These are the best Candied Yams if I do say so myself! They're my absolute favorite side dish during the holidays and I always get two (or three) servings. These candied yams are made with a delicious brown sugar glaze that gets poured over thick cut sweet potatoes, then baked in the oven so the glaze can soak into each bite. I’m pretty sure you’ll want to make this recipe all year round...not just for the holidays! 😉
Originally published 11-15-20, completely refreshed & updated 11-03-24.
Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams
I know we’ve all grown up with our grandmothers making “candied yams” with sweet potatoes for years. But technically sweet potatoes and yams are not the same thing. Yams are a root vegetable with dark brown skin and a rough texture. They also have a white flesh instead of a dark orange flesh like sweet potatoes. Yams have a more earthy flavor profile and are not as sweet as sweet potatoes. A lot of times the two names are used interchangeably in grocery stores, but they are indeed two separate vegetables. Because sweet potatoes have been marketed as “yams” in the United States for so many years, candied yams have now become the common name for this sweet dish.
Ingredients Needed
- Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need roughly 4-5 medium size sweet potatoes for this recipe.
- White & Brown Sugar: I love the combination of both white and brown sugar to balance the sweetness of the candied yams.
- Butter: Butter helps create the glaze and adds lots of rich flavor to the dish.
- Heavy Cream: Just a little bit of heavy cream adds extra richness to the glaze.
- Spices: Classic warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla is all you need for the perfect candied yams. Anything more than this and you might start to lose the taste of the main ingredient…the sweet potatoes!
How To Make Candied Yams
You won't believe how easy it is to make this candied yams recipe! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview:
Step One: Wash, peel and slice the sweet potatoes evenly into ½ inch thick rounds then layer the sweet potatoes in a lightly greased baking dish.
Step Two: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Then add the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the pot and stir well. Next slowly add the heavy cream to the pot and stir until combined. Allow the mixture to simmer while stirring for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Step Three: Now pour the sugar mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes. There is no need to stir. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, uncover and gently stir the sweet potatoes to redistribute some of the glaze. Return the baking dish to the oven uncovered and bake for another 30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Recipe Tips For Success!
- Try to purchase even size sweet potatoes. If you can try to purchase sweet potatoes that are roughly the same size and shape. I like to find ones that are more narrow and not too bulky. Getting sweet potatoes that are about the same size will help them bake evenly in the oven.
- Don’t skip the cream. The heavy cream really adds extra richness to the sugar glaze. If you are vegan or you don't do dairy, there are some non-dairy heavy cream options out there too. You can also substitute with the same amount of fresh squeezed orange juice instead. Just a little bit of fresh orange juice also tastes great with candied yams.
Storing Leftovers
I highly doubt you will have any leftovers after serving these at your next family gathering, but if you’re lucky, you can store any leftover candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The buttery sugar glaze will thicken as it chills, but just reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. Stir and redistribute the glaze over the sweet potatoes then enjoy!
More Easy Side Dishes
Candied Yams
Video
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium sweet potatoes (about 2.5-3 lb.)
- ½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar*
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash, peel and slice the sweet potatoes into ½-inch thick rounds. Layer the sweet potatoes in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir everything together until well combined and the sugar has melted.
- Slowly stir in the heavy cream and simmer the sauce for 1 minute.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the sugar glaze evenly over the sweet potatoes. There is no need to stir at this point.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, uncover and gently stir the sweet potatoes to redistribute some of the glaze. Move a few of the sweet potatoes from the bottom layer to the top and vice versa. Return the baking dish to the oven uncovered and bake for another 30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the sweet potatoes to cool for 5 minutes. If you want an even thicker glaze see the note below** Serve while warm and enjoy!
TyLisa Lowery says
I’ve been using this recipe for years! I love it! Thanks for sharing with everyone!
Marsha McDougal says
You're so welcome. I'm glad you love it!
Zabrina Ramsey says
My family and I enjoyed this recipe very much . It was simply and definitely the best candied sweet yams we've ever eaten..
Thank you for your time and your recipe..
Marsha says
I'm so glad to hear that! You're most welcome!
Connie Meneese says
I love sweet potatoes and this candied yam recipe is one of my favorite. Thanks for posting these great recipes.
Marsha says
I love sweet potatoes too!! You're welcome 🙂