This Candied Yam recipe is so easy and delicious. You only need a handful of ingredients to make this southern holiday classic. No need to crank open canned yams when you can make something fresh and delicious at home. The best part about this recipe is that it is baked in the oven!

Sweet potatoes are a staple for any southern holiday and are used to make some of my favorite holiday foods including Sweet Potato Pie, Sweet Potato Casserole, and of course Candied Yams. These Candied Yams couldn’t be simpler to make. To make these yams all you do is add your sliced sweet potatoes and bake them in the oven until fork tender. When the sweet potatoes are ready, then pour the sweet cinnamon and vanilla sauce over the yams and enjoy. It’s that easy!

I usually always host Thanksgiving and Christmas, so preparing a full spread is a must. Needless to say, I always enjoy making sides that are simple and tasty. Like me, If you find yourself busy during the holidays, then you will love this recipe. It’s designed for busy cooks who love side dishes that are short on time, but big on flavor.

CANDIED YAM INGREDIENTS

Jump to the bottom of the recipe card below this post for full ingredient measurements and instructions.

Sweet Potatoes – I use 3 pounds of smaller to medium-sized ones. Smaller sweet potatoes are sweeter, cook faster, and are easier to mash than the bigger ones.

Butter – I use half a cup of butter, which is about 1 stick for this recipe and I find that is plenty. You can also substitute the butter for vegan butter, which tastes good by the way.

Sugar – I love using a combination of dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. You may also substitute the dark brown sugar with light brown sugar or coconut sugar.

Spices – Warm cinnamon and a hint of ground nutmeg are used, but I also find it quite fun to grate fresh nutmeg, if I have extra time.

Vanilla – I love the smell and taste of sweet vanilla! I only add a touch of real vanilla extract to this recipe, if you have vanilla bean pods, they will take the vanilla flavor up a notch!

HOW TO MAKE CANDIED YAMS

Follow these simple steps to make delicious Candied Yams:

Prep the Sweet Potatoes: Scrub clean and peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into slices.
Bake the Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 350° then add the sweet potatoes to a greased casserole dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes.
Make the Glaze: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then add the salt, sugars, and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off and stir in the vanilla extract.
Add the Glaze: Pour the glaze over the baked yams to coat and stir gently. Serve immediately.

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Candied Yams

5 from 2 votes

Recipe by Jamie Tryon Course: SidesCuisine: Southern, AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Ingredients

3 pounds 3 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup 1/2 butter (1 stick)
1 cup 1 brown sugar
1/2 cup 1/2 granulated sugar
2 tsp 2 cinnamon
1/2 tsp 1/2 nutmeg
1/4 tsp 1/4 salt
1/2 tsp 1/2 vanilla

Directions

Clean and peel all of the sweet potatoes then chop them into thick slices.
Grease a 9×13″ baking dish, then place the sliced sweet potatoes inside the dish and cover with foil.
Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then add the sugar, salt, and spices. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla extract.
Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and pour the glaze over the sweet potatoes to coat. Stir gently.
Serve immediately.