Candied Yams

Here at Delish, we believe that candied yams are an indispensable part of the Thanksgiving meal, along with mashed potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce. Although candied yams might be super-sweet on their own, they're the perfect complement to a plateful of savory dishes. My version gets an added kick from bourbon; once you try it, I guarantee it’ll be a staple of your Thanksgiving dinner menu for years to come. Here’s everything you need to know:

What People Are Saying:
"I made these first for a Thanksgiving dinner at my youngest daughter's house & they were an absolute hit! I printed the recipe for her…and we've made [it] numerous times for family dinners. There are never any leftovers!!" - Tommyzgramma

"Made this for Thanksgiving and it was the hit of the evening." - lev1904

What Are Candied Yams?

This popular Southern side dish is a must-have around the holidays—my recipe calls for baking sweet potatoes in a sugary syrup spiked with warm spices until tender. While many recipes suggest parboiling the sweet potatoes, I skip this step to save time. Instead, I slice the yams into 1/2"-thick rounds, pour the syrup over, and bake them for about an hour and a half, basting with syrup after the first 30 minutes, until they are meltingly tender and almost pudding-like.

How To Make Candied Yams

INGREDIENTS

• Brown Sugar: Gives the sugar syrup a 3D, caramel sweetness that brings out the best in the yams.
• Orange Juice: Adds zest and bright, citrusy aroma the brings balance to the dish.
• Butter: I use butter to give the syrup a silky viscosity and to enrich the yams.
• Cinnamon Stick: Infuses the syrup with warm, aromatic spice notes. I prefer the more subtle flavor cinnamon stick imparts over the more aggressive flavor of ground cinnamon. That said, you can still get great results by swapping in 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon for the stick.
• Bourbon: Optional, but it’s amazing how much depth just a couple tablespoons of bourbon can bring.
• Nutmeg: A mere pinch of this warm, sweet spice really perks up the syrup. Extra credit (and flavor) if you grate the nutmeg fresh!
• Yams: Despite the name of the recipe, what you’re really looking for are orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. Confusing, I know, but in most US supermarkets, especially in the South, yams and sweet potatoes are synonymous—either will do here.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, let's tackle the syrup. Actually, go set your oven to 400° and then work on the syrup (who wants to wait for the oven to preheat!). Grab a medium saucepan add the sugar, orange juice, butter, cinnamon stick, bourbon (if you’re using it), nutmeg, and salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; fish out the cinnamon stick and give it the old heave-ho.

While the syrup is simmering away, prep your yams (aka sweet potatoes). Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/2"-thick rounds.

Grease a 13" x 9" (or 3-quart) baking dish with butter. Arrange the yams, overlapping slightly, in layers in the baking dish.

Pour the syrup over the potatoes, then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for 50 to 60 minutes longer, basing with the syrup every 15 minutes or so. Let cool slightly before serving.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• What's the difference between yams and sweet potatoes? True yams are a starchy root vegetable unrelated to sweet potatoes. They have rougher skin, drier flesh that ranges from white to yellow to pale pink, and significantly less sweetness. Though they are used widely in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, they are uncommon in the U.S., where the yams sold in supermarkets are overwhelmingly just sweet potatoes by another name.
• How to make the best candied yams: It's all about that sugar syrup. I make it in a small saucepan and then pour it over the yams in a baking dish and bast with it in the latter stages of baking. What makes it so delicious: brown sugar, butter, orange juice, a pinch of nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick. If you really want to take this dish to the next level (of course you do!), you're going to want to add a hearty splash of bourbon to the syrup for a little kick. It won't make the dish taste alcoholic, but it will add depth of flavor.

Storage

Candied yams can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool, then cover tightly with foil and refrigerate. Reheat, covered, in a 350° oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.