Candied Yams
Updated Nov. 10, 2025
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 6medium yams (3 to 5 pounds)
- ½cup salted butter (1 stick)
- ½cup granulated sugar
- ½packed cup dark or light brown sugar
- ¼cup maple syrup
- 1large orange, zested
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛teaspoon kosher salt
- 1tablespoon vanilla extract (not imitation)
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
475 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 90 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 35 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 143 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and peel the yams, then cut into ½-inch pieces. Transfer the yams to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Step 2
In a medium pot over medium heat, cook the butter until it starts to bubble, about 2 minutes.
- Step 3
Once the butter is melted, add both sugars along with the maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from burner. Stir to combine, then add the vanilla extract. Pour the sugar-butter mixture over the yams, and toss to coat.
- Step 4
Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and using a spoon, baste the yams with the sugar-butter mixture collecting at the bottom of the baking dish. Cover again and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until tender. If desired, remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes to thicken the syrup. Remove the yams from the oven and serve hot.
Private Notes
Comments
So are we to use the orange sweet potatoes that are called "yams" in parts of the South, or are we to use actual yams, which are a different plant, in this recipe?
Took one for the team and tested out if you can prep these (make through Step 3) a day in advance then bake. Findings: yes, you can prep these the day before and leave in the fridge over night and bake the next day. Would recommend leaving out for one hour prior to baking (starting at Step 4). Other finding: I used sweet potatoes instead of yams and had trouble cooking the potatoes through. Still turned out ok and had good flavor but definitely impacted the texture. Happy Holidays!
If pressed for time, can I do steps 1-3 the night before and refrigerate overnight?
Maybe my favorite Thanksgiving dish this year and likely will be a returning star next year. Loved the spice combo and level. I might have used fewer potatoes than called for as I had purchased them before I chose the recipe, so I had a lot more glaze than needed in the cooked dish. I poured most of it off before putting the dish out on the table.
It always takes way longer for the yams to cook. We also added more butter/sugar sauce. My husband loves it supper sweet.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time? I need to make ahead of time due to lack of oven space o Thanksgiving day.