How to Make Candied Yams

Co-authored by Dorrenda Smith

Last Updated: December 5, 2022 References

Candied yams are sweet and tender. Made with fresh yams, they're ideal for serving with holiday dishes or with your favorite baked or roasted meals. Candied yams are delicious on their own or with a classic topping like marshmallows or oatmeal crunch. This recipe makes four servings.

Ingredients

3 pounds (1.36 kilograms) yams
1 cup (200grams) brown sugar
1 cup (225 grams) white sugar
2 sticks butter, cubed^{[1]
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Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Prepping the Yams

1
Scrub the yams. Use a vegetable brush to scrub the yams to remove dirt and roots. Rinse the yams under cool running water. Do not peel them yet; you will do that after you cook them. Because of this, it's important that the yams are clean.^{[2]
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- Take a look at the yams to make sure they are fresh. Use a paring knife to slice off any bruised or black spots.
- Leaving the peels on will help the yams cook evenly while keeping the flesh intact. If you'd prefer to peel the yams first, your candied yams will taste delicious but won't have a firm texture.
2
Place them in a pot and cover with water. Use a large pot big enough to fit all of the yams. Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the yams by about an inch. Make sure the water is several inches from the rim of the pot, or it will bubble over as the yams cook.

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3
Boil the yams until they are tender. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a full boil. Boil the yams for about 20 minutes, until you can easily poke into their centers with a fork. The yams should be tender, but not mushy.
4
Drain the water and keep the pot on hand. When the yams are ready, remove them from heat and drain the water from the pot. Keep the pot close by; you will be putting the yams back into the pot later on.
- If you're in a hurry, transfer the yams to a cooking rack to cool off.
- Otherwise, just keep the yams in the pot while you begin making the glaze.
5
Peel the yams.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Dorrenda Smith
Personal Chef
Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.} When the yams are cool enough to handle, remove the peels with your fingers. They should easily come off in strips. Try to keep the flesh of the yams intact as you peel. Keep going until all of the yams are peeled.
6
Slice the yams into discs.^{[4]
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Dorrenda Smith
Personal Chef
Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.} Set the yams on a cutting board. Use a paring knife to slice the yams into ¼ to ½ inch (0.64 to 1.27 centimeters) thick discs. The discs should all be the same thickness. The sizes of the discs will vary according to the shape of the yams which taper at the ends.^{[5]
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7
Place the sliced yams back into the pot. Keep the pot covered, so that the yams don't dry out or lose color. You will be mixing the glaze into the yams later.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Glazing the Yams

1
Heat the butter and sugar in a saucepan. Place the sticks of butter together with the sugar in a medium saucepan.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Dorrenda Smith
Personal Chef
Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.} Turn the burner on medium or medium low to melt the butter. The butter and sugar will cook together to create a glaze perfect for classic candied yams.^{[7]
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- Cutting the butter into smaller cubes will help it melt faster.
2
Stir with a spoon or spatula until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Once the butter melts, the glaze will begin to bubble up and change texture. Stir constantly until the sugar completely dissolves, but the glaze is still quite runny. Remove the glaze from heat when it is smooth and pourable.
- If you overcook the glaze, it will caramelize and become hard. Remove it from heat before it begins to thicken.
- You can keep the glaze from caramelizing by keeping the heat low and stirring constantly.
3
Pour the mixture over the yams and mix gently with a spoon. Be sure that the yams are coated evenly. Use a spoon to gently mix the yams and the glaze so that all the yam pieces get thoroughly coated.
- Sweeten your yams to taste. You will have enough glaze to make very sweet, sticky candied yams. If you'd prefer, use only half of the glaze to keep the dish from being too sweet.
- Don't overmix the yams and the glaze. The soft-cooked yams will fall apart if you stir too much.
4
Consider baking the yams in the oven for 20 minutes.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Dorrenda Smith
Personal Chef
Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.} Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Once the oven reaches the right temperature, put the yams into a casserole dish, and bake them for 20 minutes. The glaze will caramelize on top of the yams, and give them a slightly crispy texture.
5
Transfer the yams to a serving dish. Pour the candied yams into a large bowl or onto a platter. Serve immediately, while the yams are still hot and steaming. If you'd like, serve the yams with a dish of extra glaze on the side.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Trying Variations

1
Bake the yams with a marshmallow topping. This classic Southern preparation is a hit at holiday parties. Adding marshmallows to candied yams makes them sweet enough to serve as dessert. Here's what to do:
- Pour the candied yams into a baking dish.
- Top the yams with a layer of mini marshmallows.
- Place the baking dish in the oven. Broil until the marshmallows are melted and slightly brown on top, about three minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
2
Add oatmeal crunch topping. Oatmeal crunch provides a nice contrast to the soft sweetness of the yams. You bake the candied yams with a dry oatmeal topping that bakes up into a crispy crust. To make it, follow these steps:^{[9]
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- Pour the candied yams into a baking dish.
- Mix 1/2 cup (50 grams) oatmeal, 1/4 cup (50 grams) firmly packed brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons diced butter. Spread the topping evenly over the candied yams.
- Bake the yams at 400°F (205°C) until the topping is crispy and brown, about 20 minutes. Remove the yams from the oven and serve hot.
3
Try a flavored glaze. If you don't want to mess with the texture of your candied pecans, you might be up for experimenting with the flavor. The sweet, sticky glaze provides a good opportunity to play with your favorite flavors. Try stirring in one of the following flavors after you remove the glaze from heat:
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4
Add other mix-ins to your yams. Candied yams are great on their own, but you may want to spice them up a bit with some extra mix-ins. These add new textures and crunch to an otherwise soft, sweet dish. Try stirring in 1/2 to 1 cup (50 to 100 grams) of one of these mix-ins:
- Dried cranberries
- Toasted pecans, walnuts or almonds
- Diced pineapple
- Diced apple

Community Q&A

Question

How do you use canned yams to make candied yams?

Rebecca

Community Answer

A can of yams feeds 2-4 folks, so figure how many you will need. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan you will be using. Drain the water from the yams and pour the yams into pan, add a couple of tablespoons of butter for each can you use. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and sprinkle over yams and butter. Cook in a 350 degrees (180 Celsius) oven 30-40 minutes until bubbly. If you dare, place marshmallows over entire top! Return to the oven and cook until the top is browned. Serve, and don't burn your mouth, as the marshmallows will take the roof of your tender mouth off! Enjoy.

Warnings

Use heat with care.

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Take appropriate precautions when cutting or peeling the yams or butter.

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