Ultra tender and extra sweet, these Candied Sweet Potatoes are a Southern-style, addition to your holiday table. Baked with a spiced maple syrup glaze and caramelized to perfection, you KNOW they’re going to be delectable!
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Melt-in-your-mouth tender sweet potatoes.
Everyone has their own favorite take on sweet potatoes for the holidays. Or, if you’re me, several favorites. (I can’t help it. Sweet potatoes are so good!)
That said, I’m not a fan of the recipes that overwhelm sweet potatoes’ natural flavor with heaps of brown sugar and marshmallows. Like my Glazed Sweet Potatoes, this recipe for candied sweet potatoes is just sweet enough, without overdoing it.
They’re buttery, sweetened with maple syrup, and the blend of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg is the culinary equivalent of cozying up with a warm blanket. Better still, you can assemble and par-bake these candied sweet potatoes to get a head start on your holiday cooking.
5 Star Review
“Absolutely delicious! My family liked this so much, there was barely any left. Definitely my go-to recipe from now on!”
— Rachel —
How to Make Candied Sweet Potatoes
The Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes. I much prefer red or orange sweet potatoes to white or purple, which are starchier and less sweet. Go with the classic!
- Unsalted Butter. If you only have salted butter on hand (or accidentally buy it at the grocery store—we’ve all done that!), just dial back on the added kosher salt.
- Maple Syrup. Pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Kosher Salt. Essential for balancing the flavors in these sweet potatoes.
- Spices. Ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; use freshly grated nutmeg if at all possible for the best flavor.
- Fresh Rosemary or Thyme. These add a pop of color and nice, fresh contrast to everything else we’ve got going on in this recipe.
Candied Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes
In the South, sweet potatoes are often referred to as yams, but they are indeed sweet potatoes. Yams are starchy, earthy, and much less sweet; they have a bark-like skin and the flesh is white or purple. They’re also hard to find in the US!
The Directions
- Layer. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a baking dish.
- Make the Sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then stir in the maple syrup and spices. Simmer a few minutes.
- Pour the Sauce Over the Potatoes. Could this be any easier?!
- Bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake the candied sweet potatoes at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove the foil, stir again, and cook until the candied sweet potatoes are tender.
- Finish. Sprinkle with herbs. Cool for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce, then serve. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Candied Sweet Potatoes With Pecans. Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with chopped salted roasted pecans prior to baking.
- Candied Sweet Potatoes With Orange. Add orange zest to the sauce mixture for some citrus flavor, or add some sliced oranges in with the potatoes.
- Candied Sweet Potatoes With Marshmallows. If marshmallows are your tradition, you can add some mini marshmallows to the top of the candied sweet potatoes after they’re done cooking and toast them under the broiler.
- Vegan Candied Sweet Potatoes. You can make vegan candied sweet potatoes by substituting the dairy butter with plant-based butter.
Meal Prep Tip
If you’d like to get a head start on this recipe, you can par-bake the sweet potatoes. Cook them for 40 minutes covered, let them cool, then refrigerate for up to 4 days. Before serving, remove the dish from the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 375 degrees F. Cook the dish uncovered for 30 minutes to finish.
What to Serve with Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Holiday Mains. Sure there’s Thanksgiving Turkey and Spatchcock Turkey, but don’t sleep on Crockpot Ham either!
- Regular Potatoes. Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are the yin and yang of the holiday table. Balance that sweetness with savory Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, or Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.
- Veggie Sides. Serve these Southern candied sweet potatoes alongside Crockpot Green Bean Casserole, Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, or Corn Casserole.
- Stuffing. From Chestnut Stuffing to Cornbread Stuffing and Sausage Stuffing, I have lots of options!
- Other Holiday Favorites. Don’t forget the Cranberry Orange Relish, Homemade Dinner Rolls, and Pumpkin Pecan Pie!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Cut the Potatoes Evenly. If some slices are thin and others are thick, you’ll end up with some sweet potatoes that are falling apart and others that are still hard when your candied sweet potatoes are finished baking.
- Peel the Sweet Potatoes. I always like leaving the skin on regular potatoes whenever I can, and even on Grilled Sweet Potato Fries, but sweet potato skin can be tough, which makes it unpleasant in this candied sweet potato recipe.
- Don’t Skip the Resting Time. Not only does this let the potatoes cool a bit, but more importantly, it lets the sauce thicken so it’s delightfully syrupy.
Candied Sweet Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes about 8 medium, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick round.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Fresh rosemary or thyme for serving
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375°F.
- Arrange the sweet potatoes in a 9×13-inch baking dish (no greasing needed).
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes to combine the flavors; it will only reduce a little bit.
- Pour the butter mixture over the sweet potatoes in the baking dish and stir to coat.
- Cover with aluminum foil. Bake the candied sweet potatoes for 40 minutes, stirring at the 20-minute mark. Uncover, stir once more, then continue baking for 20 minutes more, until the potatoes are glazed and fork-tender.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with herbs. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken up as it cools.
Notes
- For extra pizzaz, sprinkle the sweet potatoes with chopped salted roasted pecans prior to baking.
- DO-AHEAD: Par-bake the dish: Cook covered for 40 minutes. Let cool, then chill. Before serving, remove the dish from the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 375°F. Cook the dish uncovered for 30 minutes to finish. I do not recommend chopping sweet potatoes ahead as they tend to turn brown and spotty.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate candied sweet potatoes in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F, or microwave single servings.
- TO FREEZE: I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, as the texture of the sweet potatoes will become mushy.
Nutrition
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So rare is a vegetable as naturally sweet and delicious as the sweet potato. Here are some more sweet potato recipes to try:
Made these for Thanksgiving. It was a big hit and several people have asked me for the recipe. There was no leftovers.
Great to hear, thank you Sandi!
Absolutely delicious! My family liked this so much, there was barely any left. The maple syrup mixture really complimented the flavor of the sweet potatoes. And the rosemary was such a nice addition. Definitely my go-to recipe from now on!
Thanks so much Rachel, this is wonderful to hear!
Curious… recipe says layer in a single layer but the picture shows the slices layered. Will they get done with tossing them midway through baking?
Hi Annette, that was a typo, we’ve fixed it, you can arrange them how you’d like. You’ll be stirring twice and should have no problem baking. Enjoy!
Hi Erin! Love all of your recipes! I recommend your site to everyone! I’m experimenting with stepping up my sweet potatoes side for Thanksgiving and I’m curious about this recipe. I tried this earlier and I really like it. The spices were just right, it was not too sweet. I will definitely make this on Thanksgiving. Thank you!
So great to hear, thank you Tiffany!
Wow, this is a great recipe! I was planning on making this for one of my Thanksgiving Day sides, so I wanted to test it first. I cut the recipe into 1/4 and kept my fingers crossed it was good. I’m not kidding, it totally knocked my shoes AND my socks off! Not only does it taste and look beautiful …it also smells so great while it is cooking too. Thank you so much for sharing!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Sabrina!
Hi, Erin!
Thanks for the great recipe! I am planning to bring these to a Friendsgiving next week. To transport the potatoes, would you recommend placing them at low heat inside a crock pot?
Hi Tyler, I would just keep them on warm. If it is on low heat, they will continue to cook. Hope this helps1