Sweet Potato Recipes Candied

Candied Sweet Potatoes will be the hit of your holiday table. They look incredibly fancy, but in reality are the simplest side dish recipe.

I am obsessed with sweet potatoes. I think they are the most delicious of the root vegetables, and I would happily take a giant plate of sweet potato fries over regular. Which, if we are being honest, makes my husband question my sanity a little.

There are so many delicious side dishes you can make with sweet potatoes for the holidays. Several years ago I gave you these Brown Sugar Roasted Sweet Potatoes that were a huge hit with readers. Two years ago I made you this amazing Sweet Potato Casserole with both pecan and marshmallow toppings. And last year I gave you the best Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

Candied Yams (sweet Potatoes)

This year, you should make the most beautiful Candied Sweet Potatoes. This recipe is super simple to make and will easily be the star of the show with how beautiful and delicious it is.

Save your oven space for turkey, stuffing and rolls. This recipe can be made in under an hour on the stovetop! All the ingredient measurements are listed below in the recipe card, plus a video to show you how simple the process is!

When you’re slicing your sweet potatoes, take extra care to make sure they’re all at least half an inch to one inch thick. Too thin and they’ll burn or take on a crispy texture. Too thick? They won’t cook evenly.

Candied Yams Recipe (southern Side Dish)

The sweet spot is just about an inch thick. They’ll cook nice and even, and will come out perfectly tender every time.

Take care when stirring these candied sweet potatoes so they don’t break apart. I find using a wide spatula to gently turn the slices over works best.

You can serve this great Thanksgiving side dish recipe right from the skillet and no one will even notice because the smells and tastes of it will overwhelm them. That being said, if you want a pretty presentation, you can line them up in a casserole dish as you see pictured here.

Japanese Style Candied Sweet Potato Recipe (daigaku Imo)

Work with three or four potatoes at a time, angling them into a dish from one end to the other. At the end, pour the remaining sauce over the top.

Want to really dress up this side dish? Make it the star of the holiday table? Try some of these additions to the candied sweet potato recipe:

Leftovers can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Warm them up in the oven in a covered baking dish for approximately 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Please keep in mind that they will be softer as this is the second time they are being cooked.

Easy Candied Sweet Potatoes

You can also freeze the leftovers. Place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to three months. When you are ready to eat them, place them in the refrigerator overnight to thaw and warm them in the oven.

These candied sweet potatoes are probably my favorite holiday side dish! They’re the perfect balance to heavier, savory foods of the season. If you make these or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment below.

Calories: 305 kcal (15%) Carbohydrates: 58 g (19%) Protein: 2 g (4%) Fat: 8 g (12%) Saturated Fat: 5 g (31%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g Trans Fat: 0.3 g Cholesterol: 20 mg (7%) Sodium: 73 mg (3%) Potassium: 410 mg (12%) Fiber: 4 g (17%) Sugar: 40 g (44%) Vitamin A: 16268 IU (325%) Vitamin C: 3 mg (4%) Calcium: 53 mg (5%) Iron: 1 mg (6%)

Best Homemade Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe For Thanksgiving

Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of and I'm so glad that you are here.

Beef and Broccoli RecipeI have made this a couple or more times. It’s easy & quick to prepare. I like this for a quick meal. It will be my go to recipe.Let me show you how to make my favorite easy Thanksgiving side: candied sweet potatoes! They’re soft, buttery, extra saucy, caramelized, and sweet. I especially love this Thanksgiving side dish because you can prepare the elements of this recipe ahead of time AND purchase the ingredients in advance, too.

Forever my favorite Thanksgiving side dish, these classic candied sweet potatoes make an appearance on our holiday table every year. (I’m surprised I haven’t shared the recipe with you before—these are the best!) In fact, we love them so much that we don’t limit this recipe to only once per year. I love these for Christmas, Easter, or a random Sunday night throughout the year. They’re full of flavor and as far as Thanksgiving side dishes go, they’re REALLY easy.

Candied Sweet Potatoes (one Pot)

I also appreciate that you don’t have to pre-cook the sweet potatoes. Unlike sweet potato casserole where you boil and mash the potatoes, this candied sweet potatoes recipe simply needs thick slices of peeled potatoes. Easy enough, right?

These sweet potatoes would be nothing without the magical sauce. A recipe that we’ve been tweaking and perfecting over the years, the combination of ingredients is perfection.

The sauce thins out as it bakes due to the water content in the potatoes, but quickly thickens as it cools. Thick or thin, you’ll want to slurp up this sauce with a straw. Plus, it tastes fantastic with those other Thanksgiving dishes on your plate too! 😉

Candied Yams Recipe

When I made these candied sweet potatoes earlier this month, I added orange zest to the sauce. This is totally optional, but it added an element of FRESH to the entire dish. Likewise, adding chopped fresh or dried rosemary after the dish bakes is equally refreshing. And to balance out the sweet, I love a sprinkle of sea salt all over the top.

These perfect candied sweet potatoes are soft, buttery, extra saucy, caramelized, and sweet. I especially love this Thanksgiving side dish because you can prepare the elements of this recipe ahead of time AND purchase the ingredients in advance, too.

Sally McKenney is a professional food photographer, cookbook author, and baker. Her kitchen-tested recipes and thorough step-by-step tutorials give readers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch. Sally has been featured onSweet potatoes are a staple on holiday menus, and this candied version is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this vegetable. Serve your potatoes alongside roast turkey, corn casserole, homemade dinner rolls and cranberry Jello salad for a memorable and delicious meal.

Twice Baked Candied Sweet Potatoes

Candied sweet potatoes are a must-have during the fall and winter months. These potatoes are quick enough to put together on a busy weeknight, yet elegant enough for company. You can even customize your sweet potatoes by adding a variety of flavors and toppings.

These sweet potatoes are one of my favorite recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you want more sweet potato options check out my recipes for sweet potato souffle, mashed sweet potatoes and Hasselback sweet potatoes.

To make this candied sweet potato recipe, first cut up some sweet potatoes into slices or chunks and put them in a baking dish. Make a sauce by mixing together brown sugar, butter and spices in a small bowl. Pour that delicious sauce over the sweet potatoes and toss them until coated. Bake the sweet potatoes until the sugar caramelizes and the sweet potatoes become tender. Then serve and enjoy!

Candied Yams With Marshmallows Recipe

Sweet potatoes and the yams in the grocery store are all really sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are sold in many sizes, shapes and colors. In many grocery stores the orange fleshed sweet potatoes are labeled as “yams.” However, these orange sweet potatoes are not true yams. True yams are root vegetables with rough brown exteriors that are grown in parts of Africa and Asia. You can find these yams in some specialty grocery stores, but they are not common. True yams would not be good for candied sweet potatoes.

You do not need to boil your sweet potatoes before you bake them. If you bake them for the correct amount of time they will become tender.

Candied sweet potatoes stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. You can freeze them up to 2 months.

Cinnamon Spiced Candied Sweet Potatoes

Candied sweet potatoes are a fantastic side dish that can really bring a dinner together. However, you can change up this recipe to include some other great flavors.

Sweet potatoes pair well with so many different dishes and are always a huge hit with family and friends. Whether it’s a holiday or a simple every day dinner, you just can’t go wrong with sweet potatoes!

Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

Stovetop Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe

These candied sweet potatoes are tossed in a mixture of butter, brown sugar and spices, then are roasted until caramelized. A simple yet satisfying side dish that's the perfect accompaniment to chicken, pork, turkey and beef.

Calories: 321 kcal | Carbohydrates: 64 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 9 g |