Candied Yams

How to make THE BEST homemade candied yams ever! Coated in butter, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. So stinking easy (and so good!).

why i love this recipe

• No parboiling. This does not require any kind of parboiling like traditional candied yam recipes. The sweet potatoes are baked in the oven from start to finish, basted in a spiced, buttery syrup during the last 20 minutes.
• Skips the canned sweet potatoes. The recipe uses 3 pounds of fresh sweet potatoes, and comes together very easily, leaving the oven to do most of the work.
• Goes well with everything. Although candied yams reach their peak popularity during the holidays, candied yams can be served all year long, pairing well with turkey, steak, pork, chicken and fish.

what are candied yams?

Candied yams is a classic Southern dish, typically made during Thanksgiving, featuring slow cooked sweet potatoes baked in a buttery syrup with warm spices.

does candied yams use sweet potatoes?

Ironically, candied yams do in fact use sweet potatoes, not yams. Sweet potatoes are more commonly used as they are more readily available than yams.

tips and tricks for success

• Use firm potatoes. When purchasing sweet potatoes, look for small to medium evenly shaped potatoes that are firm with smooth and taut skin.
• Cut in uniform size. Slice the sweet potatoes in similar size for even cooking.
• Use dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses than light brown sugar, providing stronger and deeper flavors of caramel and toffee.
• Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor. This is also a great time to use up all the leftover herbs from your holiday turkey or leg of lamb.
• Add finishing touches. Add a little bit of orange zest, fresh herbs or chopped pecans.

Candied Yams

Yield: 8 servings

Prep: 20 minutes minutes

Cook: 1 hour hour

Total: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

How to make THE BEST homemade candied yams ever! Coated in butter, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. So stinking easy (and so good!).

5 stars (7 ratings)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• ½ cup pecan halves, chopped

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine orange juice, brown sugar, butter, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until butter has melted, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and rosemary.
• Place potatoes into the prepared baking dish; stir in orange juice mixture.
• Place into oven and bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover; continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes, basting every 7-8 minutes until potatoes are tender and orange juice mixture is syrupy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve immediately, garnished with pecans, if desired.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!

Pin Recipe Share on Facebook Share by Email