In 1936 agriculturalist George Washington Carver published two versions of glacéed sweet potatoes in a farmers bulletin. Forty years earlier, legendary chef Fannie Farmer included her recipe for candied sweet potatoes in what would become her eponymous cookbook. This is to say that the dish most often known as candied yams has a long history on American dinner tables. With its deepest roots in soul food traditions, it’s a mainstay of Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinners across the American South.
Confusingly, though, yams and sweet potatoes are different root vegetables—yams hail from Africa, and sweet potatoes are indigenous to the Americas—the words are used interchangeably in parts of the United States. Don’t use canned sweet potatoes in this recipe; they don’t have the same starchy texture as fresh tubers.
Customize this easy candied yams recipe by swapping the bourbon for Tennessee whiskey, rum, or cognac; if you prefer to go without the booze, try apple cider or fresh orange juice. Add a splash of vanilla extract or a pinch of ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, or other warm spices to the sugar mixture, or swap in dark brown sugar for a darker, more robust molasses flavor. After the candied yams come out of the oven, sprinkle toasted pecans, walnuts, or coconut flakes over the top. Or go for broke by adding a cup of mini marshmallows when the potatoes are almost done baking, then return to the oven for another five minutes to singe the marshmallow topping. If you have any leftover candied yams, they’re great with a scoop of ice cream. But in case you’re wondering: Yes, they are technically a side dish.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat oven to 375°F. Peel 3 lbs. sweet potatoes, such as Garnet yams; cut each sweet potato in half crosswise, then cut each piece into quarters so each potato yields 8 large pieces. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish. Set aside.
Step 2
Bring ¼ cup water, 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar, 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton Kosher salt, and ⅓ cup bourbon to a simmer on the stovetop in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved and syrup has thickened slightly, 3–5 minutes. Pour butter mixture over potatoes.
Step 3
Roast, basting sweet potatoes every 30 minutes (gently tip casserole dish to one side and spoon sauce on top of the sweet potatoes), until sweet potatoes are fork tender and syrup has thickened into a glaze, 1 hour 30 minutes–1 hour 45 minutes.
Do ahead: Candide yams can be made 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat before serving.
Editor’s note: This recipe for candied yams was first published in the November 1999 issue of ‘Gourmet’ as ‘Candied Sweet Potatoes’ and has been updated by the Epicurious test kitchen. Head this way for more of our favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving.
