This southern candied yams recipe is a classic holiday side dish that’s perfect for Thanksgiving dinner or any special occasion. It’s a hit every time I serve it and is so easy to make: Slice up sweet potatoes (also called yams in the US— more on that below!), toss them with a buttery, sweet syrup, and bake until tender. I’ve tested this recipe many times over the years and found that you don’t need to precook the sweet potatoes on the stove as long as you tightly cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil during the first part of baking. This saves time, and it’s one less dish to clean!
One of the most popular sweet potato recipes during the holidays, these sweet yams work so well with the more savory sides on your Thanksgiving table. Since it’s quick to whip up, I usually make it the day I plan to serve it, but you can make the syrup a day in advance if you want to save a little time!
A reader, Oweka, says: “Made this for Thanksgiving as a side and it’s phenomenal. I added the OJ and vanilla extract as suggested in the tips, and it really balances and enhances the sweetness and flavors. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. This will be a staple for the holidays.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
- What’s The Difference Between Yams And Sweet Potatoes?
- Why Is This Dish Called Candied Yams?
- Key Ingredients
- Flavor And Topping Variations
- Can I Make This Ahead Of Time?
- Pro Tips For Making The Best Candied Yams
- How To Make Candied Yams
- How To Serve
- Storage and Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Thanksgiving Recipes To Try
What’s The Difference Between Yams And Sweet Potatoes?
Candied yams in the United States are, more accurately, candied sweet potatoes! In the US, “yams” and “sweet potatoes” are often used interchangeably, but yams are technically completely different! Native to Africa and Asia, true yams are starchy and earthy with white flesh and thick brown skin that resembles tree bark, similar to cassava. You probably won’t find real yams in your average local grocery store.
The sweet potato you are likely familiar with has bright orange flesh, smooth skin, and a sweet flavor. It might be labeled “yams,” “sweet yams,” or “garnet yams” at the store, which can be confusing! But chances are, if the skin is smooth with a red-orange hue, you’re looking at a sweet potato (which is what you need for this recipe!). You can see the difference between a sweet potato and a true yam in the image below, so you know exactly what to pick for this recipe!
Why Is This Dish Called Candied Yams?
The dish has roots in West Africa, where it was originally made with yams. In the US, the yams were replaced with sweet potatoes since they were available and similar in texture and flavor. The name stuck even with the ingredient swap, but the dish is also referred to as “candied sweet potatoes.” So whether you call them candied yams or candied sweet potatoes, it’s the same dish. And it’s just as tasty with either title!
Key Ingredients
These are the main ingredients you need to make candied yams. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Sweet potatoes — look for medium-sized sweet potatoes, which will become creamy and tender when baked. Larger ones are a little tougher or more fibrous and might have less flavor. Be sure to choose firm sweet potatoes with no soft, mushy spots. There are different varieties of sweet potatoes, too, with different colors. This recipe would also work well with white Japanese sweet potatoes or purple sweet potatoes!
Sugar — the rich, caramel-like flavor of brown sugar is a delicious complement to the flavor of sweet potatoes. I use light brown sugar in this recipe, but dark brown sugar is a great option as well.
Butter — while I use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt that goes into my candied sweet potatoes, you can use salted butter if that’s all you have on hand. Just don’t add any additional salt to the dish.
Spices — ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg are classic warm spices for candied yams. Try to use freshly grated nutmeg if you can. It tastes so much better than the pre-ground kind! Nutmeg loses its flavor relatively fast after it is ground.
Flavor And Topping Variations
There are quite a few ways to change up classic candied yams if you want to add a little pizazz. Here are some ideas:
- Use different spices: Use ½ teaspoon allspice and ½ teaspoon ground ginger instead of cinnamon and nutmeg for a different flavor that’s equally cozy!
- Added flavors: For brightness, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or zest to the syrup. You can also add about ½ teaspoon vanilla extract for nuance and a lovely aroma, or 2 to 3 tablespoons of your favorite bourbon for depth.
- Replace ¼ cup of brown sugar with ¼ cup (60ml) of pure maple syrup or honey.
- For added creaminess: Stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons of heavy cream into the sugar mixture before baking. It makes the syrup addictively velvety.
- Add a topping: While marshmallows are typically used to top sweet potato casserole, you can use them in this candied yams recipe as well. Once you remove the foil from the casserole dish and stir the yams in Step 5, add marshmallows and finish up the baking uncovered. You can also add crunch to balance the potatoes’ tender texture with chopped toasted pecans or candied pecans.
Can I Make This Ahead Of Time?
You could bake it and simply reheat it the next day. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes. But since this dish is pretty hands-off and quick to assemble, I tend to prepare it the day I plan to serve it.
If you want to save a little time, you can prepare the sugar syrup a day ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it slightly in the microwave until it is easy to stir, 20 to 30 seconds. I don’t recommend preslicing the sweet potatoes as they will oxidize and can turn grey or black in spots.
Pro Tips For Making The Best Candied Yams
Cut the sweet potatoes into equal-sized pieces for even cooking. Slicing the sweet potatoes into ½-inch-thick rounds (or coins) ensures they bake up perfectly in under an hour. I try to buy sweet potatoes that are around the same size, so the rounds end up being the same size as well. That way, you don’t have some pieces that are overly soft while others are still a bit undercooked.
Use a glass or ceramic baking dish. These materials help insulate the candied yams so that they don’t burn around the edges. Metal conducts heat better and can cause the sugar and sweet potatoes to burn on the outer edges.
Cover the dish tightly with foil to soften the sweet potatoes properly. For the first stage of the baking process, cover with foil to trap steam so that the sweet potatoes soften but don’t dry out. The foil is removed later, once the potatoes are softened, to thicken the sugar mixture for a thick, syrupy coating.
How To Make Candied Yams
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making my oven-roasted candied yams. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. After thoroughly cleaning your sweet potatoes, peel and slice them into ½-inch-thick rounds. Place the slices into a lightly greased baking dish and set aside while you make the spiced sugar and butter sauce.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Remove it from the heat and add it to a medium bowl along with brown sugar, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and salt. Stir to combine. You could also simply do this in the same pot you use to melt the butter.
3. Pour the sugar syrup over the potatoes and toss to coat all the slices. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil so the steam trapped in the dish softens the potatoes.
4. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, carefully remove the foil, and stir the sweet potatoes. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes uncovered until the candied yams are tender and the syrup is nicely thickened.
Candied Yams Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 9×13″ casserole dish
- Medium Saucepan
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes (1.35 kg)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar (165g)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9×13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Peel the sweet potatoes, and slice them into ½-inch-thick rounds. Place the slices in the greased baking dish.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted and hot. Remove from the heat.
- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and salt, and stir to combine. (You could also mix this together in a medium bowl.) Pour the sugar mixture over the potatoes, and to coat. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, and gently stir the sweet potatoes.
- Continue baking, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and syrupy, about 20 to 30 minutes more. Serve warm.
Notes
- If you want to hold the side dish warm after baking, recover it with foil to help it to hold heat. A ceramic dish will help it stay warm for longer as well. Covered, the candied yams should stay warm for 30 minutes!
Nutrition
How To Serve
For Thanksgiving dinner or any special occasion, candied yams are a huge hit alongside mains like my recipe for roasted turkey, roasted chicken, roast beef, or honey-glazed ham. This classic side dish pairs so well with other delicious sides like my broccoli casserole recipe, easy baked mac and cheese, and cornbread dressing recipe.
Storage and Reheating
How to store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to reheat: Transfer the yams to an oven-safe dish and cover with aluminum foil. Reheat at 350°F for about 15 to 20 minutes. To save time, you can reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through. Do not cover it with foil if reheating it in the microwave!
Can you freeze candied yams? Personally, I try to avoid freezing candied sweet potatoes because their texture once thawed is quite mushy instead of tender. So I like to finish them up within a few days. But, technically, you can freeze them if you want to. Once cool, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend using canned sweet potatoes because they’re commonly packed in syrup, which would make this dish far too sweet to be enjoyable. Fresh sweet potatoes are the way to go, in my opinion! However, if you are able to find plain canned sweet potatoes without syrup, you can use 3 (15-ounce) cans. Just be sure to drain the liquid well. Since canned sweet potatoes are already soft, bake for 15 minutes covered, to start, then remove the foil and continue baking as directed.
The main cause is baking the potatoes uncovered before they soften. Potatoes take time to become tender in the oven, and covering the baking dish with foil helps move along this process while retaining moisture and the sauciness of the brown sugar syrup. If you remove the aluminum foil too soon, the potatoes will need more time to bake uncovered, which can cause them to dry out. If this happens, you can try stirring a few tablespoons of water, cream, apple cider, or orange juice into the potatoes to add moisture back in. Cover and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Yes! To feed a bigger crowd, you can absolutely double the recipe. Bake time may increase by 10 minutes for both the covered and uncovered stages of cooking (so approximately 20 extra minutes total).
More Thanksgiving Recipes To Try
Planning your Thanksgiving menu? Here are a few side dishes to add to your holiday table!
Potatoes au gratin is a cheesy potato casserole made with thinly sliced potatoes. Russet or Yukon gold potatoes yield the best texture for this tasty side dish.
Southern-style collard greens are a flavor sensation! Salty, sweet, tangy, and even a little spicy, these greens are stewed to tender perfection.
With 5 ingredients and 10 minutes of hands-on time, you can whip up an insanely delicious green bean casserole to wow your friends and family this holiday season. The crunchy French-fried onion topping is my favorite part!
Classic cornbread is always a hit. You’ll love the crisp, golden brown edges that develop thanks to a preheated skillet.
Who could say no to mashed potatoes? With my simple tips, your potatoes will turn out creamy and velvety every time, never grainy or watery.
If you’ve tried this candied yam recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Oweka says
Made this for thanksgiving as a side and it’s phenomenal. I added the OJ and vanilla extract as suggested in the tips and it really balances and enhances the sweetness and flavors. Thank you for a wonderful recipe, this will be a staple for the holidays.