Southern Candied Yams
Candied yams are a classic holiday side dish that's an outstanding addition to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, but they are also terrific to serve year-round. Sweet potatoes cooked with brown sugar, butter, and warm spices are the star of the show and downright irresistible!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 510kcal
Ingredients
- 3 pounds peeled sweet potatoes
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees
- Slice sweet potatoes into rounds and place in a large pot, and cover with water. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook for approximately 5 minutes until the potatoes are tender on the edges but slightly firm in the middle. Drain the potatoes and place them back in the cooking pot.
- While the potatoes are cooking, make the sugar syrup by adding the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, vanilla and salt to a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar has melted, about 5 minutes.
- Pour the sugar mixture over the sweet potatoes. Gently stir to coat the potatoes, then place them into a baking dish. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and carefully toss in potatoes in the syrup. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are done and the syrup has caramelized.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Notes
Recipe Variations:
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- Marshmallows: It may be controversial, but I don't use mini marshmallows in my candied yams recipe. But you can! Once the candied yams are done cooking, sprinkle miniature marshmallows over the potatoes and place them under the broiler for a few seconds until browned and melted.
- Pecan: Chopped toasted pecans are great sprinkled on during baking, and candied pecans are a delicious finishing touch before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
Nutrition
Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 810mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 32670IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 2mg