Buttery with a sweet brown sugar glaze, candied yams are a classic southern side dish that are baked until caramelized. This easy side is the best served with any holiday meal!

For other traditional favorite side dish recipes try green bean casserole, crockpot stuffing, and cranberry sauce for a classic Thanksgiving spread!

Candied yams in baking dish.

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Easy Baked Candied Yams

These baked candied yams are a classic dish around the holidays. They’re a great Thanksgiving side dish to add to your Thanksgiving menu and you can bet they make an appearance at Christmas dinner too!

The brown sugar caramelizes the sweet potatoes and adds such an amazing depth of flavor and soft texture. This simple candied yams recipe is less work than a traditional sweet potato casserole because there is no pre-baking or mashing of the potatoes first and it’s ready in an hour!

Recipe Ingredients

These candied yams smothered in a brown sugar syrup are always a favorite holiday dish!

Candied yams in white dish.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Sweet potatoes: These take the most time to peel and cut but they are worth every bite! I sliced my sweet potatoes in 1/4 inch slices.
  • Butter: Melt your salted or unsalted butter in the microwave. This will bind all the ingredients together.
  • Brown sugar: Sweeten up even more with this light brown sugar. Always a delicious way to add on top of candied yams.
  • Cinnamon: Adds a hint of spice but also blends very well with brown sugar and nutmeg.
  • Nutmeg: Ground nutmeg is slightly sweet, nutty, and has a woodsy flavoring.

Yams vs Sweet Potatoes

Making delicious candied yams from scratch means you need to go out and get yourself some…sweet potatoes?

That’s right, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same things despite their names being used interchangeably. You want to make sure to pick up sweet potatoes. Yams are much more fibrous, starchy, and lighter in color. They wouldn’t work for this recipe!

To confuse you even more…some grocery stores will still label sweet potatoes as yams.

How to Make Candied Yams

These candied yams are soul food! So good and gives you so much comfort at the dinner table. Their sweet flavor adds the perfect combination to the savory sides. Take this root vegetable to the next level and create the best candied yams!

  • Preheat oven. Prepare a square baking pan with non-stick spray. Wash, peel, and cut the sweet potatoes. Lay the sweet potatoes evenly in the baking pan.
  • Stir together. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and seasonings in a separate bowl. Stir together until well combined.
  • Combine. Pour the mixture over top the sweet potatoes. Evenly distribute the best you can.
  • Bake. Place in the oven for 45 minutes. Toss half way through and make sure the sauce is evenly distributed.
Candied yams in sauce.

Tips for the Best Baked Candied Yams

Enhance your candied yams with these extra tips and variations!

  • To make your candied yams with marshmallows, add miniature marshmallows on top. You could even add nuts, too, like I do in this sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and pecans.
  • Cut the sweet potatoes into uniform sizes for even baking.
  • For a softer version you can boil the sweet potatoes on the stove-top for a bit before placing them in the baking dish.
  • For an additional layer of flavor, think about adding in vanilla extract or even some orange zest.
  • Swap the sweet marshmallows for an herb finish. Top with a pinch of salt or your favorite dried herb like rosemary or sage.
  • Best served warm.
Candied yams in white baking dish.

Are you in the mood for more sweet potato recipes!? These savory scalloped sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, and sweet potato casserole are always a hit too!

More Holiday Side Dishes

close up of candied yams in pan

Candied Yams

5 from 5 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 8
Buttery with a sweet brown sugar glaze, candied yams are a classic southern side dish that are baked until caramelized. This easy side is the best served with any holiday meal!
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Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes , peeled, halved and cut into 1/4" slices
  • ¼ cup salted butter , melted
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar , packed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon , more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt , more to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Optional: 1-2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

  • Prep. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 6×9" or 8×8" pan with non-stick spray. Wash, peel and cut 2 pounds sweet potatoes into 1/4" slices.
  • Make brown sugar syrup. Place the cut sweet potatoes in an even layer into the pan. In a separate bowl combine 1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir and then even pour over the sweet potatoes.
  • Bake. Bake for 45 minutes (or until fork tender and they've started to caramelize). Toss half way through and make sure the sauce is evenly distributed. Add more seasonings to taste.
  • Optional marshmallow topping: If desired sprinkle 1-2 cups mini marshmallows on top and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until golden. Serve while warm.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Storing: Store leftover in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make ahead:
These candied yams can be made the day before (just leave off the marshmallows if adding). Bake for about 40 minutes and then let pan cool on stove. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate once cooled. Then bake in the oven 10-15 minutes the next day before serving. You could also transfer to a slow cooker and reheat on the warm setting. 

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 188mg, Potassium: 394mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 16265IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Recipe FAQs

How do you make candied yams with canned yams?

Unfortunately, these candied yams are not good substituted for canned yams. This recipe calls for fresh yams. When using canned yams, they will be mushy and not set up when baked.

Why are my candied yams hard?

If you store yams in the refrigerator, the yams will become hard in the center and even harder to cut.

Can I make candied yams ahead of time?

Baked candied yams are a great side dish to make in advance. Less work on the day of just makes life easier! Bake the entire dish without the marshmallows and allow it to cool completely. Cover and store in the fridge overnight. Add the optional marshmallows if you’d like and bake for 10-15 to warm through just before serving.

How to store leftovers?

Keep covered and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop the candied yams in the oven to warm through, if heating a large amount. Otherwise use the microwave. You can also transfer them to the slow cooker to warm up and serve straight from there.