Best Candied Yams Recipe (2024)

In this Candied Yams recipe, yams (or sweet potatoes) are baked in a sweet sauce, infused with warm fall spices, maple syrup and a touch of citrus. Learn how to make Candied Yams that will become a family favorite holiday side dish!

Candied yams are a traditional southern side dish, and an essential component of Thanksgiving dinner.

This is the very best candied yams recipe you’ll ever eat! Sweet potatoes (yams) are peeled & sliced, then cooked to perfection in a delicious sauce that isn’t overly sweet (also try these au gratin potatoes)!

With notes of citrus, maple syrup and rich fall spices, this dish will become a family tradition for the holidays. It’s also easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients.

Candied Yams: Ingredients & Substitutions

• Yams (Sweet Potatoes): Use red garnet yams or sweet potatoes for the best results.
• Light brown sugar. dark brown sugar is a great choice as well.
• Maple syrup. I don’t suggest making substitutions for the pure maple syrup.
• Orange juice. I suggest a pulp-free juice.
• Salted butter. Unsalted butter and ghee are both great substitutes.
• Cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger. I’ve included my favorite combination and ratio of spices. You can adjust them to your liking, if you wish.

How to Make Candied Yams

We’ll walk through how to make candied yams step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video!

Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F. Then, generously butter a 9×13” baking dish and set it aside.

Next, peel the sweet potatoes (or yams) and slice them into ¼” thick round pieces. It’s important to cut them the same thickness so they cook evenly.

Then, layer the sweet potatoes in the prepared baking dish.

Next, make the (delicious) sauce! Begin by combining the brown sugar, maple syrup, orange juice salted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and sea salt in a medium saucepan.

Then, bring the mixture to a boil, whisking often. Once boiling, boil for 1 minute. Then remove the remove from heat and whisk until smooth.

Next, pour the mixture over the prepared sweet potatoes in the baking dish.

Then, cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Then remove the dish from the oven and baste with the sauce, suctioning some off the bottom of the pan and pouring it over the top of the sweet potatoes. You can also use a spoon if you don’t have a metal baster.

After basting, cover the baking dish again with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft.

After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven uncover and baste again.

Then, turn the oven temperature up to 425 degrees F.

Return the yams to the oven and bake uncovered at 425 for an additional 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the potatoes are lightly browned.

Serve

Let cool slightly, then serve warm with the sauce from the bottom of the pan drizzled on top.

We love to serve these candied yams as a side dish to our Roast Turkey or Balsamic Pot Roast on the holidays. It’s perfect when served alongside our other favorite Thanksgiving Recipes.

Store/Freeze

Store leftover candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Candied Yams Recipe FAQs

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