Candied Yams
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Homemade Southern candied yams from scratch! So easy with fresh sweet potatoes and an irresistible buttery syrup with cinnamon and nutmeg!
why you’ll love candied yams
- No parboiling. This recipe 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 to soak up all the flavor.
- Skips the canned sweet potatoes. The dish comes together very easily using 3 pounds of fresh sweet potatoes, leaving the oven to do all the heavy lifting here.
- Pairs well with everything. Although candied yams reach their peak popularity during the holidays, candied yams can be served all year long, pairing exceptionally 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, yes, candied yams do in fact use sweet potatoes, not yams. Sweet potatoes are commonly used as they are much more readily available than yams. True African yams are rarely found in US grocery stores.
Key Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes or yams: peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch round slices
- Sugar: dark brown sugar (light brown sugar can be substituted in a pinch)
- Liquid: freshly squeezed orange juice, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract
- Warm spices: ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg
- Herbs: fresh rosemary
- Toppings: chopped pecans and fresh rosemary leaves
How to make candied yams
- Prep the potatoes. Peel the sweet potatoes or yams and slice into even 1/2-inch-thick rounds.
- Make the syrup. Combine the orange juice, brown sugar, butter, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted into a smooth syrup. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and rosemary until well combined.
- Assemble. Layer the sweet potato rounds in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and pour the warm syrup over the top until the potatoes are evenly coated.
- Bake. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 400°F for 40 minutes. Uncover the dish, baste the potatoes with the syrup, and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes. Pro tip: the potatoes will be done when they are fork-tender and the syrup has thickened into a sticky glaze.
- Rest and serve. Let the potatoes rest 5-10 minutes. Then sprinkle with pecans and chopped fresh rosemary, and serve warm.
How to make candied yams ahead of time
Unbaked (recommended)
- Assemble. Prep and assemble the candied yams in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish as directed.
- Store. Cover and place in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Take the chill off. Let it come to room temperature for 15-30 minutes prior to baking.
- Bake. Stir well and bake as directed.
Baked
- Let cool. Once baked, let the candied yams cool completely.
- Store. Cover and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Place in the oven at 350°F until warmed through (pre-baked potatoes will be very soft and may fall apart when reheated).
what to serve with candied yams
Tools For This Recipe
Candied Yams: Frequently Asked Questions
Candied yams are sliced sweet potatoes baked in a buttery, spiced syrup until the potatoes are tender and evenly glazed and glossed. Sweet potato casserole features mashed sweet potatoes, typically topped with pecans and marshmallows, baked into more of a custard-like consistency.
No parboiling needed here! This recipe is simplified by cooking the sweet potatoes in the oven for 1 hour from start to finish.
Walnuts would work very well here.
Yes! Candied yams can be assembled 1-2 days in advance and placed in the fridge, covered with aluminum foil. Allow the potatoes to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to baking as directed.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, reheating in the microwave or oven, and stirring well before serving.
Candied yams freeze beautifully! To freeze, let the yams cool completely and portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat at 350°F until warmed through.
Candied Yams
Video
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
Instructions
- 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.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- 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.
- Let rest 5-10 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with pecans, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Use firm potatoes. When purchasing sweet potatoes, look for small to medium evenly shaped potatoes that are firm with smooth and taut skin.
- Skip canned potatoes. Canned varieties come pre-cooked in a corn syrup mixture, yielding overly sweet, soft, mushy potatoes.
- Cut in thick, uniform size. Slice the sweet potatoes into thick rounds (about 1/2-inch) in similar size for even cooking. Cutting them too thin will cause the potatoes to fall apart and turn into mush.
- 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.
- Cover first. Cover the baking dish with foil for the first portion of baking to steam the potatoes to let them get tender. Then continue baking uncovered for 15-20 minutes, basting every 7-8 minutes, until the liquid becomes thick and glossy.
- Let it rest. Let the candied yams rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving. This will allow the syrup to naturally thicken and cling to the sweet potatoes.
- Add finishing touches. Add a little bit of orange zest, fresh herbs, or chopped pecans.
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