Candied Yams Recipe

Sweet Southern Candied Yams with brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and vanilla extract is one of the tastiest, easiest sides. We love to serve it up for Thanksgiving dinner.

Course side dish/other

Cuisine Southern

Keyword candied sweet potates, candied yams recipe, how to cook candy yams, how to make candied yams

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 404kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

3 lbs sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Add the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla to a large skillet over medium heat. As the sugars and butter melt, stir to combine all the ingredients and coat the potatoes.
Bring the mixture to a low boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes or until fork tender. Gently turn the sweet potatoes as they are cooking.
Turn the heat up during the last few minutes of cooking to thicken the sauce. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. For best results, serve promptly.

Notes

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into uniform size chunks. Sweet potatoes can be challenging to cut, so be prepared and be safe.
Stir the potatoes just enough to mix the spices and glaze both sides of the potatoes.
Is your stovetop extra busy? It's no problem; prepare them in a baking dish in the oven using the same concept. Bake covered at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, stirring to combine and baste several times. Then remove the top and cook until fork tender and glazed.
For an extra special treat, sprinkle with toasted pecans. Or use an oven-proof skillet, top with mini marshmallows, and bake uncovered at 400 degrees until the marshmallows melt and lightly brown.

Nutrition