Soul Food Candied Yams (Printable View)

Sweet potatoes baked in brown sugar syrup with cinnamon and nutmeg for a comforting Southern side.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 large yams or sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

→ Syrup & Sweeteners

02 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
05 - 1/4 cup water
06 - 1/4 cup orange juice

→ Spices

07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
02 - Arrange sliced yams in a single, even layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
03 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, water, and orange juice. Stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and vanilla extract.
05 - Pour hot syrup evenly over yams in the baking dish, ensuring all slices are thoroughly coated.
06 - Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
07 - Remove foil, baste yams with syrup, and continue baking uncovered for an additional 20 minutes until yams are tender and syrup is thick and glossy.
08 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving to allow syrup to thicken further.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The syrup gets thick and glossy, clinging to every slice like liquid gold instead of pooling at the bottom.
  • Ginger and nutmeg sneak in just enough spice to keep it interesting, never overshadowing the natural sweetness of the yams.
  • Comes together in under an hour with basically zero stress, making it perfect for dinners when you're juggling five other dishes.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling time—the syrup thickens as it cools, and rushing to the table means your yams will be swimming in liquid instead of coated in gloss.
  • If your sliced yams are wildly different thicknesses, the thin ones will turn to mush while thick ones stay firm; spend the two minutes getting them uniform.
03 -
  • Fresh orange juice makes a real difference in the syrup if you decide to use it, bringing brightness that cuts through the sweetness in the best way.
  • If your syrup looks too thin when the yams are done, remove the baking dish and pour the syrup into a saucepan, then simmer it on the stovetop for a few minutes to reduce it to the right consistency.
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