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Candied Sweet Potatoes is the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner. It is sweet, saucy, and caramelized to perfection.
Candied Sweet Potatoes is the perfect side dish and everyone loves this recipe. It is loaded with flavor and easy to make. These buttery, saucy, caramelized sweet potatoes are always a crowd favorite for the holidays. They are simple to prepare and are ready in the oven in less than an hour.
These sweet potatoes make the perfect side dish. They are delicious served for Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving. Check out these other delicious side dishes – Hasselback Sweet Potatoes, Homemade Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe, or Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole Recipe.
Table of Contents
- What is the difference between Candied Yams and Sweet Potatoes?
- Ingredients:
- Variations Ideas:
- How to Make Candied Sweet Potatoes:
- Brown Sugar Buttery Sauce:
- Expert Tips:
- What Size of Sweet Potatoes are best?
- Do the Sweet Potatoes need to be Pre-Cooked?
- How to Serve:
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- More Thanksgiving Side Dishes:
- Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe
What is the difference between Candied Yams and Sweet Potatoes?
Candied yams recipes and sweet potatoes are different and they taste different. Sweet Potatoes are sweeter and have a creamier texture. Yams have a starchier texture very close to a white potato.
Sweet potatoes is a root vegetable that has a orange flesh and have a sweeter flavor.
Ingredients:
- Sweet Potatoes
- Salt
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
For the full list of ingredients and recipe, scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe card.
Variations Ideas:
- Marshmallows – Top this classic side dish with mini marshmallows. This will make the best sweet potato pie.
- Pecans – Add chopped pecans for added crunch and flavoring.
- Seasoning – Add in some vanilla extract, cinnamon or maple syrup for add flavor.
- Orange Juice – Add in orange juice or orange zest. This is great way to add some fresh flavor to sweet potato casserole dish.
- Maple Syrup – If you prefer, you can use maple syrup instead of brown sugar.
How to Make Candied Sweet Potatoes:
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into approximately 1/2” thick slices.
Step 2 – Then place the sweet potatoes into a 9 X 13-inch baking pan. Season the sweet potatoes with the salt.
Step 3 – Melt the butter over medium high heat in a saucepan. Then stir in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Step 4 – Stir and heat until the sugar has dissolved (just a few minutes). Watch the mixture closely so that it does not burn.
Step 5 – Then pour this mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes. Making sure that every sweet potato is covered with the butter mixture.
Step 6 – Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40-60 minutes. Make sure to stir every 15 minutes – 30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Serve immediately while warm and enjoy!
Brown Sugar Buttery Sauce:
To make the sweet potatoes candied you need a brown sugar buttery sauce to pull the ingredients together. You can keep this sauce as simple as you want or add in to change things up.
- Start with butter. You can use unsalted or salted butter.
- You may need to add in some water if your sauce is to thick.
- Brown sugar is a must in this buttery sauce.
- If you prefer you can add in pure maple syrup. It is not necessary but some recipes say it adds more flavor.
- Add in warm spices. We like Cinnamon and Nutmeg but you can also add in ginger.
- Vanilla Extract can be added after you remove it from heat for added warm flavor.
Covering the top of your sliced sweet potato with this butter sauce sugar mixture is what makes this dish so delicious. Add in chopped nuts or a marshmallow for a classic treat that is a crowd favorite.
Expert Tips:
- Dicing Potatoes – When I am dicing up the sweet potatoes to cook, we try to make them about the same size. This way they cook evenly and about the same time. You can dice the sweet potatoes or slice them. Make sure to cut off the tips.
- Cover with Foil – When baking the sweet potatoes in the buttery sauce, cover the baking dish with foil.
- Stir Frequently – I like to stir the sweet potatoes every 20 minutes or so to ensure that everything cooks evenly.
- Fork Tender Potatoes – Make sure you potatoes are fork tender before removing them from the oven. I also like them to have a crispy golden brown texture before removing them.
- Buttery Sauce – When melting the butter, white sugar, and other ingredients watch closely so they sauce doesn’t burn in the pan.
- Brown Sugar Sauce – Make sure the diced sweet potatoes are covered in the brown sugar sugar before placing in the oven.
What Size of Sweet Potatoes are best?
When purchasing sweet potatoes at the grocery store, I look for long thin sweet potatoes. This ensure that I can easily cut them in even rounds. But use what you can find. You can always cut them in half moons or dice them.
Do the Sweet Potatoes need to be Pre-Cooked?
No, you do not need to pre-cook the sweet potatoes. Just peel sweet potatoes and slice them about the same size and mix them with the brown sugar mix.
How to Serve:
When we make this soul food dish it is usually for our Thanksgiving dinner. But this dish is great all year long. These are some of our meats that pair great with easy recipe.
- Air Fryer Fried Chicken – This easy to make fried chicken recipe is our favorite way to enjoy crispy fried chicken. If you haven’t gotten an air fryer, it has been a game changer for my family.
- Roasted Turkey Breast – You are going to love how amazing this it is to make Roasted Turkey Breast. The turkey turns out so tender.
- Crock Pot Ham – Crockpot Spiral Ham Recipe in the slow cooker for an easy and delicious meal idea. Whether you are serving ham for a holiday dinner or Sunday lunch for your family, this recipe makes it so easy.
- Grilled Steak – Grilled Steak and Sweet Potatoes are a perfect combination. Add a side salad and your meal is complete.
- Collard Greens – Candied Sweet Potatoes, an easy protein and collard greens makes for the perfect weeknight meal.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. These store well and reheat easily in the microwave covered with plastic wrap. If you have a large portion left, we recommend placing back in the baking dish to reheat in the oven.
We do not recommend freezing this dish. The sweet potatoes do not hold up well in the freezer as they will get mushy.
You can prepare the buttery brown sugar glaze in advance. But we recommend making it and then baking it. It is best served right after it is made.
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes:
- Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- Easy Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
- Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
We love hearing from you. If you make this southern candied sweet potatoes recipe, make sure to leave a comment.
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Sweet Potatoes
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into approximately 1/2” thick slices. Then place the sweet potatoes into a 9X13 baking pan. Season the sweet potatoes with the salt.
- Melt the butter over medium high heat in a saucepan. Then stir in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir and heat until the sugar has dissolved (just a few minutes). Watch the mixture closely so that it does not burn.
- Then pour this mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes making sure that every sweet potato is covered with the butter mixture.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40-60 minutes stirring every 15-20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Serve immediately while warm and enjoy!
