Follow our easy, step-by-step, recipe to learn how to make delicious Candied Sweet Potatoes, or as we like to call them, Candied Yams.
Whether you call them Candied Yams, or just Candied Sweet Potatoes, this is another one of our old Southern favorite recipes. Sweet potatoes with brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter, what’s not to love about that?
I do L-O-V-E some Candied Yams. I know I say that about a lot of the foods I post here on Taste of Southern, but if I didn’t like them so much, what would be the point of posting a recipe for them? Just saying.
Mama made these Candied Yams often when I was growing up. They showed up a couple of times a month on her big oval dining room table for Sunday dinners with the family, and often times with her pastors family as well. With 12-15 people every Sunday, we just had a big old time enjoying her great food and everyone’s great company.
Yes, I know they are not really Yams. There is no need to debate that. They are sweet potatoes, but we’ve always referred to them as Candied Yams so no need to stop now. Right? Smile.
I’m proud to say that my home state of North Carolina is the number ONE sweet potato producing state, producing 50 percent of the sweet potatoes grown in the United States. It’s the official vegetable of the state of North Carolina. They are not only good, they’re also good for you.
Sweet potatoes are available all year around thanks to the farming and storage techniques of our farmers. That means we can enjoy them 365 days of the year in pies, casseroles and just as plain baked potatoes.
This recipe is a real Southern favorite. It’s one of those items that show up at all the church socials, family reunions, and anywhere a few folks get together to enjoy a good meal.
Ready to give our recipe a try? Alright then, let’s head on out to the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Cooking!
Candied Yams – You’ll need these ingredients.
These potatoes are already baked. I did them the day before just to have them ready. If you need help with baking your potatoes, check out our post on how to bake them that we did sometime back here on Taste of Southern: Baked Sweet Potatoes
You’ll need to bake your potatoes first. I usually do this a day ahead of time so they can cool completely before I need to work with them. First thing you’ll need to do is peel them.
Slice your potatoes into slices about one inch thick.
Place your sliced sweet potatoes in your baking dish. It’s okay if you layer them somewhat. You should use a deep baking dish because of the syrup that will form once you add the other ingredients.
Sprinkle the cinnamon over the potatoes.
Spread the brown sugar over the top. Watch that it doesn’t just pile up in big clusters, spread it out evenly.
Slice the butter and spread the slices over the top of the potatoes.
Place the dish in an oven pre-heated to 350°. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until the butter and sugar have fully melted and the top is lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and gently flip the potatoes over if possible. Stir in any lumps of sugar that may not be dissolved yet.
Enjoy!
