Baked Candied Yams
Candied Yams are a classic Southern side dish made up of thinly sliced sweet potatoes and a spiced candied mixture! These tender, sweet,and citrusy yams are so perfectly delicious and buttery!
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 353kcal
Ingredients
- 3 pounds yams or sweet potatoes peeled and thinly sliced 1/4 inch thickness
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup apricot nectar
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice warmed until hot
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup butter separated
Instructions
- Add potatoes to a large pot with water and boil until just tender, not mushy though. Drain and allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature.
- Add the tender potatoes to a 9x13 inch sized baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Next add sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Next stir in the apricot nectar, hot orange juice, and orange zest and stir together then bring to a boil, stirring the entire time. Remove from the heat and add in vanilla extract and half of the butter.
- Pour the mixture over the potatoes then take the remaining butter and cut into pats and place on the top of the potatoes.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and potatoes are soft and completely tender.
Notes
- Some recipes call for par-boiling the yams and some don’t. I find that if I don’t par-boil the yams don’t reach the level of tenderness I want before the liquid gets thick and sticky. Be sure to only boil until a fork just barely pierces the potatoes.
- It’s pretty common for folks to add nuts to their candied yams. Try adding pecans or walnuts during the last 15 minutes of baking to avoid accidentally scorching them.
- Slicing the yams evenly helps with cooking them more evenly. If some slices are significantly thinner, they are more than likely to burn. Quarter inch thick pieces are the way to go here.
Nutrition
Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 1186mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 828IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg