Stove Top Candied Yams are a delicious one-pot old-fashioned southern side dish. These melt-in-your-mouth tender sweet potatoes are cooked to perfection in a buttery cinnamon syrup.
Stove Top Candied Yams are such and easy side dish that is perfect for serving at holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyone loves sweet potatoes and the vibrant orange adds a pop of color to ones plate. For more sweet potato side dishes, try Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Two Potato Scallop.
Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes
The best way to eat vegetables is covered in buttery syrup, right?! Kids will be lining up for these southern Candied Yams. Adults too!
This recipe is very simple with only a few simple ingredients. Unlike other candied sweet potato recipes, this one requires just one pot. No separate cooking or transferring to a different dish. It’s also really helpful that it doesn’t take up oven space on Thanksgiving.
Ingredients for Candied Yams:
- Sweet Potatoes– Yes, “candied yams” are actually candied sweet potatoes. Try to select long and thin ones.
- Butter– This is a southern recipe so of course there is going to be butter and a lot of it!
- Granulated Sugar– This is needed to make the delicious sweet syrup.
- Brown Sugar– The molasses in brown sugar adds more depth of flavor.
- Cinnamon– Such a pleasant aromatic warm spice that pairs beautifully with sweet potatoes.
- Nutmeg– Has a sweet, spicy, nutty flavor with hints of clove. Just a small amount is needed.
- Salt– Salt helps enhance the other flavors in the dish.
- Vanilla– Use pure vanilla extract. This adds more flavor and enhances the other flavors of the sauce.
How to make Candied Yams:
Time needed: 30 minutes
- Prep potatoes
Peel and slice sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds. Set aside.
- Combine
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the sweet potatoes and stir until coated.
- Simmer
Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to med-low, place lid on but cracked open 1-2 inches. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove lid, carefully stir and continue to simmer (uncovered) for 10-15 more minutes until tender and sauce thickens. Gently stir in the vanilla and serve.
FAQs
Sweet Potatoes– there are 2 types: soft and firm. The Soft Sweet Potatoes have smooth red skin, orange flesh, become soft and tender when cooked, and taste sweet. They are often mislabeled as “yams”. Firm Sweet Potatoes have a tan skin with off-white flesh and remain firm and waxy after cooking. They are not as sweet as the soft variety.
Real Yams have a rough brown skin, white starchy dry flesh, mild flavor, and are grown in Africa.
Vanilla is an alcohol and evaporates when cooked. If added to at the beginning, the vanilla start to evaporate and not be as strong.
Covering the pot but leaving it open a crack allows the potatoes retain some of the water in the pot at the beginning of cooking to prevent burning. It is removed halfway through cooking to allow the water to evaporate so the syrup will thicken.
Nope! There is enough water in the potatoes. Add more water will make the syrup take longer to thicken.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE STOVE TOP CANDIED YAMS:
- Knife Set– These are the knives I have been using for 11 years! I use them multiple times a day and they’re still going strong!
- Cutting Board– I love having various sizes of cutting boards and these are awesome because they won’t slip and slide around on the counter.
- Deep Skillet with Lid (non-stick)– This is a great all-purpose non-stick pan. The skillet photographed is MasterClass from TJ Maxx.
LOOKING FOR MORE THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES? CHECK OUT THESE:
- The BEST Thanksgiving Stuffing
- The BEST Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Rood Vegetable Gratin
- Apple & Bacon Spinach Salad
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze
Stove Top Candied Yams
Ingredients
- 4-5 sweet potatoes, (~2.5 pounds, try to select long and skinny ones)
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
- Peel and slice sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the sweet potatoes and stir until coated.
- Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to med-low, place lid on but cracked open 1-2 inches. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove lid, give it a stir to flip the rounds over and continue to simmer uncovered for 10-15 more minutes until tender when poked with a fork and sauce is slightly thickened like syrup. Gently stir in the vanilla and serve.
Oh lord girl I put the vanilla in to soon dam. And making this night before Thanksgiving love ya all have a blessed Thanksgiving
I have made this for 3 consecutive years. It’s always on hit. I tried it the way my mom made it and I’d make it mushy. I know. Too much water. Now with this recipe that ain’t the problem.
This was for most the easiest candied yams recipe I have ever tried. yet so delicious and so easy to make. it taste like it took hours. I love it thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that, Oliva! Thank you for coming back to leave a review! 🙂