Last updated: October 22, 2026
These candied yams bake in a buttery brown sugar and maple syrup until the slices turn tender and the glaze turns thick and glossy. Everything you need is in the recipe card below, and the tips right here will help you get the syrup right the first time.
Ingredients for Candied Yams
Candied yams need just a handful of pantry staples, and the sweet potatoes do most of the work. Plan on 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, which is about 4 medium ones, plus butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, orange juice, warm spices and vanilla.
The recipe serves 8 as a side dish, and it fits neatly into one 9×13-inch baking dish.
Choose the Right Sweet Potatoes
Look for orange-fleshed sweet potatoes such as Beauregard or Jewel, which are the ones sold as yams in most American grocery stores. They turn creamy and sweet when baked, and they hold their shape in slices better than paler varieties.
Pick potatoes that are firm and similar in thickness so the slices cook at the same pace. Skip any with soft spots or sprouting eyes.
The Syrup Ingredients
The glaze starts with 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and 3/4 cup of packed light brown sugar. Add 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup for depth and 1/4 cup of orange juice, which keeps the syrup from tasting flat or cloying.
Season it with 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Finish with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract stirred in off the heat so the flavor stays bright.
How to Make Candied Yams Step by Step
Candied yams come together in four simple stages: slice, simmer the syrup, bake covered, then bake uncovered. The whole thing takes about an hour and a half from start to finish, including a short rest at the end.
Slice the Yams
Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick.
Arrange the slices in the dish in slightly overlapping layers, like shingles. Overlapping keeps them snug so the syrup can pool around every piece.
Simmer the Syrup
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in the brown sugar, maple syrup, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the warm syrup evenly over the sweet potatoes, making sure the top layer gets coated too.
Bake Covered, Then Uncovered
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. The trapped steam softens the slices so they cook through without drying out.
Remove the foil, spoon some of the syrup from the bottom of the dish over the top, and return the dish to the oven uncovered. Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until a fork slides in easily and the syrup looks thick and glossy.
Let the Syrup Set
Rest the candied yams for 10 minutes before serving. The syrup thickens as it cools, so the glaze clings to the slices instead of running to the bottom of the dish.
Spoon any extra syrup from the pan over each serving.
Tips for Perfect Candied Yams
Great candied yams come down to slice thickness, a tight foil seal and patient basting. Each one of those small habits protects the texture you want, which is tender slices with a syrupy glaze.
Keep the Slices Even
A 1/2 inch slice is the sweet spot. Thinner rounds turn mushy before the syrup reduces, and thicker ones stay firm in the center.
If a few potatoes are much wider than the rest, cut those rounds in half so every piece is about the same size.
Baste Like You Mean It
Basting is what builds the glaze. Each time you spoon the syrup over the top, the exposed slices pick up a fresh coat that caramelizes in the oven heat.
Tilt the dish and scoop from the lowest corner, where the syrup collects. Do this every 10 minutes during the uncovered bake.
Seal the Foil
A loose cover lets steam escape and leaves you with firm slices at the end. Crimp the foil around the rim of the dish so it stays sealed for the full 30 minutes.
Candied Yams Variations and Substitutions
Candied yams are forgiving, and a few easy swaps change the flavor without throwing off the method. Use these ideas to match your holiday table or whatever is in your pantry.
Add a Topping
For crunch, scatter 1/2 cup of chopped pecans over the top during the last 10 minutes of baking. For a classic marshmallow finish, add 2 cups of mini marshmallows for the last 5 minutes and watch them closely until they puff and turn golden.
The recipe card leaves both of these out, so treat them as optional extras.
Swap the Ingredients
Water or apple cider can stand in for the orange juice, and honey works in place of the maple syrup. Dark brown sugar adds a deeper, more molasses-heavy flavor.
If you only have salted butter, cut the kosher salt down to 1/4 teaspoon so the syrup does not turn too salty.
How to Store, Freeze and Reheat Candied Yams
Store leftover candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. That lines up with USDA guidance, which says to eat refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
To make them ahead, bake the dish completely up to 2 days before serving, cool it, cover it and refrigerate. Reheat it covered with foil at 350°F for about 20 minutes, until hot all the way through.
The USDA recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F, so check the center of the dish with a food thermometer.
Candied yams freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat the same way.
A shallow, airtight container works best because the slices stay in a single layer and reheat evenly. Spoon a little of the syrup over the top before you close the lid so the potatoes stay moist.
What to Serve With Candied Yams
Candied yams are rich and sweet, so they shine next to savory, salty and tangy dishes. Roast turkey, honey baked ham and fried chicken are all natural partners.
Round out the plate with something green and something tart. Collard greens, green bean casserole or a crisp cranberry salad balance the sweetness beautifully.
Cornbread dressing, buttery rolls and mashed potatoes soak up any extra syrup on the plate. Leftover candied yams are also wonderful warmed up beside a fried egg at breakfast.
For a potluck, bring the dish in its baking pan covered with foil and reheat it at the host’s house.
The Story Behind Candied Yams
Candied yams are a long-standing staple of Southern and soul food holiday tables, and their roots run deep in African American home cooking. Enslaved West Africans knew the true yam, and in the American South the sweet potato became the familiar stand-in.
Today the word yam on a grocery label almost always means an orange-fleshed sweet potato. True yams are a different, starchy tuber with rough, bark-like skin, and they are rarely sold in regular supermarkets.
Home cooks have been simmering sweet potatoes in butter and sugar for generations, and the dish still earns a place at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Sunday dinners across the country. This version keeps that spirit but uses a covered bake so the slices cook evenly.
No matter which family recipe you grew up with, the heart of the dish is always the same. Sweet potatoes, butter, sugar and warm spices simmer together until the whole kitchen smells like the holidays.
Use the recipe card below when you are ready to cook.
Candied Yams
Tender sweet potato slices baked in a buttery brown sugar and maple syrup until the glaze turns thick and glossy. An easy holiday side dish you can make ahead.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium), peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Peel the sweet potatoes, slice them into 1/2 inch rounds and arrange them in the dish in slightly overlapping layers.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in the brown sugar, maple syrup, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the syrup evenly over the sweet potatoes and cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil, spoon some syrup from the bottom of the dish over the top, and bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes more, basting every 10 minutes, until fork-tender and the syrup is thick and glossy.
- Rest for 10 minutes before serving so the syrup can thicken, then spoon any extra syrup over each serving.
Notes
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. USDA recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F.
Make ahead: Bake completely up to 2 days ahead, cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat covered with foil at 350°F for about 20 minutes, until hot throughout.
Freezing: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat the same way.
Optional toppings (not included in the recipe above): 1/2 cup chopped pecans for the last 10 minutes of baking, or 2 cups mini marshmallows for the last 5 minutes.
If using salted butter, reduce the kosher salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
3/4 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 210mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 4gSugar: 33gProtein: 2g
Candied Yams FAQ
Are candied yams the same as candied sweet potatoes?
In most American kitchens, yes. The orange sweet potatoes sold as yams are the same ones used for candied sweet potatoes, so the two names describe the same dish.
Can you make candied yams ahead of time?
You can bake them up to 2 days ahead, cool them and refrigerate them covered. Reheat them covered at 350°F for about 20 minutes until hot throughout.
Why are my candied yams still firm?
The slices were most likely too thick, or the foil was not sealed tightly. Cover the dish again and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, then check with a fork.
Can you use canned yams for this recipe?
Canned yams are already cooked, so they would turn mushy with these bake times. We recommend fresh sweet potatoes, since the timing here is written for raw slices.
Can you freeze candied yams?
Yes, they freeze well for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and reheat them covered at 350°F.
Why This Candied Yams Recipe Works
Simmering the syrup for 2 minutes before it ever touches the potatoes dissolves the brown sugar completely. That means the glaze is smooth instead of gritty, and it coats every slice evenly.
The covered bake comes first because trapped steam cooks the 1/2 inch slices all the way through. Taking the foil off for the second half lets the syrup reduce and thicken instead of staying thin and watery.
Basting every 10 minutes layers on the glaze, and the 10 minute rest at the end lets it set. A little orange juice and a pinch of salt keep the sweetness balanced, so the dish tastes rich without being heavy.
Overlapping the slices in a single dish also helps. The syrup pools around each piece and the slices shield one another from drying out, which keeps the texture tender from edge to edge.
Make Candied Yams Part of Your Holiday Table
Candied yams are the kind of side dish people ask for again, and this version is easy enough to make on a busy holiday. Peel your sweet potatoes, simmer the syrup and let the oven do the rest.
Pick up a few sweet potatoes this week and try the recipe, then save it so it is ready for your next holiday meal.
If you make it ahead, the work is done before guests arrive, which leaves your oven free for the turkey and your hands free for everything else. Leave a comment and let us know how your candied yams turned out.
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