Candied Yams Recipe That Everyone Will Love

There’s something magical about the way butter and brown sugar bubble together in a hot oven, coating each slice of yam until it glistens like amber. That’s the kind of magic we’re making today with this candied yams recipe – the one that turns skeptics into believers and has people scraping the dish for every last caramelized bit.

Whether you’re working with fresh yams or wondering how to cook canned yams into something spectacular, this guide covers both methods. This candied sweet potatoes recipe works beautifully in the oven or on the stovetop, and we’ll tackle that controversial question – candied yams with marshmallows, yes or no? Don’t worry, I’ve got options for both camps.

After the complete recipe, you’ll find detailed tips, variations, and everything you need to master this holiday classic.

Recipe Overview

Ingredients

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For the Yams:

• 4 lbs fresh yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• OR 3 (29 oz) cans yams, drained (for the quick version)
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup water (omit if using canned yams)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground cloves

Optional Toppings:

• 2 cups mini marshmallows (for the classic finish)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (for crunch)
• Orange zest (for brightness)

Recipe Variations & Adaptations

• Pure Maple Version: Replace half the brown sugar with pure maple syrup for deeper, more complex sweetness
• Lighter Option: Use half the butter and substitute some sugar with pure maple syrup or honey
• Spiced-Up Version: Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper for a subtle kick that enhances the sweetness
• Pecan Praline Topping: Skip marshmallows, mix 1/2 cup chopped pecans with 3 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar, sprinkle on top for the last 15 minutes
• Citrus Twist: Add 1 tablespoon orange juice and 1 teaspoon orange zest to the syrup for brightness
• Slow Cooker Method: Layer everything in a slow cooker, cook on low for 4-5 hours, perfect for freeing up oven space
• Stovetop Quick Version: Perfect for how to make candied yams from can in just 20 minutes on the stove

Timing & Temperature Guide

Planning Your Cooking Strategy

The beauty of this candied yams recipe in oven is that it’s fairly hands-off once assembled. The timing works perfectly for Thanksgiving or Sunday dinner when you’re juggling multiple dishes. Fresh yams need about 45-50 minutes, while canned yams only need 30-35 minutes since they’re already cooked.

Temperature Requirements for Perfect Results

The sweet spot is 350°F (175°C) – hot enough to caramelize those sugars into that gorgeous glaze, but gentle enough that the yams cook through without burning on the edges. You’ll know they’re done when a fork slides through easily and the sauce has thickened to coat the back of a spoon.

Preparation Timeline Table

Step-by-Step Instructions: From Prep to Plate

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Preparing Your Yams

For Fresh Yams:

1. Peel the yams with a vegetable peeler – the skin comes off easily when they’re raw
2. Slice into even 1/2-inch rounds so they cook uniformly
3. If some are thicker than others, they’ll still work, just might be a touch firmer
4. Arrange in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, overlapping slightly like fallen dominoes

For How to Make Candied Yams from Can:

1. Drain the canned yams thoroughly in a colander
2. Pat them gently with paper towels – excess liquid dilutes your beautiful sauce
3. Arrange in the baking dish – they’re already tender, so handle carefully
4. This method saves you 20 minutes and still delivers incredible flavor

Creating the Candied Sauce

Making the Syrup:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine both sugars with the water
2. Add butter pieces and let them melt slowly, stirring occasionally
3. The mixture will start to bubble – that’s when the magic happens
4. Stir in vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and cloves
5. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened and fragrant
6. The smell at this point? Pure heaven. Warm spices meeting caramel.

Sauce Consistency Check:

• The syrup should coat the back of your spoon
• If it seems thin, don’t worry – it thickens beautifully as it bakes
• If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon of water

Baking Process: Candied Yams Recipe in Oven

Initial Baking:

1. Pour that gorgeous syrup evenly over your arranged yams
2. Use a spoon to make sure every piece gets coated
3. Cover tightly with aluminum foil to trap steam and help everything cook evenly
4. Bake for 30 minutes covered (this steams the yams tender)
5. Remove foil, baste with the syrup from the bottom of the dish
6. Return to oven uncovered for another 15-20 minutes

The Glazing Magic:

1. Baste the yams every 10 minutes during the uncovered baking
2. This builds up those gorgeous caramelized layers
3. The edges will start to get a little crispy and dark – that’s the good stuff
4. The sauce will reduce and thicken into a proper glaze

Optional Marshmallow Topping

Adding Candied Yams with Marshmallows:

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1. Once yams are tender and glazed, remove from oven
2. Arrange mini marshmallows evenly across the top
3. Return to oven for 5-7 minutes until marshmallows are golden and puffy
4. Keep a close eye on them — they can go from perfectly golden to burnt in seconds
5. For extra browning, pop under the broiler for 1-2 minutes (don’t walk away!)

Stovetop Alternative Method

How to Cook Canned Yams on the Stove:

1. Use a large, deep skillet with a lid
2. Make the syrup right in the skillet first
3. Add drained canned yams gently
4. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes
5. Uncover, increase heat to medium, and let sauce reduce for 10 minutes
6. Spoon sauce over yams frequently to build that glaze
7. This candied yams recipe on stove method is perfect when your oven is packed

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Nutritional Benefits Meet Comfort Food

Yes, this is an indulgent dish, but those yams are nutritional powerhouses hiding under all that delicious butter and sugar. Sweet potatoes pack serious vitamin A (over 400% of your daily value per serving), vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. The spices bring their own benefits – cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar, and nutmeg contains antioxidants.

Ready to make these yams unforgettable? Don’t miss the tips and variations ahead

Why This Candied Yams Recipe Belongs on Your Table

Here’s the thing about candied yams – when done right, they bridge that perfect gap between side dish and dessert without fully committing to either. The natural earthiness of the yams keeps the sweetness grounded. The warm spices add complexity that makes each bite interesting rather than one-note sweet.

Why This Recipe Works Every Single Time

• Flexible Method: Works beautifully with fresh or canned yams without sacrificing flavor
• Foolproof Sauce: The butter-sugar-spice combination creates a glaze that’s nearly impossible to mess up
• Make-Ahead Friendly: Assemble the night before and bake when needed
• Oven or Stovetop: Choose your method based on your kitchen situation
• Crowd-Pleaser: Even people who think they don’t like sweet potatoes ask for seconds
• Scales Easily: Double it for a crowd, halve it for a small gathering

From Simple Side to Holiday Hero

Let’s be honest – candied yams have gotten a bad rap over the years. Too many of us have faced down a dish of mushy, overly sweet orange mush crowned with half-melted marshmallows that taste more like sugar than anything else. That’s not what this is.

Understanding What Makes Them Special

The key to great candied sweet potatoes recipe is balance. You want sweetness, yes, but also the complex warmth of spices, the richness of butter, and the natural earthiness of the yams themselves shining through. The texture matters too – tender enough to cut with a fork, but with enough structure that they don’t dissolve into baby food.

The Evolution of a Classic Dish

Candied yams became an American holiday staple in the early 1900s, but the tradition has roots in African American Southern cooking where sweet potatoes were often prepared with whatever sweeteners were available – molasses, sorghum, or sugar. The dish evolved as it traveled through different regions and families, each adding their own spin.

Selecting the Right Ingredients

The foundation of incredible candied yams starts at the grocery store. Not all yams are created equal, and your choice here makes a real difference.

Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes: Let’s Clear This Up

What we call “yams” in American grocery stores are almost always sweet potatoes. True yams are starchy, dry tubers with white or purple flesh that you’ll rarely find outside specialty stores. For this candied yams recipe, you want those orange-fleshed beauties labeled as “yams” or “sweet potatoes” – they’re the same thing and they’re perfect for our purposes.

Fresh Yams Selection:

• Look for firm yams with smooth, unblemished skin
• Medium-sized ones (about 6-8 inches long) are ideal – they’re easier to slice evenly
• Avoid any with soft spots, sprouts, or that give when squeezed
• The Garnet and Jewel varieties have the best color and sweetness

Canned Yams Selection:

• Bruce’s and Princella are reliable brands
• Choose “cut yams” or “sweet potatoes in light syrup”
• Avoid “candied” versions – they’re already sweetened and will be too much
• Check the can for dents or damage

Other Ingredient Notes:

• Butter: Use real unsalted butter – margarine won’t give you that rich flavor
• Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar is traditional, but dark works if you want deeper molasses notes
• Vanilla: Pure extract makes a difference here – imitation tastes flat
• Spices: Fresh spices from bottles less than a year old have the most impact

Make-Ahead Magic

Thanksgiving morning is chaotic enough without adding last-minute dish assembly. Here’s how to prep ahead and still serve something that tastes fresh from the oven.

Two Days Before:

• Peel and slice fresh yams, store in cold water in the fridge (change water once)
• Mix your dry spices in a small container

One Day Before:

• Assemble the entire dish in your baking dish
• Make the syrup, pour over yams, cover tightly with plastic wrap then foil
• Refrigerate overnight
• The yams will absorb some of that syrup and be even more flavorful

Day Of:

• Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking
• Bake as directed, adding 5-10 minutes since it’s starting cold
• Add marshmallows in the last 5 minutes if using

Professional Secrets for Perfect Results

After making this dish dozens of times (and learning from a few disasters), here are the tricks that elevate it from good to “can I have the recipe?”

Mistakes That’ll Derail Your Dish

The Watery Sauce Problem: If you skip draining canned yams properly, all that extra liquid waters down your beautiful glaze into soup. Solution: drain them well, pat dry, and reduce the water in the recipe by half.

Burnt Edges, Raw Centers: This happens when the oven’s too hot or pieces are cut unevenly. Solution: stick to 350°F and slice yams as uniformly as possible. Those round middle slices cook more evenly than the tapered end pieces.

Swimming in Syrup: Too much liquid means your yams never get that gorgeous caramelized coating. Solution: if the sauce looks too thin halfway through baking, carefully pour some off into a saucepan, reduce it on the stovetop, then pour it back.

Marshmallow Catastrophes: Burnt marshmallow tastes acrid and bitter. Solution: add them only in the last 5-7 minutes, watch them like a hawk, and pull the dish when they’re golden – not brown.

Next-Level Techniques

The Basting Ritual: Every time you open that oven to baste (and you should, at least three times), you’re building layers of glaze. Each coat caramelizes slightly before the next goes on, creating complexity you just can’t get from one pour.

The Resting Period: Let the dish sit for 5 minutes after it comes out. The sauce will thicken as it cools slightly, and the yams will absorb that last bit of syrup, making them even more flavorful.

The Crispy Edge Secret: Want those caramelized, almost candied edges everyone fights over? Push some yam slices to the very edge of the dish where they’ll get more direct heat.

Creative Twists on the Classic

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Regional and Cultural Variations

Southern Style with Pecans: This is how my friend from Georgia does it – skip the marshmallows entirely, add 1 cup of chopped pecans mixed with 3 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar on top for the last 20 minutes. The pecans toast and create this incredible praline-like crust.

Caribbean Influence: Add the zest of one lime and 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice to the syrup. Replace nutmeg with 1/2 teaspoon of allspice. The pineapple juice adds tropical brightness, and the lime cuts through the sweetness in the best way.

Apple Cider Glaze: Replace the water with apple cider and add 1/2 teaspoon of apple pie spice to the mix. This fall-forward version pairs beautifully with pork.

Savory-Sweet Balance: Add 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper to the syrup. Use only 3/4 cup of sugar instead of the full amount. This version works as a sophisticated side dish that doesn’t read as dessert.

Presentation That Makes People Reach for Their Phones

Let’s face it – we eat with our eyes first. A beautiful presentation turns a simple side dish into something Instagram-worthy (if that’s your thing) or just makes people excited to dig in.

Plating Strategies

For family-style serving, bring the whole baking dish to the table when it’s still bubbling slightly. That caramelized sauce catching the light, the golden marshmallows (if you went that route) – it’s a showstopper.

For plated dinners, use a large spoon to carefully lift 2-3 yam slices onto the plate, then drizzle extra sauce from the dish over the top. A small sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top creates beautiful contrast and balances the sweetness.

Garnish ideas that actually add something:

• Fresh thyme sprigs for a pop of green
• Toasted pecan halves pressed gently into the top
• A light dusting of cinnamon
• Orange zest curls for color and brightness

Perfect Partners for Your Candied Yams

Traditional Holiday Spread: These candied yams anchor a classic Thanksgiving plate beautifully alongside roasted turkey, herbed stuffing, tangy cranberry sauce, and rich gravy. The sweetness provides contrast to all those savory elements.

Weeknight Dinner Companions: Don’t save this just for holidays! They’re incredible with:

• Simple roasted chicken and green beans
• Grilled chicken breast with a crisp salad
• Roasted turkey breast with roasted Brussels sprouts
• Even alongside grilled beef with coleslaw

Beverages That Work:

• Crisp apple cider (hot or cold)
• Iced tea with lemon
• Sparkling grape juice for celebrations
• Ginger beer for a spicy-sweet combo

Storing and Bringing Them Back to Life

Good news for meal preppers and leftover lovers – candied yams actually improve on day two as the flavors meld together.

Storage Guidelines

Store cooled candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The sauce will solidify when cold – that’s normal and actually protects the yams from drying out.

For longer storage, these freeze surprisingly well. Place in a freezer-safe container with the sauce, leaving a half-inch of space at the top (the liquid expands when frozen). They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheating Without Ruining Them:

Oven Method (Best): Place yams in a covered baking dish, add 2-3 tablespoons of water or orange juice, cover tightly with foil, and reheat at 325°F for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes to re-caramelize the top.

Microwave Method (Fastest): Place a portion in a microwave-safe dish, add a tablespoon of water, cover loosely, and heat in 1-minute intervals, stirring gently between each, until heated through. The texture won’t be quite as good, but the flavor holds up.

Stovetop Method (When Oven’s Full): Warm gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of liquid if needed. This actually works better than you’d think.

Second-Life Recipe Ideas

Leftover candied yams have more potential than you might think:

Candied Yam Breakfast Hash: Dice them up and pan-fry with turkey sausage, onions, and bell peppers. Top with a fried egg. The sweetness of the yams against savory turkey sausage is unbelievably good.

Sweet Potato Pancakes: Mash leftover yams and fold them into your pancake batter along with some of the syrup. Add chopped pecans. These weekend pancakes will spoil you.

Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins: Scoop the candied yam filling into twice-baked potato skins, top with crispy bacon and a drizzle of the sauce. Party food gold.

Sweet Potato Smoothie: Sounds weird, works beautifully. Blend cold candied yams with Greek yogurt, a banana, milk, and ice. The spices and natural sweetness make this taste like liquid pie.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between yams and sweet potatoes for this recipe? In the US, what we call “yams” in stores are actually sweet potatoes. True yams are drier and starchier, but you’ll rarely find them. For this recipe, use those orange-fleshed beauties labeled as either “yams” or “sweet potatoes” – they’re interchangeable and both work perfectly.

Can I make this candied yams recipe without marshmallows? Absolutely! Marshmallows are completely optional. The dish is delicious without them – you get more of that caramelized glaze on top. Try the pecan praline topping instead, or just leave it as-is for a more sophisticated presentation.

How do I keep the sauce from being too runny? Make sure you’re not adding too much water initially, especially if using canned yams (they release liquid). During baking, the sauce thickens naturally. If it’s still thin after 45 minutes, carefully pour off some liquid, reduce it on the stovetop until syrupy, then pour it back over.

Can I use canned yams instead of fresh for this recipe? Yes! That’s exactly what the “how to make candied yams from can” method covers. Just drain them well, reduce the water in the recipe, and cut the baking time to 30-35 minutes since they’re already cooked. The flavor is nearly identical.

How far ahead can I prepare candied yams? Assemble the whole dish up to 24 hours ahead, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, then cook as directed (might need 5-10 extra minutes). The flavor actually improves as the yams absorb the syrup overnight.

Why are my candied yams mushy instead of sliced? Either they cooked too long, were sliced too thin, or the temperature was too low causing them to steam rather than roast. Stick to 1/2-inch slices, bake at 350°F, and remove from the oven when fork-tender but still holding their shape.

What’s the best way to cook canned yams for this recipe? Drain them thoroughly, pat dry, then use either the oven or stovetop method. The stovetop is faster (about 25 minutes total) and frees up oven space. Make the syrup in the skillet, add yams gently, cover and simmer, then uncover and reduce until glazed.

How to Make Candied Yams in a Slow Cooker? Yes! Layer yams in the slow cooker, pour the syrup over them, cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Remove lid for the last hour to let some liquid evaporate. This method works great when your oven is packed with other dishes.

Ready to create candied yams that’ll have everyone asking when you’re making them again? Grab your ingredients and let’s turn those humble sweet potatoes into something extraordinary. Whether you’re team marshmallow or team no-marshmallow, this candied yams recipe delivers the perfect balance of sweet, spiced, and utterly irresistible flavor that makes every bite worth it.

Looking for more holiday side dishes that’ll complete your feast? Check out our classic green bean casserole and herb-roasted brussels sprouts that pair perfectly with these candied yams.