Every family has holiday side dishes that are a must every Thanksgiving. My family includes Candied Sweet Potatoes (Candied Yams), Roasted Broccoli, Sausage Stuffing, and Roasted Potatoes.
Candied sweet potatoes are a holiday classic for good reason – they’re easy to make and taste fantastic. This side dish recipe is the perfect way to make sweet potatoes the star of the show!
I created this recipe so that it can be made on the stove or in the oven so that the all-important kitchen real estate in holiday cooking is less of an issue. Making the caramel sauce first allows the sweet potatoes to cook in the sauce regardless of your method.
Candied Sweet Potatoes Vs. Candies Yams
I’m often asked what the difference is between the two. Sweet potatoes are what you typically find in the grocery stores (even if they’re labeled as yams). Yams are drier and starchier and pretty rare in the US.
Whatever type you like best, choose the ones with tight skins without blemishes or bruises. Look for small to mid-sized varieties as larger ones are more starchy.
How To Make Candied Sweet Potatoes
Melt the butter and sugars together over medium heat in an oven-safe pan. Once the butter has melted, mix in the orange juice. Bring the mixture to a boil; stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens for about 5 minutes. Mix in the spices, orange zest, and a pinch of salt. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Add the sweet potatoes and coat well with the sauce. Bake or cook on medium-low heat on the stove for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid is thick and syrupy. Erren’s Kitchen is written and produced for informational intentions only. We are not certified nutritionists, and the nutritional information found on this site has not been assessed or authorized by a nutritionist or the FDA. The nutritional information found in our recipes is offered as an estimate and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. The estimated data is provided as a courtesy and calculated through a third-party online nutritional calculator, spoonacular API. Although we do our best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered rough estimates. Many factors, such as brands or products purchased and the nutritional fluctuations that naturally occur in fresh produce, can alter the effectiveness of the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, various online calculators provide different results depending on their particular algorithms and nutrition fact sources. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
