Paleo Pumpkin Fries

A black paper cone brimming with golden-brown pumpkin fries.

Healthier than regular fries and easy to make, these baked pumpkin fries are paleo-friendly and packed with fall flavor. A delicious side for any meal!

Course Side dishes

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Keyword paleo fries, pumpkin fries

Special Diet Dairy free Recipes, Gluten free Recipes, Paleo

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings half cup servings

Calories 218kcal

Author Tracy Ariza, DDS

Ingredients

1/2 pumpkin or butternut squash
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or other oil of your choice
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven broiler to high.
Prepare a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper for easier cleanup. You can also elevate the fries on a grill for increased crispiness.
Peel the pumpkin or butternut squash.
Cut the pumpkin slices into strips around 1cm thick.
Coat the strips with melted lard, tallow, or olive oil.
Arrange the pumpkin strips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, leaving small gaps between them if possible.
Lightly season them with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings chosen.
Put the pan in the oven near the broiler and broil at high heat until the pumpkin strips start to brown and get crispy edges.
Remove the pan from the oven and flip the pumpkin strips over and broil on the other side until crispy.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with more salt, pepper, and any other herbs and spices that appeal to you, if needed.
Serve immediately!

Notes

Be careful when peeling the pumpkin as it can be hard to cut.

You can either use a vegetable peeler to peel the pumpkin.

For easier, more stable cutting, first, cut the pumpkin in half to get a solid base. Then, with the cut (flat) side down, slice it as preferred. You can also peel it more easily when stabilized in this way.

If you find that the pumpkin you are using is starting to burn but still is hard on the inside, bring the pan down and lower the heat. Continue to bake until the fries have reached the desired consistency. Using butternut squash, I have never had this happen. I like to keep the heat high and the oven time to a minimum to keep the fries from getting too soft.

Nutrition