🍠 Authentic Southern Candied Yams Recipe (Soul Food, Holiday Classic)
Description / Keywords:
This old-fashioned Southern Candied Yams recipe features tender baked sweet potatoes simmered in a rich buttery brown sugar glaze with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and warm spices. A soul food favorite for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and Sunday dinner, served with fried chicken, baked ham, collard greens, cornbread, and mac and cheese.
🛒 Ingredients (Candied Yams Soul Food)
✔ 3–4 large sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and thick sliced
✔ 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
✔ 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
✔ 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional, sweeter flavor)
✔ 1/4 cup water or orange juice (adds brightness)
✔ 1 tsp ground cinnamon
✔ 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
✔ 1 tsp vanilla extract
✔ Pinch of salt
✨ Optional soul food add-ins:
▪ 1/4 tsp ground ginger
▪ 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
▪ Marshmallows on top (if desired)
🍳 Instructions (Stovetop + Oven Method)
STEP 1 — Prepare Yams
- Peel sweet potatoes.
- Slice into thick rounds or wedges (about 3/4 inch thick).
- Place into a baking dish (9×13 recommended).
STEP 2 — Make the Candied Syrup Glaze
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt:
🧈 butter
🧁 brown sugar
🍚 granulated sugar
💧 water or orange juice
Stir until smooth, then add:
🌿 cinnamon
🌿 nutmeg
🌿 pinch of salt
🌿 vanilla extract
Simmer 2–3 minutes until thick and glossy.
STEP 3 — Pour & Bake
- Pour hot syrup evenly over sweet potatoes.
- Cover with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil, baste yams with syrup, and bake 20–30 more minutes until soft and caramelized.
Total bake time: 50–60 minutes.
🍽 Serving Suggestions (Perfect Soul Food Sides)
Serve with:
🍗 Southern Fried Chicken
🥩 Baked or Honey-Glazed Ham
🥬 Collard Greens
🧀 Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
🍞 Buttermilk Biscuits or Cornbread
🍖 BBQ Ribs or Smoked Turkey
🔥 Tips for the BEST Candied Yams
⭐ Dark brown sugar gives deeper molasses flavor
⭐ Orange juice adds citrus brightness
⭐ Bake uncovered at the end for sticky caramel sauce
⭐ Slice thick so yams don’t fall apart
⭐ For extra glossy syrup, add 1 tbsp cornstarch slurry