Southern Candied Yams Recipe - Butter & Baggage

Name: Southern Candied Yams
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 40 ounce canned sweet potatoes (reserve the liquid)

You can’t beat these super simple, 3-ingredient Candied Yams. Tender and sweet with a caramelized sauce, you’ll have them on the table in 30 minutes. A classic Thanksgiving side dish.

Candied yams in a serving dish next to a spoon.

Southern candied yams are cooked on the stovetop, which frees up oven space for other dishes. And the best part is you use canned sweet potatoes like I do with layered apple and sweet potatoes, so there’s no need to spend time peeling or chopping.

When I was growing up, Mom always made candied yams for a holiday meal. Turkey, ham or roast beef, this is the recipe she uses, and it’s still a family favorite because they taste incredible.

If you want a sweet potato side dish that’s not as sweet, then try roasted sweet potatoes with pears or try a custard like dish with sweet potato pudding. You could also add some cranberries for a little tart flavor to a pretzel topped sweet potato casserole.

If you’re hosting a big meal, it’s helpful to have at least one easy recipe that doesn’t take long to make.

With just three ingredients, these fit the bill. The melt-in-your-mouth brown sugar sweet potatoes complement other holiday sides like corn pudding and broccoli cheese casserole.

A spoon full of brown sugar sweet potatoes.

It’s not Thanksgiving without brown sugar sweet potatoes on the menu, but you can make them any time of year for any gathering. I love them with ham at Easter, or Mother’s Day, and of course Christmas. No matter the occasion, they’re always a hit!

If you’re looking for another easy sweet potato side dish you can serve for a crowd, try sweet potato casserole. It has a similar flavor to candied yams but uses mashed fresh sweet potatoes instead of canned. Since it does take a bit more time to prep, you can assemble it the day before baking. Bourbon, spicy pecans and bacon make it extra special.

If you’ve got room in the oven, try making hasselback sweet potatoes, they look impressive and of course are delicious.

Why you’ll love this Candy Yams Recipe

You won’t find an easier recipe
No need to peel sweet potatoes
A thick, sweet sauce that tastes like caramel
Make them in one pan for easy cleanup

Southern Candied Yams Ingredients

The ingredients for stovetop sweet potatoes in a skillet.

Canned Sweet potatoes – Try to find ones that are not in a heavy syrup. If that’s all you can find, cut back on the brown sugar.
Brown sugar – I prefer light brown sugar but if you want a deeper flavor, use dark brown sugar. I don’t recommend granulated sugar, as it doesn’t caramelize as well.
Butter – You can cut it into chunks so it melts faster.

Are candied yams and sweet potatoes the same thing?

Although they are different root vegetables, one can be substituted for the other since their flavor is similar. Yams are typically grown in Asia, Africa or South America, while sweet potatoes are grown in the US, where North Carolina is the number one producer.

Candied “yams” are usually made with sweet potatoes because they are easier to find in our grocery stores. To confuse things even further, the orange vegetables you see labeled as yams are often actually sweet potatoes.

You can tell the difference between the two by looking at the skin. Yams have dark, tough skin. Sweet potatoes have smooth, reddish skin. When cooked, yams are dryer and starchier than sweet potatoes, which have softer flesh and sweeter flavor.

How to make candied yams

Step 1- Start the Sauce

Over medium heat in a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and bring to a low boil.

Brown sugar and butter in an iron skillet. — Combine butter and brown sugar.

Step 2:

Pour in some of the sweet potato liquid and let it thicken..

Step 3: Let it simmer

Add the sweet potatoes and simmer for around 30 minutes. They will turn dark brown and the sauce will thicken even more.

Sweet potatoes cooking in a skillet. — Add canned sweet potatoes to the brown sugar mixture and simmer.

Pro tip: Let the potatoes simmer without stirring so they don’t get mushy. You can periodically spoon some liquid over them so they don’t dry out.

Candied Yams Variations

There are lots of ways you can customize this recipe, depending on your preference. Experiment with some of the popular variations below and find your favorite.

Add a tablespoon of fresh juiced orange and a teaspoon of grated zest to the sauce for a sweet citrus flavor.
To add some crunch, sprinkle chopped roasted pecans or walnuts over the top just before serving.
Add extra fall flavor with ground ginger, cinnamon or nutmeg.

Double or triple the recipe to feed a big crowd for the holidays or potlucks. You can easily refrigerate or freeze any leftovers for another meal.

More Thanksgiving side dishes

Homemade Cranberry Relish is a must at Thanksgiving

Classic Stuffing with Italian sausage stays crispy

Leftover turkey is even better on sweet Hawaiian Rolls

Classic Green Bean Casserole gets an upgrade with from-scratch sauce

You can make these Creamy Mashed Potatoes ahead of time

What to serve with Candy Yams

Candied yams are pretty sweet so serve them with something that’s savory. If serving with other sides, try corn pudding or roasted asparagus. It’s also fabulous served with ham.

Candied Yams Recipe FAQs

Are candied yams healthy?

Yams have high levels of fiber, potassium, manganese and vitamins A, E and C. So even though candied yams contain sugar you’re still getting nutrients from the vegetables.

Can candied yams be made ahead of time?

These are best served the same day. To reheat, bring the yams and sauce to a low boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until heated through. You may need to add a little water to the pan.

Can you freeze leftover candied yams?

To freeze leftovers, seal them in an airtight container. To reheat in the oven, place them in a baking dish and cover with foil.

Do you rinse yams before cooking?

You do not need to rinse these yams before cooking, they come in their own juice that you will add to the dish to give it more flavor.

Why is it called candy yams?

This is called candied yams because the yams cook in a caramelized sauce of brown sugar and butter giving it a very sweet, candy-like taste.

Why are my candied yams runny?

If the sauce for candied yams is running, you need to cook it longer so the brown sugar has time to thicken the sauce.

Other favorite sweet potato recipes

Make sweet and spicy Apple Cider Chili for your next fall get-together.

Hasselback-style Stuffed Sweet Potatoes will impress your guests.

For a healthy breakfast try Frittata or Quiche with a sweet potato crust.

Moist Sweet Potato Muffins with streusel topping are always a favorite.

If you love apples, try this Cobbler with Sweet Potato Biscuits.

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.