This Easy Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes recipe is homemade from scratch and baked in the oven. From there, you drizzle the dish in a thick caramelized syrup. Your Sunday dinners and soul food holiday events just got much better!
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We have eaten "candied yams" AKA "Black folks' sweet potatoes" for soul food Sunday dinners and on pretty much every holiday for all of my life. I have had my fair share of sweet potatoes over the years. And there are some versions I just can't get with.
Some make their dishes way too sweet for me. Save some sugar for dessert! This recipe has a nice balance.
Table of Contents
What's the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?
In most grocery stores there is no difference between the two. Most stores often label sweet potatoes as yams.
Yams have more starch and are drier. They have bumpy tough, brown skin. Yams are typically used in Caribbean and West African dishes. You have probably never eaten yams, as they are hard to find in the United States.
Years ago, Southerners (primarily in Louisiana) started to refer to them as yams. And since this is a Southern recipe, you will often hear it called candied yams.
You can read more about The Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes here.
Do You Make Sweet Potatoes Using the Oven or the Stove?
This is a hot debate in our community. I prefer mine baked, just like mac and cheese. I love the textured of baked sweet potatoes. The decision is yours, both will have similar cook times.
How to Slice Sweet Potatoes
The shape is up to you. Be sure to scrub the potatoes really well and peel them first.
- Rounds: This is my favorite method. I slice them about half an inch to 1 inch thick.
- Bite-Sized Chunks: An inch thick.
- Large Ovals
How to Sweeten The Glaze
I lighten up this dish by using monkfruit sweeteners as opposed to table sugar. You can use whatever you wish and the measurements are exactly the same.
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This combination of flavors will produce that amazing sweet flavor. I don't use marshmallows because with this combination, the dish is sweet enough. Feel free to add them if you wish.
How to Make Candied Sweet Potatoes
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the sweet potatoes to a 9×13 baking dish.
- Heat a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the butter.
- When melted, add the ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, white sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Stir.
- Remove the pot from heat and add in the vanilla extract. Stir. Pour the candied mixture over the sweet potatoes.
- Cover the sweet potatoes in foil and bake.
Can You Make The Dish Ahead of Time? How Long Will It Last?
The dish will last 3-4 days properly stored and covered in the refrigerator.
Southern Main Dish Recipes
Baked Turkey Wings
Southern Baked Ham With Pineapple
Cajun Roasted Turkey
Air Fryer Turkey
Air Fryer Baked Ham
Traeger Smoked Turkey
Instant Pot Brisket
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Lobster Mac and Cheese
More Southern Side Dishes to Pair With Sweet Potatoes
Homemade Southern Cornbread
Air Fryer Cornbread
Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce
Cornbread Muffins
Homemade Blueberry Cornbread
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar
Southern Vegetable Side Dishes
Southern Green Beans
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Southern Collard Greens
Homemade Creamed Corn
Sweet Potatoes Au Gratin
Southern Coleslaw Recipe
Southern Potato Salad
Southern Mustard Greens
Instant Pot Southern Green Beans
Instant Pot Collard Greens
Instant Pot Cabbage
Fried Cabbage
Okra and Tomatoes
Southern Black Eyed Peas
Squash Dressing
Get a complete listing of Southern Style Soul Food Recipes here. You will also love our Candied Sweet Potatoes (Yams) with Marshmallows, Stovetop Candied Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole Without Marshmallows recipes.
Get a full listing of Soul Food Thanksgiving Recipes and the Best Authentic Soul Food Recipes here. If you want to switch up your holiday feast, check out our Thanksgiving Chicken recipe.
Easy Southern Soul Food Candied Sweet Potatoes
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes Washed and Peeled. This was 2 large sweet potatoes for me. Weigh for accuracy.
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup dark brown sugar or sweetener
- ¾ cup white sugar or sweetener
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons vanilla I use pure vanilla, not imitation.
- ¼ cup water Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into rounds about ½ to 1 inch thick. I love to use this swivel peeler from Amazon. It peels fast.2 pounds sweet potatoes
- Add the sweet potatoes to a 9x13inch baking dish.
- Heat a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the butter.½ cup unsalted butter
- When melted, add the ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Stir. You want to ensure the sugar melts down, but don't overcook the glaze.You want the mixture to be thick and somewhat saucy. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water. You don't want to add too much because the glaze will be too thin. I add ¼ cup. Taste the glaze repeatedly. Add more sugar/sweetener or spices to suit your taste.½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup dark brown sugar or sweetener, ¾ cup white sugar or sweetener, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 2 teaspoons vanilla, ¼ cup water
- Pour the candied glaze mixture over the sweet potatoes.
- Cover the sweet potatoes in foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and stir and baste the sweet potatoes. Ensure the candied glaze mixture fully coats the sweet potatoes. I like to move the sweet potatoes from the bottom to the top, to ensure they all cook evenly and are coated in glaze.
- Cover the pan in foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Mine usually takes the full 20 minutes. Test the sweet potatoes by piercing them with a fork. You want for the potatoes to be soft.
- Allow the sweet potatoes to sit for 15 minutes before stirring. This will thicken up the candied glaze.
Video
Notes
- If making candied sweet potatoes for the first time, you may want to test out your desired level of sweetness. You can start with half of the recommended servings above. From there, continue to build and taste repeatedly until the dish suits your needs.
- You can omit any of the spices in this recipe, make it suit your taste.
- Watch your sweet potatoes closely. Every oven will cook at varying speeds. You may need more or less time.
- Your sweet potatoes will be runny if you don't allow them to sit in the sauce and thicken after baking.
- If you notice grains of sugar in your sweet potato glaze after pouring it over the sweet potatoes, it's fine. It will cook down as the sweet potatoes bake and when you baste the sweet potatoes after 30 minutes.
- The macros above assume monkfruit organic sweetener is used. If you use standard sugar the macros are: Cals: 397 Carbs: 58G Fat: 19G Protein: 1G
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Collins says
Easy recipe to follow and it tastes good too. For a person who does not care for candied sweet potatoes, these are a must try. None of the ingredients were overwhelming, it had a great balance. The perfect amount of sweet to satisfy my craving of something sweet.
staysnatched says
We are on the same page with the flavor!
Tiffani says
I’m glad I did a test run and didn’t really need to make these. The taste is good, but, I cut mine too thin and my sauce never thickened. And I put the vanilla in with everything else instead of after the sugars melted. But I will be trying it again soon!!
staysnatched says
I hope it works out for you next time. The sauce not thickening could mean you didn't be it long enough.
Doyline M Savoy says
I made this today and it was very good. I used Truvia in place of sugar and Splenda brown sugar. Yummm
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Adryan says
This recipe really elevated candied sweet potatoes. It was so easy to make and delicious, perfect for a small, quick Thanksgiving meal! So grateful for finding Brandi on IG and now I have her site bookmarked (and share it out to friends)!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
Kathleen Gregorio says
I made these and they were heavenly. So easy and very popular on Thanksgiving I got nervous that the sauce was ~too thick~ and added some more butter. In the end it turned out fine but I ended up with just more sauce than was necessary. Lesson learned trust the recipe.
staysnatched says
Yay! I hope you can make it again.
Felicia says
This recipe was a hit!
Every time I try to make candied yams on h own they turn into mashed sweet potatoes. This time they turned out perfectly. I followed the instructions and video exactly. I also doubled the recipe. Good thing I did because everyone devoured these.
staysnatched says
Love to hear that this worked out for you!
DW says
This recipe was amazing. I followed it exactly and the candied yams came out great. I'm so happy I found StaySnatched.
staysnatched says
I'm glad you followed the recipe and loved it!
Sheila says
These candied sweet potatoes are absolutely delicious!! Followed the recipe exactly and had the perfect amount of sweetness. Can't wait to make it again.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Lena says
Second time making this recipe and it was a hit again!!!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad to hear it!
Nikki says
Great recipe! I grew up eating candied yams. This was my first time cooking them - my 93 year grandmother approved !!!
staysnatched says
So glad to hear your grandmother approved!
Charmaine says
So easy to follow, quick and delicious! It was so tasty I didn’t want to at marshmallows at the end. It was the right amount of sweetness.
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed the sweetness!
Krystal H says
I was hesitant to make it because usually the alternative sugars just taste ridiculously artificial. I’ve eliminated sugar from my diet for the last 2 months and wanted a good recipe for candied yams and these hit the SPOT! They are so good and I get to eat these without regular sugar, the calories or the weight gain! It’s a win in my book and I’ll be adding this to my arsenal for thanksgiving. I can’t wait to try another recipe. Thanks Brandi! 🙌🏾🙌🏾
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed them.
PJ says
Super easy, very tasty. I used monkfruit sweetener instead of white sugar as suggested, and regular dark brown sugar and it came out great.
staysnatched says
I'm glad it came out great!
Brooke says
These are the best candied sweet potatoes and I will never make another way again! They were a hit at Thanksgiving!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad they were a hit!
Suzy says
Made for Thanksgiving and I will never make another sweet potato side dish! Incredibly easy to make and tasted divine! This will be a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Carissa says
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! It was also so quick and easy! Thank you!!
staysnatched says
I'm glad to hear it was easy!
Shari says
Second year making these and once again it was the first dish gone. Doubling the recipe next year. Perfect combination of flavors. Thank you!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Eunice says
Why did I taste these before the rest of my dinner was ready??? Pair these with the instant pot collard greens and the cornbread and you do not need meat. Another hit!
staysnatched says
Haha I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Kami says
Made these for the 2nd year in a row. I finally watched the videos that accompany the recipe, game changer! It was a hit once again. My boyfriend kept saying these are great. Thank you for making me look good.
Question do I need to let the mix cool before adding the vanilla?
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Ashley says
This recipe is so good and easy to follow! Quick to prepare and delicious, but not lacking in flavor. The perfect side dish for any holiday/Sunday supper!
staysnatched says
Yay! So glad to hear it.
Maria Campbell says
I came here looking for an easy sweet potato recipe to replace a casserole I’ve made for many years at thanksgiving and this did not disappoint. The recipe was easy and it delivered on taste! I can’t wait to make this again!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you will make it again!
Vickie says
This looks amazing...after the sauce thickens...I was wondering about a quick glazing on a tray in my air fryer oven...to give them a little crisp.
staysnatched says
I don't make these in the air fryer.
Tee says
Thank you for this recipe. Delicious. We add coarsely chopped salted cashews just before serving.
staysnatched says
That sounds good!
Rachel says
Made this recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Was a crowd pleaser both times. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
staysnatched says
So happy to hear it was a hit!
Kathi says
Love this
staysnatched says
Glad to hear it!