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These Southern candied yams are tender sweet potatoes coated in a buttery brown sugar glaze. Sweet, spiced, and the perfect soul comfort side for any holiday!
Featuring tender sweet potatoes coated in a rich, buttery syrup, it’s no wonder sweet Southern candied yams always have a place on the table.
They add just the right touch of sweetness to your savory Thanksgiving dinner spread.
Even better, they’re baked in the oven so you can focus on prepping everything else!
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Comfort foods should be as easy as they are comforting! Try our make-ahead mashed potatoes and red velvet waffles and chicken next.
Why You’ll Love This Southern Candied Yams Recipe
- These easy candied yams bake in the oven, so you don’t have to watch them constantly.
- These candied sweet potatoes turn out tender, buttery, and perfectly sweet, just like Grandma made them!
- These Southern sweet potatoes make the best side dish to add a touch of sweetness to your holiday table.
Ingredients
Sweet potatoes – Yes, these soul food candied yams are actually candied sweet potatoes! Choose medium or small ones with smooth skins, as large sweet potatoes can be quite starchy.
Butter – Butter adds richness and helps the sugars and spices stick to the sweet potatoes. We used unsalted butter for better control over the saltiness.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar – Of course, the best candied yams recipe needs a rich, caramel-like syrup base.
Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger – Feel free to adjust the spices to your taste and use your favorite blend!
Salt – Balances the sweetness of the butter sauce perfectly.
Vanilla extract – Adds depth. And speaking of depth, you can add some orange juice to the brown sugar syrup!
Ingredient Substitutions For Soul Food Candied Yams
Canned sweet potatoes
You can use canned sweet potatoes to make candied yams in oven! But to keep them from getting mushy, leave the baking dish uncovered and adjust the cooking time.
Maple syrup
You can substitute brown sugar with maple syrup! Its warm, sweet flavor pairs beautifully with the sweet potatoes!
Honey
For a slightly different flavor profile on your Southern candied yams, replace some of the white sugar with honey.
Tips For Making This Recipe
No Need to Dissolve Sugars
You don’t need to wait for the sugars to fully dissolve. Since the syrup has no added liquid, cooking it for too long might cause it to harden once poured over the sweet potatoes.
Coat the Potatoes Evenly
Make sure every slice of sweet potato is well-coated with the syrup. This helps them cook evenly and caramelize beautifully in the oven.
Add Marshmallows
For Southern candied yams with marshmallows, sprinkle mini marshmallows after baking for 40 minutes. Return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes until the marshmallows are golden and slightly crisp.
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe FAQs
Are sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?
Even though they’re actually different, sweet potatoes and yams are often labeled the same in stores. What we call yams in the US are sweet potatoes! However, real yams have a rough skin and starchy flesh, while sweet potatoes have a smoother skin and softer, sweeter flesh.
Is it necessary to peel the sweet potatoes?
It’s up to you whether you leave the sweet potato skins on, but you’ll get the best texture for these candy yams if you peel them first.
Do I need to boil sweet potatoes before baking them?
You don’t need to boil the sweet potatoes for this candied yams recipe, as they’ll bake long enough to become perfectly tender.
Is it okay to prepare Southern candied yams ahead of time?
Yes, this sweet yams recipe is make-ahead friendly! You can prepare the yams up to 2 days in advance, cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just reheat at 350°F until warmed through.
How long can you keep candied yams in the fridge?
You can store the baked candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. We haven’t tested freezing them yet.
More Delicious Holiday Side Dishes
- Traditional Stuffing
- Crockpot Green Bean Casserole
- Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
- Crockpot Black Eyed Peas
- Cracker Barrel Squash Casserole
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Southern Candied Yams
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- Pinch salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease your baking dish with butter.
- Wash, peel, and slice the sweet potatoes into rounds, then arrange them in the greased baking dish.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt, stirring until the mixture thickens.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour the syrup over the sweet potatoes and stir until evenly coated.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the foil, toss the sweet potatoes so the ones on the bottom rotate to the top, and bake uncovered for 10 to 30 minutes more, or until fork-tender.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You don’t need to wait for the sugars to fully dissolve. Since the syrup has no added liquid, cooking it too long might cause it to harden once poured over the sweet potatoes.
- Make sure every slice of sweet potato is well-coated with the syrup. This helps them cook evenly and caramelize beautifully in the oven.
- For Southern candied yams with marshmallows, sprinkle mini marshmallows after baking for 40 minutes. Return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes until the marshmallows are golden and slightly crisp.
Nutrition
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