Candied Sweet Potatoes
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Candied sweet potatoes add a warm, cozy flavor to the table and are simple to prepare. The potatoes soften as they cook, and the sweet glaze forms with little work. This is a great recipe to make when you want something comforting and easy to serve.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Key Takeaways
- Candied Sweet Potatoes are a warm, cozy side dish, perfect for holidays and easy to prepare.
- You can customize the recipe with ingredients like maple syrup,
butter , or spices for added flavor. - The recipe involves boiling thinly sliced sweet potatoes in a simple syrup, yielding a sweet glaze.
- Cooking tips include keeping the heat gentle and stirring to prevent burning and sticking.
- This versatile dish pairs well with holiday meals or as a comforting weeknight option.
Candied Sweet Potatoes
It’s a tradition among many people to have sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You know the one with the marshmallows on top? My sister-in-law was assigned to bring the sweet potato casserole to Thanksgiving one year. She didn’t have marshmallows, so she topped it with chocolate chips! (what?!) It wasn’t a hit!
My family, on the other hand, always had Thanksgiving Candied Sweet Potatoes instead of a casserole. Have you ever heard of Thanksgiving Candied Sweet Potatoes? We always have this during the holidays.
Cooking tips and substitutions
Basically, you thinly slice sweet potatoes and boil them in a simple syrup. It sounds like a dessert, but my family eats it with our meal.
The key to great candied sweet potatoes is uniform, thin slices. I recommend using a mandoline set to 1/8 inch thickness.
For the best Candied Sweet Potatoes, use a gentle heat so the glaze does not burn before the potatoes soften. Keep an eye on the pan near the end of the cook time because the sugar can darken fast. You can swap
When you’re choosing sweet potatoes for this recipe, look for medium to small ones about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter and 4 or 5 inches long. I’ve found that this size tends to be more tender.
Why you’ll ❤️ these Candied Sweet Potatoes.
A personal tip is to cut the potatoes to the same size so they cook evenly. I also like to give them a gentle stir halfway through cooking to help the glaze coat each piece. This step makes the dish cook more evenly and keeps the potatoes from sticking.
- 🔥 Comforting and warm
- 🥪 Simple to prepare
- 🍠 Tender
- 🧈 Buttery and caramelized
- ✨ Great for holidays and weeknights
- 🔀 Easy to customize
Candied Sweet Potatoes FAQ
Use medium or low heat and stir near the end. Or, finish in the oven at 350 degrees.
Yes, you can cook them ahead and warm them in the oven before serving
Yes, but drain them well and shorten the cook time since they are already soft. You can do this by cooking the sauce down until it slightly thick then add the potatoes to heat them through.
Conclusion
Candied sweet potatoes are a fall staple side dish that pairs well with many meals. They are simple to prepare, easy to adjust to your liking, and ready in 40 minutes. This recipe brings a warm touch to the table and works for both special meals and everyday dinners.
If you like Candied Sweet Potatoes, try these recipes too!
- Crock Pot Crack Hash Brown Potatoes
- 3 Ingredient Hash Brown Potatoes
- Hashbrown Potato Casserole No Cream Soup
- Hasselback Scalloped Potatoes
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Irish Pub-style Potato Nachos
- 10 Best Turkey Recipes
- TWICE BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE
- Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Stewed Potatoes
- 18 UNIQUE THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES
- Parmesan Potatoes
- BEST BRUSSELS SPROUTS FOR THANKSGIVING
- Thanksgiving Dinner Menu and Recipes
- Mashed Potato Cakes
Thanksgiving Candied Sweet Potatoes
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes this will yield about 4 cups when sliced
- 1 and ½ cups water
- 1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt about 1/8 tsp
- 3 Tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Slice potatoes evenly, about ⅛ inch thick. (The secret is thin slices. The best tool for thin, even slices is a mandolin.) Try to get them all the same thickness so they'll cook at the same rate.3 lbs sweet potatoes
- Add sugar and water to a medium sized sauce pan.1 and ½ cups water, 1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
- Heat on medium high until sugar is dissolved.
- Add sliced sweet potatoes and salt to water.¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, pinch salt
- Cook on stove top at a simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft and water has thickened. Your water should be thick like a maple or corn syrup.
- Add butter and stir until butter melts.3 Tablespoons butter
Notes
Nutrition
I love how easy these are and sweet potatoes are one of my favs – pinned! Great looking photos too!
Thank you, Deb!
We’ve done the Sweet Potato Casserole thing for many years now. (We’re from Texas). This casserole, and sweet potato pie, are the only way I’ll eat sweet potatoes. Of course, the casserole is a lot like pie, except it has a streusel type topping, and no crust!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Deb
haha… what? Chocolate Chips instead of marshmallows… too funny! 🙂 This recipe sounds delicious, love sweet potatoes. YUM!
Exactly!! lol, how do you get from marshmallows to chocolate?
I really like your recipe for sweet potatoes, mine is a little different, but always willing to try something new. I make a sauce to go over the cooked potatoes. Orange juice, brown sugar and pecan pieces. It has become my sons favorite. Don’t have the exact measurements as I just add a little of this and that.
I had to measure and make this twice, because I wasn’t sure of exact measurements 🙂 Your recipe sounds great, I trying it next time I make them! Thanks
Paula, My mother always had candied sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving and Christmas and I’ve carried on the tradition. I love them. In our recipe we boil the potatoes first, then slice and add dark corn syrup. I’ll have to try your method which is how I make candied carrots. Thanks for sharing and have a good week.
Oh, I love candied carrots too! My dad always liked the potatoes sliced thin, so I guess that’s why we just boiled them in that mixture, they really don’t take long as thinly as he likes them sliced.
I love sweet potatoes. they’re a staple around here. And those look delicious!
Thank you!
This is so neat, Paula! I had honestly never heard of doing sweet potatoes like this before. I am just slightly north of the Mason-Dixon Line here & we like our sweet tea- I always have a pitcher in my fridge. But I have never seen someone make sweet potatoes like that for Thanksgiving!
I would love to try it, but I am slightly afraid of having a full-on protest from my family who LOVES the marshmallow topped casserole. 😉
Pinned & sharing!
I’m still laughing over the chocolate chips! 🙂 We love candied sweet potatoes and that’s the way we have always had them, too. These look delicious!!! Thanks for sharing and pinning! Have a happy Wednesday!
Thank you, Cindy!
Looks lovely Paula! I’m a sweet potato fan here!
Me too!!
I make something similar, but your recipe looks much easier ! Pinned 😉
Thanks for sharing, Linda!