Candied sweet potatoes are my personal favorite side dish during the holidays. This is an excellent recipe for sweet potatoes candied with confectioners’ sugar and butter. As the whole thing bakes, the sugar melts and caramelizes, becoming a brittle and crunchy shell covering the soft orange potatoes within. This dish is best served warm rather than piping hot, which makes it convenient for Thanksgiving. Bake it before you roast your turkey, then reheat it briefly just before serving.
I love sweet potatoes. I love them baked, mashed, fried– and especially “candied”. I also love yams. What’s the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. Ever wonder?
After doing some internet sleuthing, the consensus seems to be:
Yams in the U.S. are actually sweet potatoes with
relatively moist texture and orange flesh. Although the terms are
generally used interchangeably, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
requires that the label “yam” always be accompanied by “sweet potato.” (Source)
So, for simplicity’s sake, I’ll refer to these as Candied Sweet Potatoes. I should also add that these are rich, and incredibly good!
Peeled sweet potatoes are cooked until fork tender, then sliced. One stick of butter is melted, and one cup of confectioner’s sugar is whisked in. I added a pinch of pumpkin pie spice and a small splash of vanilla– which is optional, but I was glad that I did. This is poured over the sweet potatoes, and then baked for about 30 minutes. As the whole thing bakes, the sugar melts and caramelizes, becoming a
brittle and crunchy shell covering the soft orange potatoes within.
How could I not resist trying out this version? It seemed a whole lot quicker to make that my traditional “Candied Sweet Potatoes Kicked Up“.
Candied Sweet Potatoes/Yams (Pressure Cooker Friendly)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes scrubbed*
- ½ cup/1 stick butter
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice optional, but my addition
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla optional, but my addition
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil sweet potatoes in their jackets in water to cover until fork-tender, 20 to 45 minutes depending upon their size. Drain and cool.
- *If using a pressure cooker, I peeled the potatoes, then sliced them 2″ thick; add one cup of water to the pressure cooer. Place them in a steamer basket on top of a trivet, so that the water doesn’t touch the potatoes. Lock on the lid, and set pressure cooker to high for 8 minutes. Do a natural release, and the potatoes should be fork tender. Allow to cool.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Peel potatoes and slice into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.
- Place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or 2-quart gratin dish, overlapping slices to fit in one layer.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth. Add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, if using.
- Pour evenly over the potatoes. Bake until potatoes look shiny and glazed, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi Debbie and Happy TG Feast to you. Two days after, I've figured out what was missing from the TG table that I joined: Candied "Root Veggies." I know the differences, I often use BOTH types and who the heck cares; since both are great. And heck yes, the P.C. is a real time saver for a root veggie that can be on the tough side. (I cook whole, peeled and *slightly* under done, just do they don't become mush. Ha!! No domestic water for 2-3 weeks before the 'oliday, so invited out – and no leftovers. Water is back! Just because I want more, on Sunday, I'll cook 4x big turkey thighs via your recent P.C. method, including gravy and make dressing and veggies on the side. I hope 'your men' understand just how fortunate they are! Every time I visit your site, I'm struck dumb by the primary post – or one from the side bar, thinking, "Yes! I know/like that. Why not incorporate Debby's ideas with my own?" It works. The most recent example is the Goulash that popped up. That's popular freezer item every season. My original recipe came from a Czech chef who insisted that the "…weight of the chipped/sliced onion must be > or equal to that of the meat…" Seasonings are similar and it freezes well. (A perfectly excellent vegetarian edition is made by substituting mushrooms for meat. Not me, but it works.) If I have trouble with any item on your extensive list it is spaetzel (sp?), I like this starchy side and, through many methods, cannot seem to get it right. Grr! Otherwise, all of your recipes, even the ones that I don't make, just sing to my soul. Thank you and a belated Happy Thanksgiving,
-Craig – you have my email…
From what I've heard it's actually pretty impossible to find real yams in the US, but I say call them whatever you want. We all know what you mean! And we all love 'em.
I think that i've found 'yams' on a few occasions, but here they're mostly called 'sweet potatoes'….delicious and healthy no matter what we call them. Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving and are having a delicious Christmas season!
Roz
Hi Debby
When are you going to post the recipe for the maple glazed pork tenderlion.
Oh my goodness! I forgot! I should do that, but right now it's BBQ season.
Great recipe! My sweet potatoes came out delicious and in a fraction of the time by using my pressure cooker. I did grind some cinnamon/sugar on them while when I put them in the pressure cooker and I added a few apples.