Candied Yams Sweet Potatoes (Printable)

Sweet potatoes baked in a buttery brown sugar syrup, infused with cinnamon and nutmeg.

# What You'll Need:

→ Sweet Potatoes

01 - 4 large sweet potatoes (approximately 2 pounds), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

→ Syrup

02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
04 - 1/4 cup water
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Optional Garnish

09 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
10 - Mini marshmallows, for topping (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Place the sliced sweet potatoes evenly in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract until smooth.
04 - Pour the syrup evenly over the sweet potatoes, ensuring all slices are well coated.
05 - Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
06 - Remove foil, baste sweet potatoes with syrup, and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes until tender and syrup is thickened and bubbling.
07 - Sprinkle chopped nuts or mini marshmallows over the yams and broil for 2–3 minutes until golden, watching closely to avoid burning.
08 - Allow to cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks fancy enough for your best dinner but honestly requires almost no skill.
  • The syrup gets thick and jammy, making every bite taste indulgent without any complicated techniques.
  • It's vegetarian and gluten-free, so it fits almost any table without fuss.
02 -
  • Don't skip the basting step—those 15 uncovered minutes are what make the syrup caramelize and thicken into something special instead of staying thin and syrupy.
  • If you use marshmallows, watch the broiler constantly because they go from golden to scorched in seconds flat.
  • The syrup will seem loose when you pull it from the oven but thickens as it cools, so don't panic if it looks thinner than expected.
03 -
  • If your syrup isn't thickening by the end of cooking, uncover the dish and let it bake for another 5 to 10 minutes—sometimes it just needs extra time depending on your oven's personality.
  • Slice your sweet potatoes as evenly as possible so they finish cooking at the same time, and don't go thinner than 1/2 inch or they'll turn to mush.
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