If you’re looking for the ultimate holiday side dish, this Southern Candied Yams recipe is a must-try! Tender sweet potatoes are coated in a buttery, spiced brown sugar syrup and baked until perfectly caramelized. They’re sweet, sticky, and packed with rich, comforting flavor in every bite.
Whether it’s Thanksgiving or a cozy family dinner, this classic Southern dish is sure to be a hit and bring a taste of nostalgia to your table. Keep reading for all my tips and tricks to make the best candied yams ever!
First published November 14, 2023. Last updated November 15, 2024 for more tips and helpful information plus add better step by step images.
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat candied yams
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Are yams and sweet potatoes the same thing
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- This family recipe has been handed down for generations and it's still a favorite!
- This is perfect for fall, especially alongside pork roast. It's traditional at Thanksgiving and other fall and winter holidays.
- Don't hurry the process! Simmering for a long time allows the yams/sweet potatoes to soak up all the goodness from the glaze.
With toasted, lightly-crisp mini marshmallows on top of warm sweet potatoes, this is a yam recipe that everyone loves—whether 8 years old or 80.
Plus, it's a great way to make any Sunday dinner feel like a special occasion! Looking for another holiday recipe? You can't go wrong with this pineapple casserole!
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Add a splash of lemon or orange juice to the syrupy mixture as it simmers.
- You can add a little vanilla extract or ground ginger to the syrup mixture while simmering.
- Substitute some (or all) of the Karo for maple syrup if you love maple or if you don't have enough corn syrup.
- Sprinkle raisins, dried cranberries, roasted pecans, or a bit of ground cinnamon on top when garnishing with marshmallows.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
In a large pot, simmer the sweet potatoes (yams). Drain.
Mix with the remaining ingredients (except marshmallows.)
Simmer in the brown sugar mixture.
Top with mini marshmallows and bake or broil until golden brown.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
I like to sprinkle some toasted, chopped pecans to the top to add crunch. It's a nice change from the creamy gooeyness of the rest of the ingredients.
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat candied yams
Refrigerate
You can keep leftover Southern candied yams covered in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Reheat small portions in the microwave, or cover the skillet with aluminum foil and bake until heated through.
Freeze
The marshmallow topping doesn't freeze well. So, if you want to freeze the candied yams (for instance, when prepping the dish in advance) do so before topping with marshmallows.
It'll last for up to three months. Just be sure to let the candied yams thaw overnight in the fridge before topping and baking.
Reheat
Cover with aluminum foil and reheat in a 350F oven until heated through - about 10-15 minutes.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
Marye's Tip o' the day
Fresh sweet potatoes work best in this recipe. Canned sweet potatoes have the potential to become too mushy and don't candy as well. There's also less flavor.
- Look for firm, deep orange sweet potatoes—they’re naturally sweeter and hold their shape better while cooking.
- For the best-candied yams, be sure to use dark brown sugar. It makes a deeper, more flavorful candied taste than white sugar.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into uniform slices to ensure they cook evenly. Thicker slices will be softer, while thinner slices get a little crisp on the edges.
- Watch the marshmallows carefully in the oven. They'll toast rather quickly. We want a nice, gooey topping, rather than charred marshmallows—unless you prefer 'em that way!
- For the best flavor, be sure to use real butter in your glaze. It gives the dish a rich, creamy texture and enhances the sweetness.
Are yams and sweet potatoes the same thing
Nope. Sweet potatoes are, well, sweeter! They usually have orange or red flesh, and brown skin, and come in many varieties. You may even see white or purple sweet potatoes!
Though some people lump them together with yams, sweet potatoes are a different root vegetable altogether.
True yams are more popular in South America and Africa. They are a bit starchier and have rough, bark-like skin and white flesh.
However, typically in the United States, when people refer to a yam recipe, they are actually talking about varieties of sweet potatoes. The words "yam" and "sweet potato" in this recipe (and in most grocery stores in the US) both refer to sweet potatoes.
Canned yams? Nope - sweet potatoes!
Whatever you call it where you're from, we can all agree: they make the perfect holiday side dish!
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Normally, yes. However, in this recipe, we don't want to cook our sweet potatoes all the way—we just need to get them barely tender. Using a microwave might make them too soft after they're candied.
Some candied yam recipes skip the simmering on the stove step and go right to baking—I prefer stove-top candying because the water/moisture can evaporate. It helps you have a gooey, soft end result that's never runny.
Some kinds of butter have a higher liquid content than others, too. If your syrup seems too liquidy after thorough simmering, you can add a tiny bit of cornstarch to thicken it up. Usually though, you just need to simmer a little longer.
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
Peel and slice the sweet potatoes a day ahead of time. Store them in a bowl of water in the fridge to keep them fresh and save time on prep.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
I love sweet side dishes like this in the winter or pineapple fluff salad in the summer!
I can eat sweet potatoes about any way you care to make them but these are a favorite.
This family recipe is over 100 years old and was handed down to a friend by her grandmother. She kindly shared it with me and, trust me it's awesome!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Southern Candied Yams
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1 ½ cups Karo Syrup, light or dark is fine
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, more or less to taste
- ½ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 ½ cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes.
- Slice into thick rounds (about 1 inch) or cut in a large dice.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the sweet potatoes and simmer until just tender. Don't overcook - it will take 10 - 15 minutes depending on the size of the sweet potatoes.
- Remove from heat and immediately drain really well.
- Gently transfer the sweet potatoes to a heavy, large skillet.
- Add the brown sugar, Karo syrup, butter, and salt.
- Place on medium heat until the butter and brown sugar melt and the mixture is thick and bubbly.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 ½ hours, basting every 10-15 minutes.
- Just before serving top with the marshmallows and place in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or until marshmallows get golden and melty.
Notes
- Use fresh sweet potatoes not canned for best results.
- Dark brown sugar gives more flavor.
- Watch the marshmallows carefully in the oven.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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Southern Candied Yams with Marshmallows
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