This quick and easy candied yams recipe is so good. Basically, grab a couple of cans of sweet potatoes, cook them in the oven and you have this recipe of syrupy goodness. That’s how easy it is! The end result is tender sweet potatoes with a buttery sweet caramel toffee flavor that will definitely melt in your mouth.
Now, if you’re wondering when to serve this candied yam dish, I say whenever! Have it as a meal or as a Thanksgiving dessert, the choice is yours. I personally think that because sweet potatoes are a vegetable (no matter how you prepare them), you can serve them with any meal and it automatically decreases any guilt you might have because these are so good.
For the main meal, I love pairing this candied sweet potato dish with classic Southern comfort food like fried chicken. You can also serve it alongside other Southern side dishes like mashed potato, cornbread, mac and cheese, and fried okra. What a combo!
Now I want you to try making these candied yams from a can during the holidays and leave your comments below and let me know what you thought of them. If you don’t want to tell everyone how easy they are to make, just smile and say it’s an old-fashioned family recipe handed down through the generations. It’s the truth! You are a part of the Southern Plate family. It was handed down through at least four generations! Happy holidays!
While this is a round casserole dish, it holds the equivalent of an 8×8 baking dish.
Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until syrupy.
In this recipe, we always use canned yams instead of fresh sweet potatoes. Using canned sweet potatoes saves much-needed time and effort, as there is no need to peel or boil the sweet potatoes. (They are called canned yams but are actually sweet potatoes.)
Easy Candied Sweet Potatoes
- 29 oz. can sweet potatoes
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Drain sweet potatoes and pour them into an ovenproof casserole dish.29 oz. can sweet potatoes
- Sprinkle sugar over sweet potatoes.1 cup sugar
- Cut up butter, put on top and then sprinkle with cinnamon.1 stick butter, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Place in oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until syrupy.
Should I buy sweet potatoes or yams?
Now, most canned sweet potatoes are labeled yams, so just buy those. This is one of those things that drives me slightly crazy, because they’re not yams, they’re sweet potatoes. Seriously, if you look at the ingredients of canned yams, it actually says sweet potatoes! But if you’re buying the root vegetable, choose sweet potatoes. Fresh yams actually contain more starch (and more calories) so need more butter when cooking.
HOW TO GIVE CANNED SWEET POTATOES A HOMEMADE TASTE
FAQ
Can you substitute yams for sweet potatoes in a recipe?
Are canned yams the same as sweet potatoes?
Are Bruce’s canned yams really sweet potatoes?
Should I rinse canned yams?
Do baked yams or red skinned sweet potatoes help with calcium intake?
Yam is a food that can be considered a source of calcium, but for its best use, ideally it should be consumed cooked with water and not baked. Sweet potato is also a food considered a source of calcium and other minerals that are important for bone and muscle health.
Can you make sweet potatoes with yams?
It’s so easy to make these Southern candied sweet potatoes your own. For a stronger caramelized flavor, use dark or light brown sugar in this candied yams recipe instead of white sugar. Should I buy sweet potatoes or yams?
Can you put canned yams on a sweet potato pie?
You can enjoy this delicious pie as is, but here are some ideas to add to the top of the pie (if you wish): Depending on the canned yams that you use (ex: some canned yams come unsweetened as a puree and others come with a syrup that includes corn syrup), your sweet potato pie with canned yams might need more or less sweetener.