Candied Sweet Potatoes, an old fashioned Southern-style side dish of sweet potatoes baked until ultra-tender in a sweet sauce made of butter, sugar, and spice. Topped with pecans for a bit of crunch, this recipe is a perfect colorful addition to any Holiday table.
Why You'll Love it:
- Easy to Find & Inexpensive Ingredients- many of which are pantry staples that you may already have on hand.
- Comforting- cozy spices, tender sweet potatoes, and a sweet candy glaze all come together into a soul-warming side dish.
- Perfect for Thanksgiving & Holidays- this recipe is easily made into large portions and is a great compliment to savory dishes.
- Naturally Gluten-Free & Vegetarian
Ingredient Notes:
Find the full list of ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
- Sweet Potatoes- when buying, look for fresh medium sized sweet potatoes that are mostly uniform in shape. These will be peeled, cut into slices, and baked. Once baked, sweet potatoes become creamy and tender.
- Sugar- a mixture of brown sugar and white granulated sugar gives this recipe sweetness and a sticky syrupy texture to the sauce.
- Butter- used as the base of the candied yam sauce. Either unsalted or salted butter can be used.
- Orange Juice- adds a wonderful citrus flavor, and a touch of acid for balance.
- Spice Blend- ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg. A warm blend of autumn spices to add depth of flavor and a cozy aroma.
- Chopped Pecans- to add crunch and variety in texture.
Substitutions & Variations:
- Add Heavy Cream- adding a splash of heavy cream to the sweet sauce adds a creamy richness and velvety texture.
- Additional Topping Ideas- chopped walnuts, mini marshmallows, or a homemade streusel.
How to Make Candied Sweet Potatoes:
- Prepare Potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Peel and slice sweet potatoes into even ½ inch medallions. Add potatoes to a well-buttered 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.
- Make Sauce:
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in orange juice, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and kosher salt.
- Continue whisking until sugar is dissolved and the mixture has a slight syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg. Carefully taste sauce and adjust spices and salt as desired.
- Bake:
- Pour sugar mixture over potatoes and toss until well combined. Arrange coated potatoes into an even, slightly overlapping layer.
- Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes to reduce liquid and thicken sauce.
- Use a spoon or basting brush to baste potatoes in sugar mixture a few times during cooking.
- Finish:
- Remove from oven, top with chopped pecans, and let sit for a few minutes before serving.
Tips & Recipe Notes:
- Peel and cut potatoes into even ½ inch slices. This ensures even cooking.
- Every so often during baking, use a spoon or basting brush to baste sweet potatoes in sugar mixture. This keeps the potatoes from drying out, and helps keep the sugar mixture from burning.
- Once foil is removed, keep a close eye on the reducing liquid. At this stage, the sauce can become too thick or burn if left for too long.
- Stirring cooked sweet potatoes may cause them to break apart. (But will still taste great!)
Leftovers:
- This dish is best served fresh & warm, but can be made-ahead up to a day in advance.
- Refrigerated sauce may solidify some due to the butter, but will melt when reheated.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, transfer sweet potatoes to an oven safe dish, cover with aluminum foil, and reheat in the oven at 350°F for 20-25 mins.
- This recipe does not freeze well.
More Thanksgiving & Holiday Side Dishes You Will Love:
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Cinnamon Dijon Dressing
- Cheesy Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- Sage + White Cheddar Mac & Cheese Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Cheesy Asiago, Mozzarella, and Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes
- Easy Cheese Stuffed Garlic-Butter Crescent Rolls
- Bacon & Goat Cheese Green Bean Casserole
- Classic Potato Bread & Spicy Sausage Stuffing
- Honey Butter Sweet Potato Mash
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and review in the recipe card below! Your feedback is incredibly valuable. Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more delicious recipes, travel inspiration, and behind-the-scenes content.
Recipe
Baked Candied Sweet Potatoes
Candied Sweet Potatoes, an old fashioned Southern-style side dish of sweet potatoes baked until ultra tender in a sweet sauce made of butter, sugar, and spice. Topped with pecans for a bit of crunch, this recipe is a perfect colorful addition to any Holiday table.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
- ¾ cup orange juice
- 8 tablespoon butter 1 stick
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup chopped pecans for topping
Instructions
Prepare Potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Peel and slice sweet potatoes into even ½ inch medallions. Add potatoes to a well-buttered 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.
Make Sauce:
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Whisk in orange juice, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and kosher salt.
- Continue whisking until sugar is dissolved and the mixture has a slightly syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg. Carefully taste sauce and adjust spices and salt as desired.
Bake:
- Pour sugar mixture over potatoes and toss until well combined. Arrange coated potatoes into an even, slightly overlapping layer.
- Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes to reduce liquid and thicken sauce.
- Use a spoon or basting brush to baste potatoes in sugar mixture a few times during cooking.
Finish:
- Remove from oven, top with chopped pecans, and let sit for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Every so often during baking, use a spoon or basting brush to baste sweet potatoes in sugar mixture. This keeps the potatoes from drying out, and helps keep the sugar mixture from burning.
- Once foil is removed, keep a close eye on the reducing liquid. At this stage, the sauce can become too thick or burn if left for too long.
- Stirring cooked sweet potatoes may cause them to break apart. (But will still taste great!)
- This dish is best served fresh & warm, but can be made-ahead up to a day in advance.
- Refrigerated sauce may solidify some due to the butter, but will melt when reheated.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, transfer sweet potatoes to an oven safe dish, cover with aluminum foil, and reheat in the oven at 350°F for 20-25 mins.
- This recipe does not freeze well.
- Nutritional Information is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients and amounts used.
Nutrition
Calories: 406kcalCarbohydrates: 64.2gProtein: 3.1gFat: 17.2gSaturated Fat: 7.5gCholesterol: 31.2mgSodium: 49.5mgFiber: 4.9gSugar: 42.8g
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