Easy Candied Yams
These Easy Candied Yams are baked with brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt for a simple holiday side dish. The classic recipe uses convenient canned yams and needs only five ingredients.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- small baking dish
- colander or strainer
- knife (if using fresh sweet potatoes)
- cutting board (if using fresh sweet potatoes)
Ingredients
- 2 cans yams (15 oz. each)
- ½ cup butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Drain the canned yams well and place them in a small baking dish.2 cans yams
- Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter them evenly throughout the baking dish.½ cup butter
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and salt evenly over the yams and butter.1 cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
- Drizzle the vanilla extract over the top.½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the yams are soft, everything is heated through, and the butter and brown sugar have melted together.
Notes
🥡 Storage
- Store leftover candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- You can also tightly cover the cooled baking dish and refrigerate it.
♨️ Reheating
- Reheat individual portions in the microwave until warmed through.
- For a larger amount, place the candied yams in a covered oven-safe baking dish and heat until warmed through.
❄️ Freezing
- I don't recommend freezing candied yams. The sweet potatoes are already quite tender, and freezing and thawing can make them softer and cause them to release additional liquid.
💡 Tips for Best Results
- Drain canned yams very well.
- Cut fresh sweet potatoes into evenly sized pieces.
- Partially cook fresh sweet potatoes only until they're starting to become tender.
- Distribute the butter and brown sugar evenly throughout the baking dish.
- Handle canned yams gently so they don't fall apart.
- Don't skip the vanilla.
- Double or triple the recipe as needed and adjust the baking dish size accordingly.
🍳 Alternate Cooking Methods
Fresh sweet potato method: Peel and cut about 2 pounds of fresh orange-fleshed sweet potatoes into thick slices or large chunks. Cook them in boiling water until they're beginning to become tender but are still firm enough to hold their shape. Drain thoroughly, place them in the baking dish, and continue with the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt as directed. The oven method is recommended for finishing both the canned and fresh versions because it gives the butter and brown sugar time to melt together while the sweet potatoes heat through and become tender.♻️ Leftovers
- Serve leftover candied yams with reheated turkey, ham, chicken, pork, or other holiday leftovers.
- They also make an easy side dish for a completely different dinner the next day.
📝 Notes
- Light or dark brown sugar may be used.
- Canned yams are already cooked, so the baking time primarily heats them and creates the buttery brown sugar sauce.
- Fresh sweet potatoes need to be partially cooked before baking.
- Don't completely soften fresh sweet potatoes during the first cooking step.
- If adding marshmallows, add them near the end of baking.
- For the best texture, assemble the dish shortly before baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 338mg | Potassium: 1211mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 668IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg
