My Mom's Candied Yams Are the Best I've Ever Tasted. Here's How to Make Them. (2024)

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• Potatoes
• Sweet Potato

updated Nov 15, 2023

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In this classic Southern side dish, par-cooked sweet potatoes are topped with a mixture of butter, sugar, and spice, then baked until tender and coated in a sweet sauce.

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Candied yams are a classic Southern dish (and quintessential Thanksgiving side!) I’ve enjoyed my entire life. But for years I avoided making them, partially because I thought the process was complicated but mostly because I knew they’d never be as good as my mom’s. Her candied yams are rich in flavor, covered in sweet sauce, and flavored with vanilla (which really does make a difference).

Recently, I finally decided to ask my mom how to make her candied yams. I was shocked by how easily they came together, and now understand what makes hers better than any others. Today, I’m sharing her beloved recipe with you.

First, What Are Candied Yams?

Candied yams are a Southern staple that are easy to love, but the first thing you should know is that they’re not actually made with yams. A yam is a dry, starchy root vegetable whose skin resembles the bark of a tree.

They can be difficult to find in grocery stores, which is probably why sweet potatoes are more commonly used.In fact, what your grocery store is labeling a “yam” is likely actually a sweet potato. (If I’ve totally confused you, we’ve got an in-depth discussion of the difference between yams and sweet potatoes.)

Regardless, candied yams are made by par-cooking sweet potatoes in boiling water, placing them in a baking dish, and topping with a mixture of butter, sugar, and spice. They’re then baked until tender and the sweet sauce mixture has thickened and is rich in color.

How to Make My Mom’s Candied Yams

When I asked my mom how to make her candied yams, I expected her to hand me a recipe. Instead, she told me to add enough sugar to cover the top of the sweet potatoes, use vanilla extract if you have it, and sprinkle the spices until it feels right in your spirit.She’s repeated this process so many times she could make candied yams in her sleep, but the lack of specifics made my job more challenging.

I took her outline and came up with my own version, but while they were good, they weren’t quite my mom’s. I realized the only way to know exactly how she made hers was to join her in the kitchen and write it down as she cooked.

As it turned out, our recipes were similar and our ingredient list fairly close, but while I prefer to use a combination of granulated and brown sugars, my mom strictly uses dark brown sugar and adds vanilla.

The biggest difference between our recipes is that while I placed all the ingredients into the baking dish and had the sauce come together while baking, my mom prepares her sauce before baking by stirring together brown sugar, vanilla, and leftover water from boiling the potatoes.

She then pours this over the sweet potatoes before placing them in the oven, tossing them as they bake to create the candied yams. This one extra step doesn’t take much time, but it’s a huge payoff in flavor, allowing the sugar to melt into the water and the sauce to come together better.

How to Serve Candied Yams

While candied yams are popular on the Thanksgiving table, they don’t need to be reserved for holidays. Serve the sweet side with your favorite protein such as baked ham or turkey and additional sides such as green beans and collard greens.The sauce will thicken as the dish cools, so let it sit for at least five minutes before digging in.

How to Freeze Candied Yams

Let the candied yams cool completely. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or the oven.

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