Baked French Fries

We LOVE these fries.  They take a little work (There is a trick to getting them brown and crispy that I didn’t know before reading this! You may be surprised!

Baked French Fries – adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (well, not so new anymore)

1 ¼ pounds baking potatoes
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon paprika

1.  Fill a large bowl with water and add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and mix to dissolve.  (It may not all dissolve and that's ok)
2.  As you cut the potatoes, put them in the water to soak.  Once you have all the potatoes in the bowl, let them soak for 15 minutes.
3.  Preheat the oven to 450°F; spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. (I use Reynold's Non-Stick Foil instead! It's the BEST!)
4.  Drain the potatoes and use paper towels to blot them dry. 
5.  Drizzle the oil over the potatoes and sprinkle with paprika.  Stir to coat them well.
6.  Spread them out on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake 30-40 minutes or until desired crispness, stirring and turning the potatoes about every 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining salt when done.

FYI: DON'T SKIP THE SOAKING STEP! It is important in getting crispy fries.  The sugar in the water helps to pull the water out of the potato. This is the difference from other Baked French Fries recipes I have tried in the past.  These ones are not soggy!


These are the best, healthiest, fresh cut fries you are going to get without getting them from somewhere that deep fries them.  And I think they are just as good, if not better because there is no grease.  And no stomach ache later!

Enjoy!