If you’re craving that sweet, comforting side dish that just screams holiday warmth, you’re going to adore this Southern Candied Yams Recipe. I absolutely love how this recipe balances the rich butteriness with the natural sweetness of yams and the cozy spices that make it so unforgettable. Whether it’s a family gathering or just a cozy weekend, these candied yams will steal the show every time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfectly Tender Yams: Slow simmering makes the yams melt-in-your-mouth tender without falling apart.
- Rich, Spiced Syrup: A warm blend of brown sugar, spices, and orange concentrate creates a sticky, irresistible glaze.
- Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor: You don’t need any fancy stuff—just staples from your pantry and that magical butter touch.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: This keeps beautifully and tastes even better the next day reheated.
Ingredients You’ll Need
All the ingredients here come together to create a sticky, sweet sauce that soaks into the yams perfectly. When shopping, try to get fresh yams (or sweet potatoes) with firm skin and no soft spots for the best texture.
- Sweet potatoes: Use firm, fresh yams—they hold up well to slow cooking and absorb the flavors beautifully.
- Dark brown sugar: Adds a deep molasses flavor that’s richer than light brown sugar, but either works fine.
- White sugar: Balances the brown sugar and helps build up that caramelized syrup.
- Cinnamon: The warm backbone spice that pairs perfectly with sweet yams.
- Nutmeg: A little goes a long way adding warmth and complexity.
- Ginger: Adds just a subtle hint of zing to brighten things up.
- Salt: Helps balance all the sweetness and enhance the spices.
- Vanilla extract: I love adding this for a subtle aromatic boost.
- Butter: A whole stick brings the richness and helps create that luscious glaze.
- Frozen orange juice concentrate: Thawed and sweet, it adds citrusy brightness to cut through the sugar.
Variations
While I stick to this classic Southern Candied Yams Recipe most times, I love mixing things up occasionally to suit the mood or dietary needs. Cooking is all about making these flavors your own!
- Adding marshmallows: I know some people swear by topping candied yams with marshmallows and broiling until golden—my family goes crazy for this on special occasions.
- Spice swaps: Sometimes I throw in a pinch of cloves or allspice for a deeper, more aromatic flavor profile.
- Maple syrup instead of orange juice: When I want to switch it up, I replace the orange juice concentrate with pure maple syrup—adds a really rich sweetness.
- Vegan option: Use coconut oil instead of butter, and it still comes out beautifully sticky and flavorful.
How to Make Southern Candied Yams Recipe
Step 1: Prep Your Yams and Start Cooking
First things first—scrub your sweet potatoes really well, peel them, and slice into ½-inch rounds. I like this thickness because it lets the yams cook through evenly without turning mushy. Toss all your yams into a medium pot along with the brown sugar, white sugar, spices, salt, butter, vanilla extract, and thawed orange juice concentrate.
Give everything a good stir over medium-high heat until the yams are coated nicely in that sugary, buttery mixture. This helps the flavors get cozy and prevents the sugars from burning later.
Step 2: Simmer Low and Slow
Once it’s bubbling, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Let the yams gently simmer for about 50 minutes. This slow cooking is what makes them so tender and lets the spices work their magic. I check them occasionally by poking with a fork to see if they’re tender but still holding their shape – you don’t want them falling apart like mush.
If you find your yams are still a bit firm after the time, no worries—just give them a few more minutes until perfectly tender.
Step 3: Reduce the Syrup and Finish
Once your yams are tender, remove the lid and crank the heat back up to medium. Let the liquid come to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. This helps concentrate the syrup, making it thicker and glossy enough to coat your yams perfectly. This takes around 10 minutes and is where the magic happens—watch how the sauce thickens and clings to every bite.
I like to remove the pot from the stove and pop it in a warm oven to keep it cozy until I’m ready to serve. Trust me, these taste even better warm when all that syrup is soft and sticky.
Pro Tips for Making Southern Candied Yams Recipe
- Choose Firm Yams: From my experience, yams that are too soft or old won’t hold up well—choose ones with firm flesh and no bruises for the best texture.
- Don’t Rush the Simmer: Letting them cook low and slow is how you get melt-in-your-mouth tenderness; rushing this step will leave hard centers.
- Watch the Syrup at the End: Keep an eye on the pot when reducing the syrup so it doesn’t burn or dry out—you want a nice thick glaze, not a sticky candy that’s too hard.
- Keep Warm Before Serving: I’ve found putting the pot in a low oven to keep warm keeps the yams soft and syrupy without drying them out before plating.
How to Serve Southern Candied Yams Recipe
Garnishes
I often keep garnishes simple so the yams and glaze shine, but my go-to is a sprinkle of chopped toasted pecans for a little crunch and a fresh sprinkle of finely chopped fresh parsley if I want a subtle color contrast. Sometimes a dash of extra cinnamon on top before serving elevates the aroma dramatically.
Side Dishes
Southern candied yams pair beautifully with hearty mains like roast turkey, baked ham, or fried chicken. I love serving them alongside collard greens, cornbread, or creamy mac and cheese for a true Southern feast that feels like a warm hug.
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday dinners, I sometimes transfer the candied yams to a pretty baking dish, sprinkle marshmallows over the top, and broil just until golden brown and bubbly. It’s a crowd-pleaser every time. You can also serve individual portions in small ramekins to make things extra special and festive.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I keep leftover Southern candied yams covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The syrup firms up a bit when chilled but reheats back to silky perfection quickly.
Freezing
Freezing works well too! I portion the yams into freezer-safe containers, and when I thaw and reheat them on low, the texture and flavor stay surprisingly good—almost like fresh.
Reheating
The best way I’ve found to reheat Southern candied yams is on the stovetop over low heat, stirring gently to warm through and loosen the syrup again. You can also warm them in the oven covered with foil to prevent drying out. Microwave works too in a pinch, but watch that the sauce doesn’t dry out.
FAQs
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Can I use regular sweet potatoes instead of yams?
Absolutely! In the U.S., what’s often labeled as yams are actually sweet potatoes. This recipe works wonderfully with either, as long as they’re firm and fresh. The texture might vary slightly, but the sweet, spiced caramel flavor is just as amazing.
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How can I make this recipe less sweet?
If you want a less sugary version, try reducing the amount of white sugar by half or swapping half of the sugar with a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup—but keep the brown sugar for that deep molasses flavor. Just be sure to taste and adjust the cinnamon and spices accordingly.
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Is it okay to skip the orange juice concentrate?
You can, but I really recommend it because the orange juice concentrate adds a subtle citrus tang that balances the sweetness beautifully. If you don’t have it on hand, a splash of fresh orange juice or even a pinch of orange zest could work as a substitute.
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How do I know when the candied yams are done?
You’ll want to be able to pierce the yams easily with a fork or the tines of a fork, and they should be tender but not falling apart. After simmering for about 50 minutes, test a few slices—if they’re too firm, give them a little more time. The syrup should be thick enough to coat the yams beautifully before serving.
Final Thoughts
This Southern Candied Yams Recipe has become a staple in my kitchen because it’s reliably delicious, cozy, and just pure comfort on a plate. I love sharing it with friends and family, especially during the holidays or those chilly nights when you want something sweet and satisfying. Once you try this, I bet you’ll find yourself making it again and again—trust me, it’s that good. So go ahead, grab a pot, and let’s make some magic!
Print
Southern Candied Yams Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southern American
Description
Southern Candied Yams are a classic, comforting side dish featuring tender sweet potatoes simmered slowly in a rich, buttery syrup made with brown sugar, white sugar, warm spices, and orange juice concentrate. This traditional recipe yields a sweet, warmly spiced casserole perfect for holiday dinners or cozy family meals, served best warm with a luscious glaze coating each slice.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 2 lb sweet potatoes
Syrup and Spices
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed)
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 stick butter (approximately 8 tbsp)
Instructions
- Prepare the Yams: Scrub, peel, and slice the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch thick rounds to ensure they cook evenly and absorb the syrup well.
- Combine Ingredients in Pot: In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the sliced sweet potatoes along with dark brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, vanilla extract, butter, and thawed orange juice concentrate. Stir carefully to coat the sweet potatoes evenly in the sugar and butter mixture.
- Simmer the Yams: Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 50 minutes or until the yams are tender when pierced with a fork. If yams are still firm, continue cooking longer as needed.
- Reduce the Syrup: Remove the lid and turn the heat back to medium. Allow the cooking liquid to boil, stirring occasionally until it reduces and thickens into a syrup that coats the yams, about 10 minutes.
- Keep Warm and Serve: Remove the pot from heat and transfer the candied yams to an oven-safe dish. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. These yams are best enjoyed warm with their rich, syrupy glaze.
Notes
- Candied yams are a cherished old-fashioned side dish, slowly cooked on the stovetop in a sweet and spiced buttery sauce.
- Using dark brown sugar enhances the depth of flavor, but light brown sugar works well too.
- For best results, keep the yams covered during simmering to retain moisture and allow even cooking.
- The orange juice concentrate adds a subtle citrus brightness that balances the sweetness.
- This dish pairs perfectly with savory mains like roasted turkey or ham.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (about 180g)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
