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This recipe for Stovetop Candied Yams is from my last (and final) ebook A deepfriedhoney Holiday. That book will probably be the very last to be fully transitioned to the site – As Seen on IG is over halfway done, and We Got Food at the House is at halfway! – and this recipe isn’t very different from the way it appears there. I rewrote the instructions just a tad, but the ingredients and method are still the same.
Stovetop Candied Yams Ingredients
Feel free to jump to the full recipe, but here are useful notes about the ingredients you will need to make this Stovetop Candied Yams recipe:
- Sweet potatoes: Don’t use actual yams if those are available to you. We need sweet potatoes for this Stovetop Candied Yams recipe, preferably ones with orange flesh like Jewels, Beauregards, or Garnets. Here in North Carolina, Beauregards seem to be the most easily found variety in grocery stores, but they should be labeled. My preference for this recipe is Jewels, but any of the three will work fine. Click here for a crash course on sweet potato varieties.
- Granulated sugar, dark brown sugar: Sweeteners for our Stovetop Candied Yams. Use both, and if you feel the need to increase the amount of sugar called for – which would be surprising because my sweet recipes are usually pretty sweet because of my family’s palate – increase the brown sugar.
- Salted butter: If you choose to use unsalted butter, you’ll need to add about half a teaspoon of fine salt to the recipe, for balance. We don’t want cloyingly sweet Stovetop Candied Yams!
- Ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger: The spices we’ll need for these Stovetop Candied Yams. Warm, spicy, and fragrant, they create a flavor just short of full-on Sweet Potato Pie.
- Lemon juice, vanilla extract: Zest to brighten the flavors beneath all that sugar, and bring the spices forward. Warmth and body from the vanilla.
How to Make Stovetop Candied Yams
Full instructions are included in the recipe below, but here is a basic overview of what you’ll need to do, along with some important tidbits to help you make the most of this Stovetop Candied Yams recipe:
- Begin making the Stovetop Candied Yams. Place a large saute pan or shallow braiser over medium-high heat and add the butter. I call for a saute pan or shallow braiser because the wide surface area makes the evaporation go faster, allowing the syrup to thicken and the potatoes to soften together. If you elect to use a stockpot or saucepan you’ll likely need to increase the cooking time. Allow the butter to melt, then stir in the sugars. Whisk them together until a thick, grainy paste has formed.
- Carry on. Whisk in the ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and lemon juice, then fold the sweet potatoes into the mixture. The mixture will still be grainy, as the sugar hasn’t quite dissolved, but stir the potatoes to coat them in it as best you can. Spread them out into an even layer, then cover them with a lid and let them come to a boil. When the potatoes are boiling remove the lid and give them a good stir. The sugar should have dissolved by now, leaving a thin syrup that bubbles like caramel between the potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium and cover again. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Keep going. When the potatoes are tender remove the lid from the pan. Continue simmering the potatoes until the syrup has thickened and reduced by about a third. You can reduce it for longer if you like, just keep in mind the potatoes will get softer and softer and might start to break down. I like to serve Stovetop Candied Yams with a slotted spoon.
- All done! Remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let the yams rest for a few minutes so the vanilla has time to meld with the other flavors, and dassit!
Obligatory Pinterest Graphics —
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Stovetop Candied Yams
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Yam lovers usually close their eyes and moan when they first bite into these.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 3/4 dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 C salted butter
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Place a large saute pan or shallow braiser over medium-high heat and add the butter. Allow it to melt, then stir in the sugars. Whisk them together until a thick, grainy paste has formed.
- Whisk in the ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and lemon juice, then fold the sweet potatoes into the mixture. The mixture will still be grainy, as the sugar hasn’t quite dissolved, but stir the potatoes to coat them in it as best you can. Spread them out into an even layer, then cover them with a lid and let them come to a boil.
- When the potatoes are boiling remove the lid and give them a good stir. The sugar should have dissolved by now, leaving a thin syrup that bubbles like caramel between the potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium and cover again. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- When the potatoes are tender remove the lid from the pan. Continue simmering the potatoes until the syrup has thickened and reduced by about a third.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let rest for a few minutes so it has time to meld with the other flavors, and dassit!
Notes
- Marshmallow topping: Preheat the oven to 500°F. After cooking according to the recipe, transfer the sweet potatoes to an oven-safe dish and spread marshmallow fluff – or arrange individual marshmallows – all over the top of the yams, using as much or little as you like. Place in the oven until the marshmallows are deeply browned and toasted. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
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