Southern Candied Yams | Sweet Potatoes

Southern Candied Yams are a classic holiday side dish.

During the holidays you’ll find a mix of savory and sweet side dishes on the Southern menu. This is sure to include either classic candied yams or sweet potato casserole (souffle). 

Sweet potatoes are a Southern staple and are plentiful during the fall and winter months so we make good use of them in a variety of ways. They are so easy to work with, delicious, and nutritious so why bother with the canned stuff.

Candied yams are coated in a sweet glazed with just the right spices added and baked to perfection. Technically what we’re accustomed to calling yams are actually sweet potatoes. I grew up calling them yams and that’s how it will always be for me.

One thing is sure, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same for me without sweet potatoes. The color, the taste and the nostalgia make them a necessary side dish on my holiday menu.

Easy Candied Yams

You’ll find the full printable recipe card at the end of this post. Here’s what you’ll need for this classic side dish: sweet potatoes, butter, sugar (granulated and brown), heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 350°F

Step 1: Peel and rinse the sweet potatoes, then slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch rounds. Lightly spray a casserole dish and add the sweet potatoes.

Step 2: Prepare the glaze. Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Next add the granulated sugar and the brown sugar. Stir well until combined. Next, add the cream and stir to combine.

Bring to a simmer and cook 6-8 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the vanilla, salt and spices. Give a final stir to combine everything together.

Step 3: Pour the glaze mixture over the sweet potatoes making sure to coat as evenly as possible. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for one hour. Next, carefully remove the aluminum foil and check the potatoes for tenderness. If needed, bake uncovered an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Step 4: Transfer to a serving dish and pour some of the glaze in the bottom of the dish over the sweet potatoes. Serve hot.

Let’s make Southern Candied Yams | Sweet Potatoes!

4.34 from 15 votes

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Southern Candied Yams | Sweet Potatoes

Candied yams are a Southern classic. This side dish is delicious for family meals as well as a holiday tradition.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings: 2 Pounds

Calories: 238kcal

Author: Julia Jordan

Ingredients

• 3 Large Sweet Potatoes
• 1 Stick of Butter
• 1/4 c Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 c Light Brown Sugar
• 1/4 c Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• Pinch of Kosher Salt
• 1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F 
• Begin by preparing the potatoes. Peel and rinse the sweet potatoes, then slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch rounds.
• Next, lightly spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and add the sweet potatoes.
• Next, prepare the glaze by melting the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.
• Next add the sugars and stir well until combined. 
• Next, add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook 6-8 minutes. 
• Remove the mixture from the heat and add the vanilla, salt and spices. Give a final stir to combine everything together and pour the glaze mixture over the sweet potatoes. 
• Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, carefully remove the aluminum foil and check the potatoes for tenderness.
• Bake uncovered an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender if needed. 

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 128mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g

See this recipe at the Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday 

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About Julia

Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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