This Candied Yams recipe is made on the stovetop, using sweet potatoes (since they can be easier to find) and a few simple ingredients, including a secret ingredient that makes these the best recipe!
Thanksgiving recipes like this green bean casserole with cheese and bacon, and this easy corn casserole, are just two that I make every year, now along with these candied yams. They’re comforting, and bring in the fall flavors so much!
Jump to:
Are yams and sweet potatoes the same thing?
Yes and no. Yams are technically different than sweet potatoes, however the two are often used interchangeably in the United States.
So why use sweet potatoes and how are they different?
- It can be difficult to find yams in the grocery store, so sweet potatoes have become a common “yam” replacement in recipes today.
- Sweet potatoes are a bit sweeter than yams as well.
- Sweet potatoes are also creamier when cooked, than yams tend to be, which is why I prefer using sweet potatoes for candied yams and this sweet potato casserole recipe.
Why You’ll Love These Candied Yams
- Simple ingredients: The ingredients for this recipe can be easy to find in most grocery stores, and you don’t need a lot.
- Stovetop recipe: During the holidays, oven space can be hard to come by, so this recipe is made on the stovetop freeing up oven space for other recipes like this southern broccoli casserole.
- Prep time: With only a few minutes of prep, the majority of the time it takes to make this recipe is spent simmering on the stove so you can work on something else.
- Touch of citrus: I think what makes this recipe stand out from the others is the citrus flavor, combined with the warm spices of fall. The flavors work incredible together and it’s almost an unexpected compliment when someone takes that first bite.
Ingredients
I’ve provided a few notes below on key ingredients but make sure to see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions all in one place.
- Sweet potatoes: I’ve listed that 2 pounds of potatoes are required but it doesn’t have to be exact. The amount of potatoes can depend as well, as potatoes vary in size. If you have yams instead, the same amount is recommended, however, make sure to see the “Should I peel sweet potatoes” section below.
- Brown sugar: I prefer using dark brown sugar for this recipe but if you only have light brown sugar, that’s perfectly find to use too.
- Butter: I usually only have salted butter on hand, but unsalted butter will work for this too. Make sure to “brown” the butter in this, instead of just melt it. The browned butter adds an enhanced flavor to this dish that’s hard to beat.
- Oranges: This is the secret ingredient that makes this recipe stand out! No oranges on hand? You can use ¼ cup of store-bought orange juice and about a teaspoon of grated orange peel if that’s all you have but fresh does something so beautiful to this dish, so it’s highly recommended.
How to Make Candied Yams
To see the full instructions, you can jump on down to the recipe card, or you can see the extra details and notes I’ve provided here that you may find helpful.
- First, wash and slice the sweet potatoes in to ½ inch thick, rounds. (You can peel your potatoes first, if you prefer but it’s not required.)
- Next, place butter in a sauce pan or deep skillet, that’s big enough to hold all of the potatoes eventually.
- Turn to medium-high heat to brown the butter.
Tip: Browning the butter means to cook the butter long enough that it starts to turn a golden brown. This gives the dish a whole different flavor, than just melting the butter.
- While the butter is browning, you can zest your orange. Then, slice the orange in half because you’ll be squeezing the juice from the orange.
- When the butter has melted, add in the remaining ingredients, except the sweet potato slices. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then add in the sweet potatoes, and stir to coat them in the sugar-citrus mixture.
- Turn to “low” and cover the pan, and allow it to simmer for about an hour or until the sweet potatoes are tender enough when poked with a fork.
Recipe Tips
- Cook time: You can cook the potatoes too long, in a way that the potatoes can fall apart easily. It’s ok if they do, as they’ll still taste great but they may be harder to serve. So checking the potatoes, or even carefully stirring them once during the simmer can be great so you can check for tenderness along the way.
- Keep warm: These keep warm really well, if they’re done before everything else. Simply pop them in the oven on warm, and serve when ready.
You can but you don’t have to. Actually, some prefer eating the peel for texture and/or other reasons.
If you prefer a thicker glaze for your candied yams, you can add a small mixture of cornstarch and water (a teaspoon of each or so) to the glaze and it will thicken up.
Recipe
Candied Yams Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large orange, the zest and juices only or two small oranges
Instructions
- Slice potatoes in to round slices that about half an inch thick. (You may want to peel your potatoes before slicing if you don't prefer the skins.)
- Add butter to a saucepan or pot, that will be large enough to fit all of the potatoes in eventually. Cook the butter over medium-high heat until the butter has turned a golden brown.
- While the butter is cooking, you can zest your orange. Using a zester or cheese grater, zest the skins of your oranges and set aside. Slice the orange in half.
- Add orange zest to the butter, and squeeze the orange over the butter, getting all of the juice out that you can. (Watch for seeds!)Add the remaining ingredients except the sliced sweet potatoes and stir, and bring to a boil.
- Add sliced sweet potatoes, lower heat to a simmer/low, and cover the pot and allow the potatoes to cook for about an hour, or utnil they're tender when pierced with a fork.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Jessica says
We love making these for the holidays but they’re so easy for a side dish for a weeknight dinner too!