No holiday meal is complete without bright orange candied yams. It’s a sweet, rich side with notes of caramel from brown sugar and plenty of warmth from cinnamon and nutmeg. Preparing this easy side couldn’t be simpler. Just cut up a few sweet potatoes (also called yams in the US), toss them with a buttery, lightly spiced brown sugar sauce, and bake. That’s it!
While you’ll usually find candied sweet potatoes on the table at a holiday gathering, I don’t hesitate to make them whenever I have family over. You just can’t beat the quick prep time and the delicious payoff. If you’re looking for other holiday side dishes you’ll make year-round, try my potatoes au gratin recipe, collard greens recipe, and classic green bean casserole.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Sweet potatoes — look for medium-sized sweet potatoes, which will become creamy and tender when baked. Larger ones are a little tougher and might have less flavor.
Sugar — I use light brown sugar in this recipe, but dark brown sugar is a great option as well. Both have a rich, caramel-like flavor. If desired, you can replace half of the sugar with maple syrup.
Butter — you need ½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter on hand, don’t add any additional salt to the dish.
Cream — a small amount of heavy cream adds richness and a velvety texture to the sugar syrup.
Spices — ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg are classic warm spices for candied yams, but you could use allspice and ginger instead. If using ground nutmeg, try to grate it fresh. It tastes so much better than the pre-ground kind!
How to Make Candied Yams
1. Thoroughly clean and peel the sweet potatoes. Then slice them into ½-inch-thick rounds. Place the slices in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan, add the cream and butter. Melt the butter over medium heat until both the cream and butter are hot. While the butter is melting, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and stir until well combined. You should have a rich brown sauce.
3. Drizzle the brown sugar mixture over the sweet potatoes.
4. Toss to coat all the slices. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and gently stir the sweet potatoes, being careful not to smash them up. Bake uncovered for about 20 to 30 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender and glazed. Serve warm.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Clean the sweet potatoes thoroughly. Wash them and scrub the skin to remove any dirt that might cling to the skin.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into equal-sized pieces. This will help them bake at the same pace.
- Add orange juice. For brightness and a hint of acidity, add 2 tablespoons of orange juice to the buttery syrup.
- Add vanilla. Good vanilla extract adds depth and nuance to the dish if desired. About ½ teaspoon will do the trick.
- Top with mini marshmallows. 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, add marshmallows and finish up the baking uncovered. You can place the dish under the broiler for a minute to brown the marshmallow topping more once it’s done baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the United States, “yam” and “sweet potato” are often used interchangeably, but yams are actually completely different! Native to Africa and Asia, true yams are starchy and earthy with thick brown skin and white flesh, similar to cassava. You probably won’t find real yams in your local grocery store. The sweet potato you are likely familiar with has bright orange flesh and a sweet flavor. It might be labeled “yam,” “sweet yams,” or “garnet yams” at the store, which can be confusing! But chances are, if the skin has a red-orange hue, you’re looking at a sweet potato (which is what you need for this recipe!).
I think fresh sweet potatoes have a superior flavor to canned. But if you are short on time, you can use 3 (15-ounce) cans of sweet potatoes to give you roughly the same amount. Just be sure to drain the liquid well.
For Thanksgiving dinner or any special occasion, candied yams are a huge hit alongside mains like my recipe for roasted turkey, roasted chicken, beef, or ham. These old-fashioned candied sweet potatoes pair well with other delicious sides like broccoli casserole recipe, easy baked mac and cheese, and cornbread dressing recipe.
Since this is a pretty hands-off dish, I prefer to make it the day I want to serve it. But you can make it a night ahead and reheat it in the oven when you are ready to serve it. Candied yams are best enjoyed warm.
Store leftovers of this candied yam recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, transfer to an oven-safe dish and cover with aluminum foil. Reheat at 350°F for about 20 minutes. To save time, reheat in the microwave. Do not cover with foil if reheating in the microwave!
The texture of sweet potatoes changes quite a bit when frozen, so I tend to try and finish leftover candied yams as quickly as possible to avoid freezing them. But they can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Just be aware that the sweet potatoes will likely be mushy instead of tender.
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If you’ve tried this candied yams recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Candied Yams
Equipment
- 9×13″ casserole dish
- Medium Saucepan
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9×13-inch 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 and cream over medium heat until melted and hot.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and salt. Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir until well combined. 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.
Video
Notes
- Clean the sweet potatoes thoroughly. Wash them and scrub the skin to remove any dirt that might cling to the skin.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into equal-sized pieces. This will help them bake at the same pace.
- Add orange juice. For brightness and a hint of acidity, add 2 tablespoons of orange juice to the buttery syrup.
- Add vanilla. Good vanilla extract adds depth and nuance to the dish if desired. About ½ teaspoon will do the trick.
- Top with mini marshmallows. 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, add marshmallows and finish up the baking uncovered. You can place the dish under the broiler for a minute to brown the marshmallow topping more once it’s done baking.
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