Easy Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes

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.

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.

• Brown Sugar or Sweetener
• White Sugar or Sweetener
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Ground Cloves

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

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add the sweet potatoes to a 9×13 baking dish.
3. Heat a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the butter.
4. When melted, add the ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, white sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Stir.
5. Remove the pot from heat and add in the vanilla extract. Stir. Pour the candied mixture over the sweet potatoes.
6. 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

Air Fryer Turkey
Air Fryer Baked Ham
Instant Pot Brisket
Air Fryer Whole Chicken

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

Southern Vegetable Side Dishes

Southern Green Beans
Sweet Potatoes Au Gratin
Southern Coleslaw Recipe
Southern Potato Salad
Southern Green Beans
Southern Mustard Greens
Instant Pot Southern Green Beans
Instant Pot Collard Greens
Instant Pot Cabbage
Fried Cabbage
Okra and Tomatoes

Get a complete listing of Southern Style Soul Food Recipes here.

Get a full listing of Soul Food Thanksgiving Recipes here.