My Southern mama’s candied sweet potatoes recipe is legit the best you will ever taste. This Mississippi recipe might use simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry but it’s filled with so much soul. She cooks them on the stove until tender and soft in a buttery, nutmeg spiced sweet glaze that’s go the spirit of the elders in each silky bite. Make these candied sweet potatoes and get your whole life!
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“Thank you for sharing your candied sweet potato recipe. It was wonderful and tasted very similar to my mother’s recipe. My mother and grandmother have passed away, and I never learned how to make most of their staple dishes, like this one. I tried on my own many times, even using other recipes, but it never came out the same. But not anymore thanks to your recipe.”
—CHASE
There are recipes in my family that are so perfect, we don’t alter them in anyway. My mama’s candied sweet potatoes are one of those recipes. What makes them special is they are quite different from ones you see online. She makes them on the stove instead of in the oven allowing that syrup to reduce and thicken with more control. She also uses very simple ingredients not adding too much to the mix and overcomplicating the natural flavors. The end result is candy sweet potatoes like you have never had boos.
The Lowdown of the Best Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe Ever
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Classic
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
Dietary Info: Gluten-Free and can be made Vegan with ingredient swaps
Key Flavor: Buttery, syrupy, mildly spiced tender sweet potatoes
Skill Level: Easy y’all (No Sweat Fam!)
Authentic Southern Recipe
These other recipes you find online ain’t the real deal boos. This one comes from my Mississippi mama and has straight up Southern flavor and soul in each bite. This is real deal soul food y’all. Imposters don’t stand a chance.
Sticky Sweet Syrupy Goodness
When you make these, your end result will be melt-in-your-mouth tender potatoes bathed in an irresistible yet light glaze. That butter and sugar are straight up magic together.
Minimal Effort, Maximum Payoff
We are using simple ingredients and straightforward instructions so we keep this recipe super no-fuss. Plus no fancy equipment is required. Just a good ole’ stovetop and your fave pot. So whether you serve this up for Sunday supper, a weeknight dinner or on the holiday table for Thanksgiving, they are a hit.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes: My mama peels then thinly slice them on the diagonal so they turn tender and soft as the boil in the syrup. Make sure you don’t slice large than 1/4 inch thickness. We talking super thin.
- Salted Butter: This gives our glaze an irresistible delish rich flavor with a hint of salt to balance the sweetness. My mama says don’t even try using margarine in this recipe.
- Sugar: My mama uses simple granulated sugar because it enhances with a nice clean sweetness that doesn’t take away from the natural sweet potato flavor.
- Vanilla: That aromatic essence adds more notes of depth to the potatoes.
- Spice: My mama uses nutmeg and only nutmeg. No cinnamon in the mix y’all.
How to Make Candied Sweet Potatoes
How to Serve Candy Sweet Potatoes
- Comforting Dinner: Serve up my mama’s Southern candied sweet potato recipe with shrimp and grits and okra and tomatoes.
- Soul Food Sunday Supper: Get into some smothered pork chops, turnip greens, these candied sweet potatoes and Jiffy cornbread next Sunday.
- The Ultimate Pot Luck Dish: When you show up to a friend or neighbor’s with this in tow, you will be the hit of the party.
Recipe Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes: Replace your sweet potatoes with yams.
- Granulated Sugar: Swap in homemade brown sugar to add a bit more depth of flavor with it’s molasses essence.
- Vanilla: Make sure you use pure here but if you want to switch up the flavor, add in some intense vanilla bean paste.
Recipe Variations
- Go Vegan: Replace your butter with your fave plant-based butter option.
- Brighten it Up: Toss in a little lemon or orange zest to brighten the mix a bit.
- Booze It Up: Just a little dash of some rum or bourbon in the syrup can add some grown folks depth.
- Kick it Up: Want a little heat with your sweet? Toss in a tiny hint of cayenne.
They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“Every last one of your recipes I tried has been hitting. The best dish I made was the candied sweet potatoes. When I make them in the oven, my yams taste bland. This recipe right here is a headbanger and all my kids love it.”
—CURTIS W.
Expert Tips and Tricks for Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Pick Just Right: Make sure your sweet potatoes are orange fleshed so you will get the sweetest flavor.
- Slice Evenly: Make sure you cut your sweet potatoes all the same size and width. My mama slices super thin like 1/8 inch- 1/4 inch in thickness so they truly melt in that glaze getting super tender.
- Don’t Stir: If you keep stirring the super tender potatoes, they will break apart. We want them to keep their shape.
- Don’t Forget To Test: Before stopping your potatoes from cooking, make sure you test them with a fork to ensure that they are completely melt in your mouth tender. If they even have a hint of toughness, continue to cook them.
- Reduce That Glaze: If your syrup is still runny, continue cooking without the lid letting the excess liquid evaporate. Just be careful not to overcook.
How to Store and Reheat Old-Fashioned Candy Sweet Potatoes
Before you tuck them away, let your candied sweet potatoes cool to room temperature then add to an airtight container and pop in the fridge.
When you want to reheat, I suggest the oven since they will be super tender. Bake in a preheated oven of 350°F (175°C) in a baking dish covered with foil for about 15 minutes or until heated through. You can also quickly zap them in the microwave at 30 second intervals until they are heated through.
How long will this Southern candied sweet potato recipe last in the fridge?
They should last in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Can I freeze it?
Absolutely boos! My mama does this all the time. She adds leftovers to a freezer bag releasing any extra air. They can stay in the freezer for up to a month. When you want to reheat, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. They’re worth the wait, promise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh, and a sweet flavor. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy.
For sure boos! You can make ahead up to 3 days before serving. Check out my steps for how to reheat just above.
Your potatoes will be super tender when you pierce them with a fork and the syrup will have thickened.
Being able to share my mama’s Southern candied sweet potatoes is a real treat for me. It took me a while to write up the recipe since she makes them instinctively but once we nailed it, I knew it would become a big favorite of yours. Get into this recipe and make that holiday table a hit this year!
More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie
- Stacked Sweet Potatoes
- Baked Candied Yams
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes peeled, and thinly sliced on the vertical to ⅛-¼ inch thickness (very thin)
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1 3/4-2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Add sliced potatoes to a large 5 quart pot.
- Fill with 6 cups of lukewarm water, butter, sugar, vanilla extract and nutmeg and give a slight stir.
- Push the potatoes down with a large spoon to make sure the potatoes are covered with water. If not, add more water, starting with ½ cup at a time until potatoes are completely covered. Turn heat on the stove to high to bring the mixture to a rolling (slight) boil.
- After it comes to a rolling boil, reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Test how tender they are by sticking the potatoes with a fork.
- Once the potatoes are tender, remove the lid and continue cooking for an additional 30-45 minutes on medium high heat OR until water has evaporated leaving JUST a sweet syrup over the potatoes. That syrup should be thickened so don't stop if it is still thin and super watery. It still needs to be reduced more.
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This recipe is exactly the way my mother made her candied sweet potatoes except she baked them in the oven. I love and use this recipe and the family loves it.
This is my mom cooked them, except she did not give them this elegant cut. But they still taste the same. Yummy!
Super easy to follow and the results are excellent! I finally have a recipe that tastes like my mom’s. You won’t be disappointed!
I love to cook and l love love love recipes! I choose this recipe out of many and it was excellent. I saved it and will definitely use it again.
Excellent recipe Jocelyn! I was looking for a recipe similar to my grandmother’s, and you nailed it! Tried the recipe and it was perfect. Thank you so much for sharing and the excellent tips you provide.
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were a big hit!
I was taught to never add water to the sweet potatoes. I use all of the ingredients that you listed.
You can do what you were taught, and we do what we were taught. Deal?
I am confused. The recipe says bring water to a boil and to keep the top on until the water has evaporated and then take the top off until the water evaporates
The potatoes should just be pretty tender during the first covered cook and then remove the lid and cook until the water completely evaporates.
Bring mixture to a boil and cover. Cook for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender then remove lid and continue cooking for an additional 20-30 minutes or until water has evaporated leaving a sweet syrup over the potatoes.
These are so so Yum!!
THIS WAS MY MOM’S RECIPE TOO. AFTER SHE PASSED AWAY WE’VE ALL TRIED TO MAKE THEM LIKE HERS. I’VE DONE IT A COUPLE TIMES WHERE IT COME OUT LIKE HERS. SHE MADE REALLY GOOD CANDIED SWEET POTATOES. CAN MAKE A MEAL OFF THEM.
This is the way my mother always made them. And I continue to make them this way today. They bring her right back to my kitchen. She used smaller potatoes for candied sweets, bigger ones for pies.
I saw a recipe for baked sweet potatoes and thought about trying it this year but then this recipe popped up and I’m back to my mother’s way!! If it’s not broken, don’t fix it!!!
I totally get it! That’s exactly how we do it and we will continue to do it this way too!
Haven’t tried it yet but, will let you know how it turns out,my moms was the best…I thought so so that’s what mattered to me
never knew what she used,I’m sure it was simple like this one.
This is how we do it also but the only different’s is I use Yams. I disagree with you about the Yams being starchier and I like the color of the Yams a lot better, and to me Yams are sweeter. I have been using Yams for my candied Yams and my sweet potato pies.for the longest. My Grandmother is from the old school and she use to use sweet potatoes until one day she happen to pick-up yams and has been using them ever since, but it’s really a personal preference.