17 Oven-Baked Veggie Fries for a Healthy Side Dish

This healthy recipe combines two bar food favorites--fried zucchini and curly fries--into one tempting package. Serve these baked zucchini fries with a simple dipping sauce made with ranch dressing and marinara sauce for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or a side dish for burgers, chicken or pizza. No matter what you serve them with, they're a fun way to eat more vegetables for kids and adults alike.

Swap parsnips for potatoes in this oven-baked fries recipe and get 5 grams more fiber per serving. Dress these healthy fries up with a side of spicy or garlicky aioli: just mix mayo with Sriracha or roasted garlic (or both!).

Curly fries get a makeover by using summer squash in place of potatoes. Summer squash "noodles" are tossed in a panko mixture spiked with lemon, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese and baked until crispy. If you can't find summer squash noodles, make your own using a spiralizer or vegetable peeler.

The breading for these zucchini curly fries takes on the flavor of a classic everything bagel while the tangy, creamy sauce finishes off this fun appetizer that's perfect for a party or brunch. Store-bought everything seasoning can be loaded with salt, so it's best to make your own at home. Look for fresh and crisp-looking zucchini noodles in the produce section or make your own using a spiralizer. Soggy ones (or even the frozen variety) won't crisp up well.

These crispy bell pepper oven fries are a great way to add more colorful veggies to your plate. A crispy breaded coating adds crunch on the outside, while keeping the peppers tender inside. The simple creamy dipping sauce with Greek yogurt and sherry vinegar adds a tart and tangy finish.

Classic french fries get their crispy exterior and pillowy soft interior thanks to a dunk or two in hot oil. The trick for achieving the same craveable results minus the deep fryer is to boil cut-up potatoes in salted, acidulated water prior to putting them into the oven. Yes, it's an extra step, but it's worth it. The salt helps extract excess moisture from the potatoes while the vinegar strengthens the exterior and helps the fries hold their shape. The result? Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

Sweet roasted delicata squash makes a great alternative to potato fries. The tender skin doesn't need to be peeled and the fries pair beautifully with a honey-sweetened goat cheese dipping sauce.

These fun baked sweet potato fries are made with spiralized sweet potatoes and topped with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese for a crunchy, savory snack that's healthy too. You can spiralize the sweet potatoes yourself or pick up a package of sweet potato "noodles" in the produce department of your supermarket to speed up the process even more. Since they're baked instead of fried, they're easier to make and lower in calories than deep-fried sweet potato fries. Serve them along with your favorite beef, turkey or veggie burgers or as a party appetizer that kids and adults will love.

Sweet spiralized butternut squash is encased in a salty, extra-crunchy exterior for a serving of slightly sweet curly fries. You can pair these baked butternut squash shoestring fries with any protein of your choice, but we're partial to grilled fish or chicken. Look for pre-spiralized squash in the refrigerated produce section.

These easy oven-baked veggie fries are made from thick slices of zucchini dipped in a seasoned breadcrumb batter. Served with an herbed buttermilk dipping sauce, they're so good, you may just prefer them over regular potato fries!

Creamy avocados are a delicious foil to crunchy breading in this healthy oven-fried avocado fries recipe. Dip into spicy Sriracha dipping sauce for a flavor explosion. Save your ripe avocados for guacamole or toast--only firm ones will do when making these fries.

Almond flour (aka almond meal) makes the coating on these broccoli fries extra-crunchy and flavorful. Find it in the gluten-free section of large supermarkets and natural-foods stores.

These oven fries crisp up without the greasy mess of deep-frying. Plus they're a bit easier and faster to make than traditional hand-cut fries thanks to the quick work of the spiralizer. Just watch the thickness: cut too thin, the fries will burn easily.

These crispy baked zucchini waffle fries with a ranch-style dipping sauce are a super-fun snack, appetizer or side dish. You can use all sorts of herbs in the creamy dipping sauce, including chives, dill, tarragon or parsley--or a combo. Pickle fans will love the sauce with dill, which pairs especially nicely with the Old Bay in the breadcrumb coating on the zucchini. To create the waffle shape, you can use a mandoline or special waffle cutter, such as the Borner Wave Waffle Cutter, which sells for about $25. This healthy fry recipe would also be delicious with regular sliced zucchini rounds if you'd rather not fuss with special equipment at all.

Guests will gobble up these tender-crisp spiralized jicama curly fries flavored with Parmesan and breadcrumbs and served with spicy mayo. Serve on small plates with appetizer forks for easy eating and a pretty presentation, or alongside a juicy burger.

These delicious, low-carb "fries" are wrapped in bacon and baked in the oven until they achieve a nice crispy coating. To keep the coating crisp, serve them on a large plate or platter (not piled in a dish) alongside BBQ sauce, ranch dressing or your favorite sauce for dipping. Thinly sliced bacon works best in this recipe for easy wrapping.

Making oven fries out of sweet potatoes brings out their inherent sweetness.