5-ingredient Candied Yams are a simple side dish for your holiday meal. Made with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, these caramelized sweet potatoes are baked in the oven until perfectly sweet and tender.
It’s time to start thinking about all of those delicious side dishes you’ll serve with your Holiday Ham or Turkey! Along with our Candied yams, be sure to bake a fresh batch of Homemade Dinner Rolls and Whipped Honey Butter. (Your taste buds will thank you!)
Easy Candied Yams
This recipe for candied yams is one of my favorites to make. They take only a few minutes to prepare and the rest of the time they bake in the oven. I love that it requires very little effort but still turns out irresistibly delicious.
These homemade candied yams are sweet and buttery. They have the perfect soft texture and taste totally amazing. They’re the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table!
Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes
While yams and sweet potatoes many look very similar and are thus easily confused, they are not the same vegetable. One way to tell the difference is that the skin of a yam looks similar to tree bark and a sweet potato has more of a reddish color. Both have different textures and tastes, and they will cook differently.
Most of the “yams” in American supermarkets are actually just mislabeled sweet potatoes. So while this dish is commonly called candied yams, it’s actually made with sweet potatoes!
The sweet potatoes I bought for this recipe were labeled “garnet yams,” if that helps when you’re looking for them in the grocery store.
How To Make Candied Yams
Now that you know where to start, let me show you just how easy these candied yams are to make.
INGREDIENTS –
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch chunks
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS –
Prep – Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. For this simple recipe, you’ll want to peel two pounds of sweet potatoes. After they’re peeled, cut them into chunks that are about an inch long. Do not boil them.
Add The “Candy” – Toss the sweet potato slices with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Once the sweet potatoes have been evenly coated with the spices, pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish. You do not need to cover them with aluminum foil.
Cook – Bake the candied yams for about 40 minutes or until they’re tender. The cooked yams should be easy to pierce with a fork and tender throughout.
Tip – I like to give them a good stir after they’re cooked and then return them to the oven for a few more minutes. This will allow the sauce to thicken and caramelize just a little.
Tips for Candied Yams
Make-Ahead Instructions – If you’re trying to free up some oven space on the big day, these candied yams can be cooked in advance. Be sure to warm them up thoroughly before serving so that the syrup/ sauce is nice and smooth.
Add Mini Marshmallows – Adding miniature marshmallows on top of the candied yams is a delicious variation. Simply cover the yams with 4 cups of marshmallows during the last 5 minutes of baking until the marshmallows have partially melted and are golden brown. If you’re making these ahead of time, don’t add the marshmallows until you reheat them before serving.
Extra Flavors – If you want to add a little variety to this classic candied yam recipe, try adding a pinch of nutmeg to the sauce. Chopped walnuts or pecans are also a great addition to this recipe.
Leftovers – Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They’ll last in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
More Classic Side Dishes
- Homemade Green Bean Casserole
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Healthy Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Easiest Potato Salad Recipe
HERE’S A PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE –
Easy Candied Yams Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch chunks
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400. Toss the sweet potatoes with the butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pour the sweet potatoes into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Bake 40 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Stir the potatoes and bake for an additional ten minutes to lightly caramelize the sauce. Serve warm.
This was incredibly delicious and such a great way to serve yams.
Thanks Lindsay!
This is such a holiday classic dish! We do love adding the marshmallows to the top. Great way to encourage the kids to try it too.
Totally agree!
This is the only way to eat yams!! They are tender & sweet!
I’m so with you!
These yams and simple and the perfect Thanksgiving dish! They were super easy to make and we didn’t have any leftovers so that tells you how good they were.
Thanks Julia!
These were fantastic and so easy to make! No holiday dinner is complete without a side of these candied yams.
Thanks April!
These candied yams are the best! They were so simple and the taste and texture were perfect!
Thanks Katie!
Delicious! I LOVE the taste of roasted sweet potatoes with brown sugar! One of my favorite side dishes!
Thanks Betsy!
Yum! I just tried these and had never had candied yams before but they were so good. Will definitely be making them again for Thanksgiving!
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you liked them!