Caramelized Sweet Potatoes (Candied Yam Recipe)
Caramelized sweet potatoes, also called candied yams, are a delicious side dish made by baking sweet potatoes in a rich, buttery brown sugar glaze. Perfect for holiday meals!
When it comes to the holidays, or any kind of special occasion, most of us have at least a few traditional dishes that we can’t live without. I know our family sure does.
Sweet potatoes, in some form or another, are often at the top of that list. Sweet potato casserole covered in perfectly toasted marshmallows or a crunchy nut topping.
Baked, roasted, or mashed yams. There are so many options!
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Whether they were referred to as yams or sweet potatoes, we were all most likely enjoying sweet potatoes at family dinners. True yams are not as sweet and have much rougher skin, almost like tree bark.
There is a good reason that candied yams are a favorite Thanksgiving side dish for so many. Today I am sharing a caramelized sweet potato recipe that I know you are going to love.
This sweet potato side dish uses simple ingredients that you probably have on hand already. It is just the thing for your Thanksgiving dinner or family get-togethers and pairs perfectly with chicken, turkey, or a delicious Traeger smoked ham.
Traditionally, this kind of dish involves spreading mini marshmallows over the top of the sweet potatoes, but these candied sweet potatoes are next level. The natural sugar in the tender sweet potatoes, combined with a delicious sauce, creates an end result that is to die for!
Cooking up that delicious glaze does leave you with an extra step, but it is totally worth it.
Caramelized Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
Find the full list in the recipe card below.
- Large sweet potatoes – (3 lbs. or about 8 cups), peeled and cubed. Both white and orange sweet potatoes will work equally well.
- Salted butter
- Maple syrup
- Dark brown sugar – I prefer to use dark brown sugar, with its higher molasses content, but you can also use light brown sugar.
- Orange juice
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Pure vanilla extract
- Orange zest
Instructions
1. Peel and dice the potatoes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Grease a large casserole dish and fill with the cubed sweet potatoes.
4. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter, syrup, sugar, orange juice, and spices together.
5. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
6. Keep at a rolling boil, whisking constantly, until the sauce begins to caramelize. You will start to see it thicken and come away on a whisk or spoon. This can take up to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and zest.
7. Pour the caramel mixture over the potatoes. Stir to coat all of the potato pieces.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, stir, then bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
9. Remove from the oven. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
10. Serve with your favorite holiday dishes.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you are using a really sharp knife when cutting your sweet potatoes. They can be a little bit tough.
- Instead of dicing them, arrange sweet potato slices in your baking dish instead. You may need to adjust the overall cooking time though.
- Store leftover sweet potato casserole in an airtight container in the fridge.
Add a new recipe to your Thanksgiving table this year with these delicious caramelized sweet potatoes. Try this sweet potato casserole with orange juice and this sweet potato recipe with granny smith apples too.
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Caramelized Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes 3 lbs. or about 8 cups, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp orange zest
Instructions
- Peel and dice the potatoes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a large casserole dish and fill with the cubed sweet potatoes.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt butter, syrup, sugar, orange juice, and spices together.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Keep at a rolling boil, whisking constantly, until the sauce begins to caramelize. You will start to see it thicken and come away on a whisk or spoon. This can take up to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and zest.
- Pour the caramel mixture over the potatoes. Stir to coat all of the potato pieces.
- Bake for 30 minutes, stir, then bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove from the oven. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Serve with your favorite holiday dishes.
Nutrition
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