Start by preheating your oven to 375°F. While it heats up, cut your sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and add them to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle in the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together until the sweet potatoes are well coated.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then arrange the sweet potatoes flesh side down on the pan. This step matters, so don't skip it, since it's what allows that bottom layer to caramelize properly.

Bake for exactly one hour. Once the timer goes off, pull the pan from the oven, but resist the urge to touch them right away. Let them sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. This resting time lets the caramelized bottom fully set, so when you go to lift them with a spatula, they release cleanly instead of tearing or sticking to the pan.

After the 10 minutes are up, use a spatula to lift the sweet potatoes off the pan and serve.