It’s no secret how much I love sweet potatoes, but Candied Yams are indeed my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. It’s made with sweet potatoes that are prepared and baked in a sweet and decadent sugar glaze that soaks into every single bite. It’s a special dish that I always make for the holidays and there’s usually never any leftovers. I also love that it’s made with simple ingredients that I almost always have in my pantry. So if you’re looking for a classic, budget-friendly, side dish to make this holiday season, these candied yams are one the entire family will love!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
What Are Candied Yams?
Candied yams are sweet potatoes that are baked in a sweet, syrupy, brown sugar glaze. Hence the name “candied” yams. But technically sweet potatoes and yams are not the same thing. Although they are both root vegetables and sometimes shaped similarly, there are still distinct differences. Yams have a dark brown skin, a rough exterior, and oftentimes a white flesh. They also have more of an earthy flavor and are not as sweet as sweet potatoes. It’s pretty common to see sweet potatoes mislabeled as yams in grocery stores these days; and now both names are often used interchangeably.
Ingredients For Candied Yams
Here’s what you need to make this easy & delicious candied yams recipe:
- Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need roughly 2.5 to 3 lbs. of sweet potatoes. If you want to cut your sweet potatoes in uniform even rounds, try to purchase sweet potatoes that are long and narrow versus large and bulky.
- Brown Butter: My secret ingredient for these candied yams is brown butter. Browning the butter adds a rich, nutty, caramel flavor which compliments the rest of the ingredients perfectly!
- Sugar: A combination of dark brown sugar and granulated white sugar provides the perfect balance of sweetness.
- Spices: Classic warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla provide a powerful flavor punch.
- Orange Juice: Just a small amount of fresh squeezed orange juice makes the sugar glaze really pop!
Should You Boil The Sweet Potatoes First?
Luckily you don’t have to boil the sweet potatoes first before making candied yams. Although par-boiling the sweet potatoes would help them cook faster, this recipe tastes much better when the potatoes are slow baked in the oven so they can soak up all of that yummy sweet glaze.
Recipe Tips!
- Make sure to keep an eye on your butter when it’s browning. As soon as it starts to turn a golden brown color, add the rest of the ingredients or remove the pot from the heat to prevent the butter from burning.
- You don’t have to cut your sweet potatoes into rounds. You can chop them into large chunks instead. Just make sure not to cut them too thin. You want them to be on the thicker side so they hold their shape well while baking.
- Reducing the sugar glaze after the sweet potatoes have finished cooking is totally optional, but I love the glossy finish that it gives the candied yams.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. The butter and sugar mixture will thicken as it chills. To reheat, just place the candied yams in a saucepan over medium heat, in the oven at 350°F, or reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Candied Yams
Servings 6Ingredients
- 2.5 lb. sweet potatoes (about 4 medium sweet potatoes) ($3.56)
- 1/2 cup butter ($1.12)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar ($0.75)
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar ($0.20)
- 1 tsp cinnamon ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract ($1.20)
- 1 orange, juiced ($0.99)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash, peel, and cut the sweet potatoes into ½ inch thick rounds. Place the sweet potatoes into a greased 3 quart casserole dish or a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Add the butter to a small light-colored pot. Heat the pot over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter solids turn golden brown and develop a nutty aroma (it will first become foamy, then the solids will sink to the bottom and turn brown).
- As soon as the butter turns golden brown add the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir together until smooth.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the vanilla extract and 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice. Stir until combined.
- Pour the sugar glaze over the sweet potatoes in the baking dish. There is no need to stir the potatoes at this point. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes remove the foil and gently stir the sweet potatoes to redistribute the glaze. Move some of the potatoes that are at the bottom to the top. Bake for another 30 minutes uncovered or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- This step is optional, but recommended. With a slotted spoon, transfer the candied yams to a separate serving dish. Add the remaining sugar glaze to a small pot over medium heat. Bring the pot to a simmer for about 5 minutes or until the glaze has reduced and thickened.
- Pour the thick glaze back over the sweet potatoes and serve.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
How to Make Candied Yams – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash, peel, and cut 2.5 lb. sweet potatoes into ½ inch thick rounds. Place the sweet potatoes into a greased 3 quart casserole dish or a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Add 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) to a small light-colored pot. Heat the pot over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter solids turn golden brown and develop a nutty aroma (it will first become foamy, then the solids will sink to the bottom and turn brown).
As soon as the butter turns golden brown add 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir together until smooth.
Remove the pot from the heat and add 2 tsp vanilla extract and 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice. Stir until combined.
Pour the sugar glaze over the sweet potatoes in the baking dish. There is no need to stir the potatoes at this point. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes remove the foil and gently stir the sweet potatoes to redistribute the glaze. Move some of the potatoes that are at the bottom to the top. Bake for another 30 minutes uncovered or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
This step is optional, but recommended. With a slotted spoon, transfer the candied yams to a separate serving dish. Add the remaining sugar glaze to a small pot over medium heat. Bring the pot to a simmer for about 5 minutes or until the glaze has reduced and thickened.
Pour the thick glaze back over the sweet potatoes and serve. Now just sit back and get ready to impress all of your family and friends with these decadent and delicious candied yams.😋
What is the best way to go about making this ahead of time?
There’s storage and reheating instructions in the blog post! Store any leftover candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. The butter and sugar mixture will thicken as it chills. To reheat, just place the candied yams in a saucepan over medium heat, in the oven at 350°F, or reheat in the microwave until warmed through. If you know you’re making them ahead of time, make sure you don’t over cook them the first time so that they don’t get mushy when you reheat. :)
I made this last night for early thanksgiving and it was excellent! A recipe I plan to return to frequently!