The Best Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe
These Candied Sweet Potatoes are tender, caramelized, and covered in a sweet maple sauce. The perfect side dish for the holidays, they come together with a handful of simple ingredients in just over an hour!
Similar to sweet potato casserole, this southern candied sweet potatoes recipe is inspired by my mom’s holiday sweet potatoes. Growing up, my sister and I looked forward to them every Thanksgiving and fought over who got the crispiest edge.
While this version is slightly different than my mom’s, it presents the sweet flavor I’ve always loved. Personally, I think the addition of vanilla and spices gives the sauce a little something special that’s so delicious!
With just ten minutes of prep time, these potatoes are hands-off recipe perfect for the holidays. Just combine the ingredients, and pop them in the oven. Your hands will be free to prepare the cornbread pudding and pumpkin pie for the rest of the feast.
In just over an hour, the potatoes will be tender, caramelized, and full of sweet spiced flavor! One bite, and they’re sure to become an instant staple around your holiday table.
Recipe Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes – You’ll need four medium-sized sweet potatoes for this recipe.
- Butter – Salted butter creates a rich, flavorful sauce.
- Light Brown Sugar – This helps sweeten the sauce, caramelizing the potatoes as they cook.
- Maple Syrup – This enhances the sweetness and helps create the caramelized texture we want.
- Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract to infuse the potatoes with incredible vanilla flavor.
- Spices – Ground cinnamon and nutmeg add extra warmth to balance the sweet flavors of the dish.
How to Make This Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, grease a 9×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray, and set it aside.
- Peel the potatoes. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the sweet potato skins, and slice the potatoes into ½-inch thick slices. Arrange the peeled and cut potatoes in the prepared casserole dish, overlapping slightly as needed.
- Create the sauce. Heat a small pot over medium heat. Add the butter, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup, and water. Stir to combine, and melt the butter.
- Bake. Pour the sauce over the potatoes, coating them completely. Then, transfer the dish to the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat, and continue to bake, tossing halfway through cooking until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Broil. For a crispy top, turn the oven to broil for one to two minutes as the end of cooking.
- Serve. Spoon the sauce over the potatoes, and serve warm!
Pro-Tip: For even more flavor, feel free to sprinkle mini marshmallows, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut on top at the very end of cooking!
How to Store and Freeze
- Store leftover candied sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.
- Freeze the cooked and cooled potatoes for up to three months.
- Thaw the potatoes in the fridge overnight, and reheat them in a covered baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until they’re heated through. Or, warm individual portions in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
The two dishes are often prepared the same way. However, although often confused with one another, yams and sweet potatoes aren’t the same things. For instance, sweet potatoes are part of the Morning Glory family, and yams are part of the Lily family. Sweet potatoes are sweeter and moister than yams, resulting in a slightly different taste when baked.
Your candied sweet potatoes recipe can turn out watery if there’s too much liquid in the baking dish.
I don’t recommend making this recipe ahead of time as it can impact the taste and texture of the dish. Luckily, it’s quick and easy to prepare fresh!
More Holiday Recipes to Consider Trying
- easy stuffing recipe
- one pan crispy smashed potatoes
- cranberry cream cheese roll-ups
- cornbread pudding
- oven roasted Brussels sprouts with green apple
- baked feta with honey and sticky walnuts
- roasted butternut squash with cauliflower and red onion
- brussels sprouts with bacon, pecans, cranberries and goat cheese
The Best Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9×13 inch baking dish
- 1 pot
- 1 peeler
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
- ½ cup salted butter, 1 stick
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel your sweet potatoes and slice them into ½-inch thick rounds.
- Spray a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray and line it with the potatoes. You will have some overlap, which is fine.
- In a small pot over medium heat, combine butter, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup and water. Stir until well combined. Pour the sauce over the potatoes making sure they are well coated.
- Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 35-40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Be sure to toss the potatoes around in the sauce half way through baking this will help ensure they get caramelized. Total cooking time is 50-55 minutes. Option to broil for 1-2 minutes for a slightly crispy top! Remove from the oven and serve. Be sure to spoon some of the sauce over the potatoes!
Notes
How to Store and Freeze
- Store leftover candied sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.
- Freeze the cooked and cooled potatoes for up to three months.
6 Comments on “The Best Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe”
My husband said these were stupendous! I put parchment paper in the pan. I added a little orange juice and unfiltered apple juice and cooked them for over an hour until the liquid reduced and the sugar caramelized. There were yummy bits of caramelized sugar. So yummy!
Thanks, Mrs. Vinny!!
Is this dish ok to prepare the day before Thanksgiving?
yes! But once it is cool, cover and refrigerate it. Let it rest at room temperature for 20ish minutes before reheating in the oven.
Your recipes sound delicious and the directions are 100%. Now can you tell me how to roast a JUICY turkey. My husband and I love turkey but it is always very dry, so we don’t have turkey on Thanksgiving! Their is only the two of us, but would like to freeze the turkey, but I won’t do it. Any help would be appreciated. Only if you have the time and you don’t mind. Thank you 😊
Tender and delicious! These taste amazing! My kids loved this recipe.