Description
Get ready to fall in love with this irresistible Southern classic—Candied Sweet Potatoes! This easy recipe turns simple sweet potatoes into a showstopping side dish with its rich brown sugar glaze, cozy spices, and buttery caramel flavor. Whether you’re planning a holiday menu or looking for cozy dinner ideas, these sweet potatoes deliver comforting nostalgia with every bite. Perfect as a quick side for a weekday meal or a festive addition to Thanksgiving and Christmas spreads, it’s a must-try easy recipe that’s naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and loaded with flavor.
Ingredients
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
pinch ground cloves or ginger (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Peel and slice sweet potatoes into 1/4 to 1/2 inch rounds, keeping the thickness consistent. Arrange them in the dish.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in both sugars, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and optional spices. Stir until it bubbles.
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
5. Pour the warm glaze evenly over the sweet potatoes in the baking dish.
6. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes to allow the potatoes to soften.
7. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 20–30 minutes, basting once or twice, until the glaze is thick and caramelized.
8. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
1. For a flavor twist, add orange zest or a splash of orange juice to the glaze.
2. Use dark brown sugar for a deeper, more molasses-rich sweetness.
3. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top in the final 10 minutes of baking for extra crunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg