This Slow Cooker Crockpot Candied Sweet Potatoes (Yams) recipe is homemade from scratch and drizzled in thick caramelized syrup. Serve this side dish for Thanksgiving, the holidays, Sunday dinner, or for any meal.
2teaspoonsvanilla extract I use pure vanilla, not imitation.
Instructions
Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into rounds about 1/2 to 1 inch thick. You can also slice them into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes.
Combine the water and cornstarch in a bowl. Stir.
Add all of the ingredients (including the cornstarch water slurry) to the slow cooker.
Cover and slow cook on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-8 hours. Stir the sweet potatoes halfway through the cooking process. This recipe does not use a lot of water because you want a thick glaze for the sweet potatoes. Because of this, you will need to give them a stir to ensure the sweet potatoes on the bottom don't cook faster than the ones on the top.
Cool before serving. Allow the glaze to thicken. See notes for how to thicken the sauce if necessary.
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 slow cooker will cook at varying speeds. You may need more or less time. If you cook them too long the sweet potatoes will fall apart.
If your sauce is thin and runny you can thicken it with additional cornstarch and water. After the sweet potatoes have cooked, examine the sauce. If it isn't thick enough start with 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/2 tablespoon of water, combine in a bowl first and then add it to the sweet potatoes mixture. Repeat if the sauce still needs additional thickening.