Every holiday meal must include sweet potatoes. When I’m in charge of Thanksgiving dinner, I often make side dish recipes such as Hasselback sweet potatoes, Ruth’s Chris sweet potato casserole, mashed sweet potatoes, or this sweet and decadent candied yams recipe. Candied yams are a holiday staple for good reason – they’re elegant, easy to make and taste absolutely delicious. This dish is the perfect way to showcase sweet potatoes, whether it’s for a special occasion or a simple weeknight dinner. Pair your yams with an Instant Pot turkey breast, baked ham or smoked turkey breast for a memorable meal. Don’t forget the Thanksgiving salad on the side!
Candied Yams Ingredients
This recipe contains yams (also known as sweet potatoes!), brown sugar, butter, ground cinnamon, salt, ground nutmeg and miniature marshmallows.
How Do You Make Candied Yams?
To make candied yams you want to find some yams with a nice, orange interior. Peel the yams, then dice them up into small slices or chunks and place them in a baking pan or casserole dish. Make the delicious sauce that “candies” the yams by whisking together brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Be sure to add the secret ingredient, a little nutmeg. Pour the sauce over the yams and toss gently to coat. Bake everything up until the yams are tender and caramelized. The finishing touch is a handful of miniature marshmallows, then you’ll be ready to eat and enjoy!
Tips For Candied Yams
I like to choose long, thinner sweet potatoes at the grocery store because they are easier to cut into similar size pieces. I typically use garnet yams but other varieties will also work. Make sure you cut your yams into even sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. This dish is best served immediately upon coming out of the oven when the marshmallows are nice and hot. If you need to feed a larger crowd, you can double or even triple the recipe. While I often serve these yams around the holidays, they’re really good all year long. Pair them with a roasted chicken, London broil or baked mac and cheese for a dinner that the whole family will love. You do not need to boil your potatoes ahead of time – they will cook to perfection in the sauce in the oven! Leftover candied yams will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Candied Sweet Potatoes Variations
You can make these yams a number of ways for any holiday or dinner. Here are some fun variations.
You can omit the marshmallows and just enjoy the flavor of the brown sugar syrup. Feel free to add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts. You can sprinkle the nuts on top of the yams or mix them into the dish. You can also add a dash of vanilla extract to the butter and sugar. Swap out the brown sugar for maple syrup for a different flavor. Instead of marshmallows, try a streusel topping. You can make a quick streusel by mixing in a bowl 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup of flour, 4 tablespoons of melted butter and 1/4 cup of chopped pecans. Mix everything in the bowl until if forms crumbles. Place crumbles on the yams before they go into the oven and bake according to the recipe. Add extra flavor with a squeeze of orange juice or fresh orange zest. You can also add more spices such as allspice or ground ginger.
Make Ahead Instructions
This recipe can be partially prepared in advance to make things go a little easier when you’re entertaining. You can coat the uncooked yams in the butter and brown sugar mixture, then store them in a bowl covered with aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Pour the yams into the baking dish and proceed with the rest of the recipe as directed. The butter mixture may solidify in the fridge, but that’s totally fine. The other option is to coat the potatoes in the brown sugar and butter, then bake them as directed, cool and reheat later. You’ll want to add the marshmallows when you reheat them, not during the initial baking. The yams may have a softer texture if they’re baked then reheated since they’re essentially being cooked twice.
Candied yams is a classic dish that is great for holidays, special occasions or any time you want a particularly fabulous dinner. If you love sweet potatoes, you’ll adore this recipe!
Candied Yams Video
