Candied Sweet Potatoes
These Candied Sweet Potatoes are a true classic that brings the taste of the South to your table with every bite. The baked sweet potatoes are fork-tender and caramelized in a rich, buttery, and sugary glaze. It’s an old-fashioned favorite that’s perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish and guaranteed to be a hit on your holiday table.
This is the perfect dish for holidays, celebrations, and Sunday dinners, and it is easy enough for weeknight meals. My mother-in-law introduced me to candied sweet potatoes for the first time over 30 years ago, and they have remained a staple on our holiday table ever since. This is a tried-and-tested family favorite, and I hope it becomes a favorite for you and your family as well.
In the South, it is very rare to find a Thanksgiving dinner without a sweet potato dish on the table. This candied sweet potato recipe is just as tasty as my recipe for sweet potato pie and my easy sweet potato casserole recipe.
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🍠 Yams vs Sweet Potatoes- What’s the Difference?
Yams and sweet potatoes are entirely different vegetables. Some grocery stores may mislabel them, calling them both sweet potatoes or vice versa, but this is incorrect. Yams and sweet potatoes differ in looks and taste.
- Yams have dark brown and rough skin. The inside (flesh) is more starchy than that of a regular white potato.
- Sweet Potatoes usually have a smoother skin with a reddish color. The inside (flesh) is orange, soft, creamy, and sweet. Sweet potatoes are more easily found in grocery stores year-round.
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic Holiday Side Dish: Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinner.
- Sweet and Caramelized: Buttery with a sweet coating.
- Family Tradition: A tried and true Southern recipe that has been around for generations.
- Simple Ingredients: Just a few simple ingredients you probably have on hand.
Sweet Potatoes also go great with this collard greens recipe with bacon.
🛒 Ingredients Needed for Candied Potatoes
Candied potatoes are easy to make and come together with just a handful of simple, pantry-friendly ingredients. Please see the recipe card below for more details.
- Sweet Potatoes: (about 2 pounds) Sweet potatoes are the star of this dish. You’ll need about 2 pounds of fresh sweet potatoes, washed, peeled, and sliced fry style.
- Butter: Everything is better with butter. I usually use salted butter, but unsalted butter will also work.
- Water: A little water to get things cooked.
- Brown Sugar: Sweet potatoes and brown sugar go together. Light brown sugar (or dark brown sugar) will work. I have used both, and the outcome is the same.
- White Sugar: White granulated sugar adds more sweetness.
- Karo Syrup: Karo syrup helps control sugar’s crystallization for a nice and glossy outcome.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract for flavoring.
🔪 How to Cook Candied Sweet Potatoes
Step 1: Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven so it’s ready when you need it and grab a cast-iron skillet.
Step 2: Prep the Sweet Potatoes. Peel and slice the potatoes into fry-style strips.
Step 3: Melt the butter. In a large cast-iron skillet on low heat, melt the butter. Add water, both sugars, syrup, and vanilla. Heat and stir until all the ingredients are melted.
Step 4: Add the potatoes. Add the potatoes and toss well until they are evenly coated. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes on the stovetop. Gently stir every 5 minutes or so to ensure the potatoes are evenly coated and not sticking to the pan.
Step 5: Transfer to the oven. After 20 minutes, carefully move the skillet to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes without stirring.
Step 6: Rest before serving. Allow potatoes to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving so the syrup can set into a caramelized glaze.
💭 Pro Tips
- Slice uniform size: Try to make the slices as uniform as possible; this will allow all potatoes to cook at the same rate. I have found that if the sweet potatoes are large, cut each potato into quarters and then slice. This makes it easier to handle the bigger potatoes.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven before starting this recipe so the cooking process does not stop as you move from the stovetop to the oven.
- Stir gently: Gently stir the potatoes as they cook on the stovetop.
- Watch closely: Most of the liquid will cook out, so keep a close eye on your potatoes during the last few minutes of cooking time. They will be fork-tender.
- Let the potatoes rest before serving: Allow these Southern candied sweet potatoes to cool slightly before serving. This will allow the sauce to thicken a bit.
❔ Recipe FAQS
To store leftovers: Cool the sweet potatoes, then place them in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator. They will keep for several days and are fantastic reheated to eat again.
To Reheat: The best way to reheat these potatoes is in the oven, microwave, or stovetop. They warm really fast, so be careful.
Yes, this recipe can also be served as a dessert. The sweet potatoes are coated with a sugar and butter sauce and then baked until soft. Add a little ice cream to the bowl and top with extra sweet juices from the pan.
No. Place the candied potatoes in the oven and bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
If you’ve tried these Candied Sweet Potatoes or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments. Thanks for visiting!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Sweet Potatoes about 2 large or 4 medium
- 1 stick Butter (½ cup)
- ¼ cup Water
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup White Sugar
- ¼ cup Dark Karo Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Preheat the oven so it’s ready when you need it and grab a cast-iron skillet.
- Prep the Sweet Potatoes. First, start by peeling and slicing your potatoes – fry style.
- Melt butter in a large cast-iron skillet on low heat. Add water, sugars, syrup, and vanilla. Heat and stir until all is melted.
- Add the potatoes. Add the potatoes and toss them well until they are evenly coated. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes on the stovetop. Gently stir every 5 minutes or so to ensure the potatoes are evenly coated and not sticking.
- Transfer to the oven. After 20 minutes, carefully move the skillet to a 350-degree oven and bake for 40-45 minutes without stirring.
- Rest before serving. Allow the potatoes to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the sauce to set on the potatoes.
Notes
- Slice uniform size: Try to make the slices as uniform as possible; this will allow all potatoes to cook at the same rate. I have found that if the sweet potatoes are large, cut each potato into quarters and then slice. This makes it easier to handle the bigger potatoes.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven before starting this recipe so the cooking process does not stop as you move from the stovetop to the oven.
- Stir gently: Gently stir the potatoes as they cook on the stovetop.
- Watch closely: Most of the liquid will cook out, so keep a close eye on your potatoes during the last few minutes of cooking time. They will be fork-tender.
- Let the potatoes rest before serving: Allow these Southern candied sweet potatoes to cool slightly before serving. This will allow the sauce to thicken a bit.
Sweet, delicious and easy to do. My family loved these and we will definitely make them again.
What an amazing way to cook sweet potatoes. These look incredible.
These are *incredible*! They really are like candy. I think I could eat these every single day!
Ooooh, these sweet potatoes look so good! I especially love that caramelized flavor. Definitely perfect for the holidays.
This is seriously amazing!! I can’t wait to make it again and again!
These candied sweet potatoes was so delicious. It was an instant hit at home! perfect for the holidays