These roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas kind of have a tropical vibe going on, giving your plate a well-deserved mid-winter vacation. Roast with brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, and garam masala to the point of caramelization. Toss with red onion and cilantro. Then dribble with lime and coconut milk. Nothing we’d have thought to put together ourselves. But we’re grateful someone did. One pan, one oven, no fuss—which puts it in good company with the rest of our easy sheet pan dinners.
Can I make these sheet pan sweet potatoes ahead of time?
Absolutely. The roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas are best straight from the oven in terms of textures although the tastes are still quite fetching even after a couple of days in the fridge. Follow the recipe through step 7. Let the veggies cool then store them in the fridge in an airtight container. The same with the coconut-lime dressing. When it’s time to serve, pop the vegetables in a 350°F (177°C) oven until warmed through. Continue with step 8 and serve!
More to do with sweet potatoes + chickpeas
Write a review
If you make this sweet potato recipe, or any potato dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Featured Review
Where I live, it’s starting to feel like fall, and when I saw this recipe, I thought it would be perfect with the pork loin I had cooking in the Crock-Pot. It’s a perfect match. My husband and I both loved it.
Karen Duncan
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas
Ingredients
For the roasted sweet potatoes
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch (25 mm) chunks (about 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small (1 oz) shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
- kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 or 4 cinnamon sticks
- 3 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme, rosemary, or sage
For the spiced chickpeas
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons garam masala or curry powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper, (optional)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, or white beans, drained and rinsed
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
For serving
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 1/2 cup (1/2 oz) chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
Instructions
Roast the sweet potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177 °C).
- In a medium bowl, toss together the 1 pound sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 small (1 oz) shallot, 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar, a large pinch of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, spread the sweet potatoes in an even layer. Tuck the 3 or 4 cinnamon sticks and 3 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme around the potatoes. Roast the potatoes until soft and cooked through, tossing them once or twice, about 30 minutes.
Make the spiced chickpeas
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, in the same bowl you used for the potatoes (you don’t need to wash it), whisk together the 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons garam masala or curry powder, pinch of cayenne pepper if using, 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Fold in the 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas until evenly coated.
☞ TESTER TIP: If you'd rather start from dried, here's how to cook dried chickpeas.
- Once the sweet potatoes have baked for 30 minutes, crank the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C).
- Add the chickpeas to the baking sheet, scattering them around the sweet potatoes, and roast, tossing halfway through, until everything is soft and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Whisk up the coconut-lime dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.
Toss and serve
- Using tongs, pluck the thyme sprigs and cinnamon sticks from the sheet pan and discard them. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons diced red onion and 1/2 cup (1/2 oz) chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems over the chickpeas and sweet potatoes, and drizzle everything with the coconut milk mixture. Toss well and season to taste, adding more salt and lime juice as needed.
☞ TESTER TIP: If you're planning on saving some for leftovers, drizzle the dressing over your plated portions and save the remaining dressing and potatoes separately.
- Drizzle with more olive oil, if you’d like, and serve.
Explore More with AI
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Did you know only 68% of the recipes we test make it onto the site? This recipe survived our rigorous blind testing process by multiple home cooks. It earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval—and the testers’ reviews below prove it.
Excellent combination of flavors and textures and a really well written recipe made this one a winner and definitely a TC. The chickpeas turn a bit crispy on the outside and remain creamy on the inside and the savory punch of the curry powder works perfectly against the sweet potatoes.
The last minute “dressing” of coconut and lime rounds the whole thing out. This makes a tasty vegetarian meal or a side dish with any protein. I do think next time I’d like to add more sweet potatoes, an equal amount to the chickpeas would be best I think.
I chose this recipe because I love all the ingredients, yet it seemed like a new combination and way of preparing them. And it turned out just that—a wonderful, pleasing combination of flavors I love in a new way.
As I gathered the ingredients and spices, I started to worry that there were too many flavors. I am suspicious (and often unjustifiably) about combining too many flavors—I worry that they will compete and overtake the soul of the dish. Not so with this combination of roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas. The cinnamon added the faintest of flavor, and the combination with the butternut and thyme with it was smooth and soothing, and the sauce really complemented the dish. The greens added a nice pop of freshness.
Overall, we really enjoyed this dish and its unique flavor combination. It was very easy to prepare, and felt healthy eating it. I don’t think this would suffice as an entire dinner for my family, but great for lunch. It needs something to go with it—warm pita bread drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil would be fantastic with it, or salad. It would be a good dish to make at the start of the week for healthy snacking.
This recipe would also be great with fresh chickpeas, which I will try next time. I also like that you can spice it up with the cayenne pepper. The red onions add a really satisfying crunch to the dish – do not skip these!
Want to save this?
I'll email this to you, so you can come back to it later. Booyah!
Where I live, it’s starting to feel like fall, and when I saw this recipe, I thought it would be perfect with the pork loin I had cooking in the Crock-Pot. It’s a perfect match. My husband and I both loved it.
Karen, I’m so stoked that you both loved the dish. Is so very easy even a kid can make it, hence the cookbook it came from! Tell me, what went into the Crock-Pot with the pork? Chow.