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These Stovetop Candied Yams are bringing all the Southern comfort without ever turning on the oven! Tender slices of sweet potatoes simmer in a rich, buttery brown sugar syrup with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and a hint of maple until they’re perfectly soft and coated in that thick, glossy glaze. And that syrup at the bottom of the pot? You’re gonna want to spoon it over EVERYTHING!
For more sweet potato side dishes, check out Sweet Potato Cornbread or this Baked Sweet Potato Casserole!
I grew up eating candied yams at family gatherings, and they’re still one of my favorite Southern side dishes. My old-fashioned baked candied sweet potatoes are always a holiday favorite, but when the oven is full and I’ve got a dozen other things cooking, this stovetop version is the way to go! No boiling the potatoes beforehand, no baking dish, and all that buttery, spiced goodness comes together in one pot.
Stovetop Candied Yams Recipe Overview
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 40–45 minutes
- 🕒 Resting Time: 20 minutes
- ⏰ Total Time: Approximately 1 hour 15–20 minutes
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 8
- 🍠 Made With: Fresh sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, vanilla, and maple extract.
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love It: These Southern stovetop candied yams are tender, buttery, and coated in a thick, glossy brown sugar syrup. Everything cooks in one pot, so there’s no boiling or baking required!
- 🍽️ Perfect For: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Sunday dinners, and family gatherings.
Table of Contents
Candied Yams vs Sweet Potatoes
Here’s a little Southern food trivia for ya! Despite the name, most candied yams recipes are actually made with sweet potatoes. True yams are starchier root vegetables with rough, bark-like skin, while the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes commonly sold in grocery stores have a naturally sweeter flavor and softer texture.
In Southern cooking, we’ve been calling sweet potatoes yams for generations, and that tradition isn’t going anywhere! So yes, these stovetop candied yams are made with good ol’ sweet potatoes.
Key Ingredients
(The full ingredient list and measurements can be found in the recipe card below)
- Sweet potatoes: I recommend orange-fleshed sweet potatoes for their naturally sweet flavor and creamy texture. Save leftovers to make my sweet potato pound cake recipe next!
- Butter: The foundation of that rich, buttery glaze!
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Brown sugar adds deep molasses flavor, while granulated sugar provides additional sweetness. Together, they create that classic candied yam syrup.
- Warm spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice give these yams their signature cozy Southern flavor.
- Vanilla and maple extracts: Vanilla rounds out the sweetness, while a little maple extract adds extra warmth without needing maple syrup.
- Orange juice: Just a tablespoon brightens the rich, buttery syrup and helps balance the sweetness.
Substitutions
- Candied Yams with Pecans: Want a little crunch to go with all the soft sweetness? Throw in some pecans to make this even more delicious!
- Marshmallow Topping: Top individual servings with marshmallows and use a kitchen torch to brown them. I do this with my old fashioned sweet potato pie!
- Add lemon juice: some people prefer lemon juice over orange juice. Feel free to use what you have on hand.
How To Make Candied Yams
Step 1: Prepare the sweet potatoes. Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes before slicing them to remove all dirt and debris. If you don’t the final dish may be gritty. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into even, ½-inch-thick rounds. Pro Tip: Try to keep the slices the same thickness so they cook at the same rate. Thin slices can break apart before the thicker ones finish cooking.
Step 2: Make the syrup and cook the sweet potatoes. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the sugars and spices then whisk in the orange juice, water, vanilla extract, maple extract, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then add the sweet potatoes and gently toss to coat. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 15–20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and the syrup has thickened.
Step 3: Let them rest. Remove the pot from the heat and let the candied yams rest in the syrup for at least 20 minutes before serving. The syrup will thicken as it cools. Spoon that buttery brown sugar glaze over the top, and honey, you’re in business!
Britney’s Pro Tips
- Don’t overcook the yams! Homemade candied yams are ready when the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Don’t overcook them, they’ll become mushy!
- Keep the heat low. You’re gently simmering the sweet potatoes, not frying them in hot sugar! Medium-low heat helps prevent the buttery syrup from scorching.
- Don’t stir too much. As the sweet potatoes soften, they become delicate. Gently turn them or spoon the syrup over the top to keep those beautiful slices intact.
- Give the syrup time to thicken. Sweet potatoes release moisture as they cook, so the syrup may look thin at first. Removing the lid helps that moisture evaporate. If the potatoes are already tender, remove them and simmer the syrup separately until thick and glossy.
- You can make this dish 2-3 days in advance. Just store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
This is the ultimate soul food dish so it’s best served with more soul food like Slow Cooker Collard Greens, Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese, Black eyed peas with smoked turkey, and Grandma’s Buttermilk Cornbread or Honey Butter Cornbread. It also pairs well with fried cabbage, and pot roast.
Don’t forget the dinner rolls – make these brown and serve rolls and pop them in the oven when everything’s ready! It’s a must with all of that sweet syrup!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover candied yams with their syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave until warmed through. If the syrup has thickened too much in the refrigerator, add a splash of water to loosen it.
Stovetop Candied Yams Recipe FAQs
Nope! There’s no need to boil them first. The sweet potatoes cook directly in the buttery brown sugar syrup, which saves an extra step and allows them to absorb all those delicious flavors as they soften.
Sweet potatoes naturally release moisture as they cook, which can thin out the syrup. Removing the lid during the last 15–20 minutes allows some of that moisture to evaporate. If your potatoes are already tender, remove them and let the syrup reduce separately until thick and glossy.
Absolutely! I love making these a day or two ahead, especially for Thanksgiving. Once they’ve cooled, refrigerate them in an airtight container with their syrup. When you’re ready to serve, gently reheat them on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through.
More Soul Food Classics
Main Course
3 Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe
Thanksgiving
Slow Cooker Collard Greens
Main Course
Smothered Turkey Wings Recipe
If you make these Stovetop Candied Yams, please leave a star rating and a comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can see your creations! I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do!
Happy cooking, y’all!
Stovetop Candied Yams
Equipment
- Potato Peeler
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Sweet Potatoes, (peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices)
- 3/4 cup Salted Butter
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Sugar
- 4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1 tbsp Orange Juice
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1 1/2 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Maple Extract
- Pinch Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Rinse the sweet potatoes thoroughly under cool running water to remove any dirt, then pat them dry with paper towels. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into ½-inch-thick rounds. Try to keep the slices uniform so they cook evenly. Avoid slicing them too thin, or they may fall apart while simmering. 3 lbs Sweet Potatoes
- In a Dutch oven over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, orange juice, water, vanilla extract, maple extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir until combined and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should look glossy and syrupy, with the sugar beginning to dissolve. It doesn't need to be completely smooth at this stage. 3/4 cup Salted Butter 1 cup Brown Sugar 1 cup Sugar 4 tsp Cinnamon 1 tsp Nutmeg 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger 1/2 tsp Allspice 1 tbsp Orange Juice 1 tbsp Water 1 1/2 tbsp Vanilla Extract 1/2 tsp Maple Extract Pinch Kosher Salt
- Add the sliced sweet potatoes in the skillet, gently turning them to coat each piece in the buttery syrup. Spoon some of the syrup over the top, making sure the potatoes are evenly coated. It's okay if the potatoes overlap!
- Reduce the heat to low, place the lid on top leaving a small crack/slightly ajar, and simmer for about 20 minutes. The syrup should bubble gently around the potatoes, not boil rapidly. Avoid stirring too much, as the sweet potatoes will become softer as they cook.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 15–20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and the syrup has thickened. Periodically, spoon the syrup over the potatoes. The candied yams are done when a fork slides easily into the center of a potato slice without resistance, but the slices still hold their shape.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the sweet potatoes to rest in the syrup for at least 20 minutes before serving. The syrup will continue to thicken as it cools.
Notes
- Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes before slicing them to remove all dirt and debris. If you don’t the final dish may be gritty.
- Slice the sweet potatoes into uniform slices. This allows them to cook at an even rate.
- Homemade candied yams are ready when the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Don’t overcook them, they’ll become mushy!
- You can make this dish 2-3 days in advance. Just store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
As someone who can take or leave candied yams, I promise once you try this recipe you will want to take it and never leave it, haha! This recipe is so easy but gives all the flavor of the laborious work that can often times go into a candied yam dish. I highly recommend this dish for anyone who wants a quick recipe but doesn’t want to sacrifice the flavor!
Thanks so much Kris!