Candied Yams Recipe that combines warm spices, maple, citrus, and butter to create tender, melt-in-your-mouth sweet potatoes with incredible flavor.
Author’s Notes
Saucy, Caramel-y, And Gone Quick!
If you’ve been following my recipes for any length of time, you already know my love for sweet potatoes. I squeeze them into just about any recipe I can! My two current favorite ways to eat them: sweet potato burrito bowls (STILL a lunch staple after all these years!) and my Sweetgreen harvest bowl copycat.
But beyond eating them almost daily, they’re my forever favorite Thanksgiving side. Roasted, tucked into a casserole, or in this very candied yams recipe…these candied sweet potatoes are extra saucy, rich, and caramel-y in the best way. Nothing pairs better with turkey and cranberry sauce!
I’m curious: How do YOU like your sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving? Roasted, casserole, candied, or do they not make the cut?
Ingredients In This Candied Yams Recipe
| Ingredient | Tip |
|---|---|
| Sweet potatoes | Slice evenly so they cook at the same speed and soak up the sauce. |
| Butter and brown sugar | Use very soft, fresh brown sugar. |
| Maple syrup and vanilla | Use real (pure) maple syrup and pure vanilla for the best flavor depth. |
| Warm spices | Adjust these to your taste by adding more of the spices you love and less (or none) of the ones you don’t. |
| Clementine zest and juice | Adds brightness and acidity that cuts through the richness and keeps things balanced. |
How To Make This Candied Yams Recipe
- Prep potatoes: Peel, slice, add to a greased dish, and season with salt.
- Heat oven: Preheat to 375°F.
- Make sauce: Melt everything in a pot, boil 2 minutes, then add vanilla and clementine.
- Bake: Bake 20 minutes uncovered, stir, cover, bake 20 minutes, stir, and bake again.
- Finish: Let the sauce thicken as it cools, then taste and adjust salt.
Storage
How to Store: This candied yams recipe keeps well covered in the fridge for 3–5 days. The sauce thickens when chilled but loosens when reheated in the microwave.
How to Make Ahead: Peel and slice sweet potatoes up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate in an airtight bag. Prepare the sauce separately, refrigerate, and warm before pouring over the potatoes to bake.
Try More Delicious Sweet Potato Recipes:
Candied Yams Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled & cut into 1/2-inch discs
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 clementine oranges or mandarins
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes and slice into 1/2-inch rounds. Coat a 9×13-inch ceramic baking dish with cooking spray (avoid metal pans; they can add a slight metallic flavor). Add the potato slices, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, add the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the butter melts. Stop stirring and bring to a gentle boil. Boil for 2 minutes without stirring.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Zest the clementines to get 1/2 teaspoon zest, then juice them to get 2 tablespoons juice. Add both to the sauce and mix.
- Pour the warm sauce over the potatoes. Gently toss to coat as evenly as possible.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir the potatoes, cover with foil, and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. Remove, stir again, recover with foil, and bake 20 more minutes or until the potatoes are fully tender.
- Remove from the oven. The sauce will look thin, but thickens as it cools. Taste and add a pinch more salt (I usually add another 1/4 tsp) if needed. Enjoy warm.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time and then be frozen?
For best results, freeze after baking and fully cooling. Transfer the yams and sauce to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm covered in the oven at 325°F until heated through, stirring once or twice. The sauce may be slightly looser after thawing, but the flavor will still be great.