Sweet Heat Spicy Fries are sticky, flavourful, and delicious, especially with that cool refreshing Dill Cashew Dip! These homemade fries are air fried or baked to crisp perfection, then tossed in a sticky spicy and sweet maple bbq glaze. Make these mouthwatering French fries in the air fryer with simple ingredients and get ready for the best fries of your life!
Hand cut fries are always superior and these are even on the healthier side since we are air frying/baking them rather than deep frying! I included the recipe for this dill cashew dip because it was too delicious not to! I actually had this dip in the fridge left over from our Easter brunch and I decided the world needed to know the deliciousness as well, so there you go!
These fries are best made and eaten right away, but I promise you won’t have any leftovers anyway! And like I mentioned, if you have an air fryer, this recipe is even easier. However, if you don’t have an air fryer you can definitely bake these on a sheet pan in the oven. They will take slightly longer, but they will of course be just as delicious.
The idea here is that you cut the potatoes, season them, then bake. While they bake, whisk together the glaze (and make the cashew dip if you want that!). Then, when the potatoes are perfectly golden and crisp, remove them from the oven and immediately toss with the glaze. Then, serve right away! That way they still retain the crispness while being sticky, spicy and sweet. It truly is such an addicting combination that everyone will love, vegan or not!
And, if you’re into this type of recipe, check out my Hot “Honey” Dijon BBQ Tofu Bites!
Why You’ll Love These Sweet Heat Spicy Fries with Dill Cashew Dip
- So much flavour. From the spicy and sweet maple BBQ glaze to the herby creamy cashew dip, this recipe is packed with deliciousness. Serve up these fries with your favourite vegan burger like this Double Smash Bruschetta Burger and enjoy an indulgent yet still fully plant based meal!
- Easy to make. These hand cut fries are super easy to make in the oven or the air fryer. All you need is some russet potatoes and 3 other simple ingredients to make amazing fries. But don’t skip that BBQ sauce (also only 4 ingredients!) since it adds our sticky sweet heat flavour.
- Control the spice yourself. Since we’re making our delicious maple BBQ glaze, we can control the spice. If you prefer less spicy, simply use less chilli flakes! You’ll also want to make sure to pick a base BBQ sauce that you enjoy. And if you want more spice, go ahead and add more chilli flakes to tweak the spice level to your preferences.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Homemade French Fries
- Russet potatoes: Pick out large russet potatoes and cut them into similar sized fry shapes. You can peel them or leave the skins on in this recipe! You can use other potatoes like red or gold potatoes in this recipe, but they’ll be a little smaller and less starchy than these russet potato fries.
- Oil: Any neutral oil will work.
- Paprika: A little spice doesn’t hurt. Swap it with smoked paprika if you like!
- Salt and Pepper: Layering the flavour is important for the best results!
Sticky Spicy & Sweet Glaze:
- BBQ sauce: The key here is to use a BBQ sauce you already enjoy! We’ll modify it to make it better, but don’t start with one you don’t like.
- Maple syrup: To add that delicious, sticky sweetness to our spicy fries! You can use agave syrup if you don’t have pure maple syrup on hand.
- Minced garlic: Fresh garlic is best here, but you can use jarred if you need to. If you only have garlic powder, use ¼ teaspoon powder (or more to taste, of course).
- Chilli flakes: Also known as red pepper flakes. I call for 1 teaspoon here, but use as less or more according to your personal taste. I’d start with less than you think you want, stir the sauce, and add more if needed. It’s easy to make it more spicy, but not easy to make it less spicy!
Dill Cashew Dip:
- Raw cashews: If you can’t have nuts, try raw sunflower seeds or hemp seeds instead. They work quite well as a base for creamy sauces!
- Water: To thin the sauce.
- Lemon juice: Fresh is best, but you can use bottled lemon juice if you don’t have any lemons on hand. You can also substitute white wine vinegar or even apple cider vinegar if you need to.
- Salt: Season the dip to taste.
- Dried dill: For simplicity I used dried dill, but if you have fresh, go ahead and use it! Chop up about a tablespoon of fresh dill to substitute the 1 teaspoon dried.
How to Make Sweet Heat Spicy Fries with Dill Cashew Dip
- Prep the air fryer or oven and the fries. Preheat the air fryer to 375 F or oven to 425 F. In a large mixing bowl, toss the fries with the oil, paprika, salt and pepper until coated.
- Air fryer method. Air fry for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy.
- Oven method. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through until golden and crispy.
- Make the glaze. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients.
- Make the cashew dip. Add all ingredients except the dill into a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Once smooth, stir in the dill. The cashew dip thickens in the fridge so if you have leftovers, it will be thicker next time you use it (you can always thin it out with a little non-dairy milk).
- Sauce the spicy fries. Once fries are cooked, remove from the oven and add to a large bowl immediately. Drizzle the glaze overtop and toss quickly to coat. Serve your spicy fries with cashew dip immediately. Enjoy!
Ideas for Serving
Fries just go with a burger, am I right? Try this Double Smash Bruschetta Burger, Vegan Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Burger, or Vegan Bang Bang Burger.
But fries also go well with any sandwich. You’ll definitely want to try these spicy fries with this Vegan McChicken Sandwich, Vegan Loaded Chick’n Salad Crunch Sandwich, or Oven-Roasted Veggie Sandwiches.
How to Store
These sticky and spicy fries are best served immediately. If you do have leftovers, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When reheating, you might want to line a pan or your air fryer with parchment paper so the sauce doesn’t create a sticky mess.
The dill cashew dip will keep well in the fridge (in an airtight container, up to 5 days), though it will thicken. To thin out the dip, add a splash of unflavoured, unsweetened non-dairy milk (or water) and whisk in a small bowl.
Recipe FAQs
How to get crispier fries?
My spicy fries are already pretty crispy. The air fryer may get you crispier fries than the oven as well (unless you have a convection oven). But if you want to take your homemade fries to the next level, try soaking the cut potatoes in hot water for 10 minutes prior to air frying (or baking). It removes a lot of the excess starch in the potatoes, which helps them get crispier.
Can I use store bought frozen French fries?
Sure, that’s definitely a good way to save time. I personally find hand cut fries to be more delicious, but definitely understand wanting a shortcut!
What if all my fries won’t fit in the air fryer?
This is a good question. For best results, you don’t want to heap all of your fries into a small air fryer basket. Crowding your fries may keep them from getting crispy. Either work in batches to ensure a single layer of fries, or bake them in the oven. If you are using the air fryer, shaking the basket often during the air frying process also helps!
Similar Vegan App Recipes You’ll Love
- Easy Jalapeño Popper Dip
- Crispy and Spicy Lemon Herb & Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- Vegan Chilli Heat Sausage Pretzel Bites
- Vegan Sweet Heat Buffalo Ranch Loaded Fries
- Thick Cut Air Fryer Garlic Bread
- Vegan Animal-Style Curly Fries
Sweet Heat Spicy Fries with Dill Cashew Dip
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings (as an app or side)
Description
Hand cut French fries, air fried or baked to crisp golden perfection, tossed in a sticky spicy and sweet glaze.
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, cut into fry shapes
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt & pepper
Sticky Spicy & Sweet Glaze:
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
Cashew Dill Dip:
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt (or more, to taste)
- 1 tsp dried dill
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 F or oven to 425 F. In a large mixing bowl, toss the fries with the oil, paprika, salt and pepper until coated.
- Air fryer method: Air fry for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy.
- Oven method: Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through until golden and crispy.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients.
- Add all ingredients except the dill into a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Once smooth, stir in the dill. The cashew dip thickens in the fridge so if you have leftovers, it will be thicker next time you use it (you can always thin it out with a little non-dairy milk).
- Once fries are cooked, remove from the oven and add to a large bowl immediately. Drizzle the glaze overtop and toss quickly to coat. Serve your spicy fries with cashew dip immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can peel your potatoes or leave the skins on in this recipe! You can use other potatoes like red or gold potatoes in this recipe, but they’ll be a little smaller and less starchy than these russet potato fries.
- If you can’t have nuts, try raw sunflower seeds or hemp seeds instead. They work quite well as a base for creamy sauces!
- For simplicity I used dried dill, but if you have fresh, go ahead and use it! Chop up about a tablespoon of fresh dill to substitute the 1 teaspoon dried.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
