better to bake sweet potatoes at 350 or 400?

Both work. Lower heat is gentler on honey but slower: Cooking Classy needs 50 to 55 minutes at 350°F. At 400°F or above, add the honey late.

Why do you soak sweet potatoes before roasting?

Not needed here. None of the 13 recipes soaks the cubes; they rely on a single layer and space on the pan.

What is the cinnamon and honey trick?

Usually a honey and cinnamon drink sold as a health remedy, not a cooking method. See the evidence on honey and cinnamon benefits.

The Bottom Line

Roast the cubes nearly tender first, then add a mild honey for the last 8 to 12 minutes.

Image credits: featured photo by USDA (Lance Cheung), public domain; DC Central Kitchen, Maja Dumat and Ella Olsson, CC BY 2.0. All via Wikimedia Commons, resized. Charts by BeeKeepersRealm.