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Southern Candied Yams with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

Southern candied yams bake in a brown sugar and cinnamon syrup until fork-tender and glossy. Basting the sweet potatoes as they finish baking helps coat each round in the buttery syrup.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 7 minutes
Resting 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb sweet potatoes orange-fleshed, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
  • 0.5 cup butter unsalted
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed, light
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking dish

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Arrange the sweet potato rounds in an even, overlapping layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  4. Stir in the brown sugar, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until combined.
  5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
  6. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes.
  7. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
  8. Remove the foil and carefully baste the sweet potatoes with the syrup in the dish.
  9. Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, basting once more, until fork-tender and glossy.
  10. Let the yams rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For an even syrup coating, baste carefully and again during the uncovered bake. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days; freezing is suitable. For a dairy-free version, use dairy-free butter.