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candied sweet potatoes in a casserole dish with a serving spoon.
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5 from 2 votes

Candied Yams Recipe

Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes are a classic soul food dish. Melt-in-your-mouth sweet potatoes baked in a buttery brown sugar glaze with warm spices and vanilla make this great recipe unforgettable! With the caramel notes and luscious texture, this dish is a must for holiday dinners.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Holidays, Side Dish, Soul Food
Cuisine: African-American, American, Soul Food
Servings: 8
Calories: 500kcal
Author: Britney

Equipment

  • 9x13 Baking Pan
  • Medium Saucepan
  • Potato Peeler

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs Sweet Potatoes (about 6 medium sweet potatoes)
  • 10 tbsps Salted Butter
  • 1 ½ cups Brown Sugar
  • 2 ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp Ground Ginger
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2 tbsps Maple Syrup
  • 1 ½ tbsps Vanilla Extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Wash, peel, and cut sweet potatoes into chunks. Add chunks to a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
  • Melt butter to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Brown the butter. Once browned, reduce to low and add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Whisk together gently and cook for 5 minutes, allowing the mixture to come together.
  • Remove from heat and add maple syrup and vanilla extract. Continue to stir until combined. Sauce should be thick.
  • Pour butter sauce over the sweet potatoes and use a spoon to mix together and make sure all of the sweet potatoes are coated. Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, until fork tender.

Notes

  • This is the perfect make-ahead dish. I like to prepare my candied sweet potatoes a day in advance because the longer they sit in the brown sugar sauce, the more they soak in the flavor.
  • Allow the sweet potatoes to cool before serving. The candied mixture forms a delicious golden brown buttery syrup in the casserole dish that's piping hot fresh out of the oven. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes prior to serving!
  • Using a vegetable peeler to peel the sweet potatoes saves a ton of time! I highly recommend it!

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 842mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 32615IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 2mg