Sweet, tender, soul-food style candied sweet potatoes. Infused with spices, topped with brown sugar, then baked in candied sauce! It’s a classic Thanksgiving side dish and a Southern favorite. Soul food at its best! These were a family favorite as a kid. My Grandmother loved them so much that she cooked them all year round but she always made them for Thanksgiving. It was her Candied Sweet potatoes I looked forward to eating the most.
I had to post this recipe on my blog because it is a soul food classic. Give it a shot, and you’ll definitely love it as much as I do. These are candied sweet potatoes at their best.
This recipe went viral a decade ago on my YouTube channel, as you can see below. It’s been one of my most talked-about recipes ever since. Let me get into it now because there’s a whole lot I want to touch on.
My Nana’s Candied Sweet Potatoes
Listen, my Nana Alice yams were so flavorful & sweet that you could smell them down the street. She would always make a lot because everyone go in for seconds. Plus, she’d make some for friends of the family during the holidays.
I guess it’s not hard to see now why these always put me in the Holiday spirits and why my Grandma made them every holiday. Haha! And that’s saying a lot because I’m known as the holiday grinch. Lol!
I remember seeing her boil them and then slice them into circular shapes. Sometimes, she’d slice them into circular shapes and add them straight to the pan, which is the traditional way to make them.
She used a lot of melted butter, although sometimes she just added it and let it melt in the oven. Most often, she melted it and added it to a baking dish full of brown sugar, syrup, and spices.
Lord have mercy, you could see the brown sugar dissolve and glisten as it transformed into a delicious brown glaze and as it cooks, it thins out into the perfect consistency of a great candied sauce.
Watching her perform this masterpiece every year is how I learned to make some of the best candied sweet potatoes on the planet. If that’s not enough to tell you how good these are, I don’t know what will.
Candied sweet potatoes, a Thanksgiving classic
Thanksgiving probably comes to mind when you think of candied sweet potatoes because that’s when everyone makes them. You’ll have a hard time finding a family who doesn’t have a bowl of these on their Thanksgiving dinner table!
That’s how popular they are in the States around Thanksgiving time! So don’t wait until the day before to buy some from the store, or you might be out of luck!
A few years ago, I decided to cook a small dinner for Thanksgiving at the last minute, and when I say it was a mission to find a store that had some left, that’s an UNDERSTATEMENT!
I went to at least a half-dozen grocery stores before finally finding one that had some. They only had three left, though. They were so freaking huge, so I was kind of in luck because I was able to make a lot out of them! Lol!
The Best Soul Food Style Candied Sweet Potatoes Video
The difference between sweet potatoes and Yams
Some folks, especially down south within the Black community, refer to candied sweet potatoes as YAMS or CANDIED YAMS. I CAN VIVIDLY remember my grandma’s asking my cousins and I to pick up some yams from the store.
What’s odd is that when she made sweet potato pie, she called the potatoes sweet potatoes. I guess she subconsciously remembered to call them “SWEET POTATOES” because she was making “SWEET POTATO” PIE.
I don’t know!!! I just know the whole “YAMS THING” confused the hell out of me when I was young. I now know SWEET POTATOES ARE NOT YAMS—yams are a completely different vegetable, although I still call them yams myself.
They’re dark brown, and their texture sometimes resembles tree bark. Sweet potatoes have a smooth reddish-brown skin color. But that’s not the only difference—the flesh is different in texture, taste, and color, too.
The flesh of a sweet potato is bright orange, and the yam flesh is white. Sweet potatoes are VERY SWEET, MOIST, and SOFT when cooked…. Yams are STARCHY, DRY, and FIRM when cooked.
African slaves and Yams
The reason some people, mainly blacks in the U.S, refer to SWEET POTATOES as “YAMS” dates back to slavery times when African slaves (our ancestors) began calling sweet potatoes YAMS,
They called them yams because they resembled the shape of the yams they saw in Africa. So, to distinguish SWEET POTATOES from firm, starchy REGULAR potatoes, they called them yams, and that just became a thing they did.
But while they did it to differentiate the two, it became a misnomer used in our community, and future generations weren’t educated on why sweet potatoes were called yams and started thinking they were the same vegetable.
Most of us know they’re different, but I had friends whom I recently asked, “Why do you call them yams?” and “Are yams and sweet potatoes the same thing”? Almost all thought YAMS and SWEET POTATOES were the same.
Most of us think of yams as a nickname or something. I had to explain to them that 1, they’re two completely different vegetables, and 2, why our people started calling sweet potatoes yams in the first place.
Yams aren’t an American delicacy
By the way, Yams are hard to find because they aren’t a popular delicacy in the U.S.! You will have to go out of your way to find them, so all you’ll probably see at your local supermarket are sweet potatoes.
I can’t remember the last time I saw yams in a supermarket. I usually only see them at outdoor street markets like the famous 9th Street in Philadelphia, which some of you might have seen in the Rocky movies!
Growing up on sweet potatoes as a kid in the 90’s
My family cooked candied sweet potatoes all times of the year, that’s how much we loved them! I remember sweet potatoes being the only vegetable my siblings, and I enjoyed eating as kids – we would even beg for seconds! Lol
But children love sweets, so that’s not much of a surprise, is it? LMBO! I also remember how we would finish our candied sweet potatoes before touching anything else on our plates.
When we asked for more, my parents would say, “You’re not getting anymore til you finish the rest of your food!” Lol! Their good ole candied sweet potatoes were an incentive to finish our plate.
And you know what’s funny? My parents didn’t see them as vegetables because they were sweet. So when they made candied sweet potatoes for dinner, they would still serve them with a green vegetable on the side. Lol!
That’s probably because they taste just like a warm sweet potato pie, so I will say this before getting into the ingredients: You’ll need to COOK ALOT! Lol! Just to be on the safe side, okay?
I say this because I’m almost certain you’ll want second, third, and fourths and have people asking for more! LMBO! Let me talk about the ingredients I like, why I use them, and what they do for the dish.
Cookware & utensils you’ll need:
- Large Pot: Because sweet potatoes are large, you need a large pot to boil them in.
- Casserole Dish: We’ll be using a casserole dish to bake the candied sweet potatoes in.
- Baster: Make sure you use a baster to base the sweet potatoes while they cook.
- Big Spoon: Use a big spoon to serve the sweet potatoes and candied sauce.
- Measuring Cups: Make sure you have a measuring cup to accurately measure the sugar, honey, butter, and syrup.
- Measuring Spoons: These are good for accurately measuring the spices.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Honey and light corn syrup: We use honey and Karo syrup as the base for the candied sauce. I can’t tell you how many DMs I received from my subscribers asking which one they should use. “Why not both?” They each have a unique flavor, and combining them only adds more depth of flavor!
- Butter: Butter makes everything taste better, and I use a nice amount. It’s mainly used for flavor, to help loosen the candied sauce, and to give it a nice consistency.
- Vanilla: Vanilla is such an important ingredient. It gives the candied sauce its fantastic flavor. I don’t know what the world would do without vanilla; it’s responsible for all the desserts we love being so good.
- Brown sugar: I was raised on brown sugar in candied sweet potatoes. It’s for sweetness, obviously, but it also gives the candied sweet potatoes a hint of molasses flavor and gives the sauce its classic, traditional light brown color.
- Cinnamon: Candied Sweet Potatoes aren’t candied sweet potatoes without a little cinnamon. Cinnamon adds flavor and gives candied sweet potatoes an amazing aroma. When I smell cinnamon, I think about sweet potato pie on Thanksgiving. It makes the dish smell like the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, just like Nutmeg.
- Nutmeg: I know many people who don’t care for Nutmeg. I only use a pinch because it’s strong, and I don’t want it to overpower the other flavors. But it’s necessary and adds more flavor.
- Salt: Salt just enhances the flavor so don’t freak out. I’ve told you guys this a lot of times. Sweet dishes like this always need some salt to enhance the overall flavor. Lol!
How to make candied sweet potatoes
- First, add the sweet potatoes to a large pot, fill it with cool water, place it over high heat, and cover it with a lid, leaving a small crack on the side. Preheating potatoes is a no-no; remember that.
- The sweet potatoes will take a while to become semi-tender, so you can kill two birds with one stone by focusing on creating the delicious candied sauce.
- Melt the butter and add it to the baking dish. Then add the brown sugar and all the other ingredients (syrup, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt), stir well, and set aside.
- After the sweet potatoes are done, remove the hot water from the pot and refill it with very cold water to chill them. They should take 15 to 20 minutes to chill.
- Once the potatoes have chilled, preheat the oven to 350.
- Peel and slice the potatoes. I like to cut my sweet potatoes into 1/8-inch thick, circular pieces, but you can slice yours however you want. How you slice them isn’t too important.
- Add the sliced potatoes to the baking dish with the candied sauce, top them with the additional two tbs of brown sugar, and place them in the oven.
- Make sure to base them with the candied sauce as they cook until they’re done.
Tips for best results:
- Don’t preheat the water: No! When boiling the potatoes, place them in cool water. Adding them to cool water helps them cook more evenly.
- Don’t Boil Too Long: Remove the potatoes from the hot water as soon as the recipe instructs. Keeping them in hot water will continue boiling them, leaving you with mashed sweet potatoes.
- Raw Uncooked Center: Some potatoes, especially those closer to the top, might still be tough and raw in the center. To ensure they get tender, press them below the candied sauce so they’re fully submerged in it.
- Don’t overcook them: I only let them bake for an hour because that gets them moist on the inside but also allows them to keep their form and shape. Baking them too long will make them candied “mashed” potatoes. Lol! If that’s how you like them, but they’re more aesthetically appealing whole.
Storage and reheating
- How do you store candied sweet potatoes? Place them in a container like a Tupperware bowl. Make sure they’re tightly sealed with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a lid, and store them in the refrigerator.
- How can you freeze them? Yes they can be freezer! Place them in a Ziploc bag or container and make sure they’re tightly sealed to prevent freezer burn. They can last up to 4-6 months in the freezer.
- How to reheat candied sweet potatoes? When I reheat my candied sweet potatoes, I place them in a pot over low heat, and I add a pinch of water if necessary to loosen up the sauce, if it thickened while in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you cover them with aluminum foil while baking? I don’t usually cover them with aluminum foil because I boil them before baking them. Aluminum foil creates more moisture, which makes the candied sauce runny. You would only cover them if you prepared them the traditional way which is to bake them raw without boiling them first.
- Why is my candied sauce thin? As the sweet potatoes bake, you’ll start to notice the sauce thinning out. This comes from the liquid that oozes out from the sweet potatoes. Don’t worry; it’ll thicken as it chills.
Now that all the important stuff is out of the way, it’s time to scroll down and print the recipe. If this is your first time cooking candied sweet potatoes and you’re scared you won’t do well, just CHILLAX!!!!
Remember, phillyjaycooking isn’t just for people who can cook and are looking for new ways or methods to cook things but for novices trying to improve their cooking skills and learn their way around the kitchen.
The step-by-step instructions make this recipe extremely easy to follow – it’s IMPOSSIBLE TO MESS UP a Phillyboyjay recipe. Lol! This is why so many people come to my website first when looking for a recipe they want to try!
Please leave a comment below letting the readers know how good these babies are – it helps me a lot! Also, like, share, and subscribe to get notified whenever I post a new recipe and follow me on social media: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Enjoy, later!
PBJ~
The Best Soul Food Style Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Prep Time: 20 Mins
- Cook Time: 2 Hrs
- Total Time: 2 Hrs
- Yield: 8
- Category: Vegetable Side Dish
- Cuisine: Soul Food
Description
Sweet, tender, soul-food style candied sweet potatoes, infused with spices, topped with brown sugar, then baked in candied sauce! The perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
Ingredients
- 4 Lbs Sweet Potatoes
- Water to cover
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1–1/4 Cups Karo Light Corn Syrup
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 2 Tbs Vanilla
- 1 Cup + 2 Tbs Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbs Cinnamon
- 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
Instructions
- Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cool water.
- Place the pot over high heat and boil for about 40 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Melt the butter in a microwave for 30 seconds.
- Add the melted butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, and all the other ingredients (syrup, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt) to a baking dish, then stir well and set aside.
- Once the potatoes are done, strain the hot water, and cover them with cool water.
- Set them aside to chill for 10-15 minutes.
- Once the potatoes have chilled, set your oven to 350 degrees.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into whatever size shapes you like (I like to cut them into 1/4 inch thick circular size shapes as seen in the video below).
- Add the chopped potatoes to the dish of candied sauce and sprinkle them with the remaining 2 Tbs of brown sugar.
- Place them in the oven and bake for 1 hr, basting with candied sauce periodically.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
by 
82 thoughts on “The Best Soul Food Style Candied Sweet Potatoes”
The best! Every year, without a doubt!
I personally don’t like candied sweet potatoes, but when I make it for everybody else, this is my go-to recipe! Just made this for my Dad and he loved it! Thank you Philly Boy Jay!
Halved the recipe and it still made a lot! I used all honey and a little water to mix the candy sauce. I didn’t have corn syrup. These tasted great! Reminded me of my grandma’s candied yams. Thanks for the memories 🙂
The very first time I ever even attempted to make candied yam or sweet potatoes was using your recipe. I stumbled across your YOUTUBE channel and saw the best step by step instructions. I’m a visual learner so the video was right on point. Needless to say they were fantastic. I don’t know any other way to make them. Thank you for sharing.
This puts a smile on my face 🙂 Keep cooking Tosha and glad you love the yams!
Is it 1 cup + 1/4 cup of Karo light syrup? Or just 1/4cup???
P.s I add a little black cherry rum or rum flavor.
You never lied when you said the best. Thank you for taking the time to teach this recipe and all the others. Every time I make one of your recipes it’s a hot. My mom taught me how to make greens but with your touches they was amazing. Same goes for the seafood salad, turkey wings, macaroni and cheese. You are the bomb. Thanksgiving is alway lit with your recipes.
Best candied yam recipe I’ve ever came across. Thank you so much. This will be my staple recipe forever.
💕💕💕💕💕💕💕👍🏽
Amazing dish. Thank you so much!!!! Came out delicious!
My first time making candied sweet potatoes. I followed your recipe it taste just liked my Auntie’s. She used corn syrup and that was all I could remember from her recipe. Doing a quick google search yours was the first to pop up because of the corn syrup. I followed it to the tea the only thing I did different was I used vanilla honey because I didn’t have regular honey or vanilla extract. And I added marshmallows. They turned out AMAZING! Even my fiancé loved them and he only eat them if their mashed. This will always be my go to recipe. I will be making this for the first time for his family. Since his grandmother is no longer here I will be providing these.
Oh boy. I thought they would be good because there was a lot of sugar involved. When I took them out of the oven, mine did NOT look good, very dark. But ohhhh man. I wanted to crawl into that baking dish and live there for the rest of my days. Sooo delicious. I agree with the person who said they thought their moms were good, until they had these. I will use this recipe for every thanksgiving from here on out.
Just made this and bro….this tastes like Thanksgiving
My oh my !!! Thank you so much! Made this last night & it was asking for seconds ! Printed out the recipe so no chance of it getting lost. Only thing I did different was made it in the instapot.
I thought may mother’s were the best…. until I tried your recipe. The best ever!!!
thank you so much. made this recipe for past 2 years!!! perfect everytime
this video does not show on YouTube anymore…. we need this video back
Best yams I ever had. Watched this on YouTube and can’t seem to find it anymore. So grateful for your personal cooking website. Now I will be able to make this for thanksgiving. Please bring video back!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Will be making it looks so delicious but everything you make and I’ve did it always has family coming back for more and I know these sweet potatoes will be the same it’s the BEST
Reminds me of my Aunt Edith’s – but she never put hers in the oven – just on top of stove. Love them so much. But will be trying yours.
Hands down THE BEST sweet potatoes I’ve ever had and I’m picky when it comes yo someone making them. I made them tonight and couldn’t stop eating them. They’re perfect. Cannot wait to make these for someone. You’re a gem! Thank you!!
My fiancé has been talking about this recipe all night. I even caught him smiling in his sleep! Thank you. It came out perfect.
I am a veteran cook who is always looking to try something different….I doubled the recipe and put all the sauce ingredients in a pan and melted them and poured over the potatoes., refrigerated over night and baked the next day….JUST OUTSTANDING
Did you cook the potatoes before you put them in the fridge, or still boiled?
I Have a Different Web site, but anyway ,This Recipe is straight fro m Heaven, You Have a gift from GOD.
I tried this recipe and OMG! It came out AMAZING! Thank you soooo much!
This recipe was amazing!
Looks yummy
I love all your cookings …..”your are the best of all!!
Hi there I just want to let you know I found your recipe for candid yams and how to make a turkey and I want to say thank you for sharing your recipes . Everything turned out wonderful and was delicious!
Philly Boy you are awesome.Every dish that I have tried is. crazy delicious!!!!!
Omg you are one of my favorite cooks. I use a lot of your recipes. I am currently making my sweet potatoes now for Thanksgiving and I have no doubt in my mind that they will be delicious.
Thanks for sharing.
Blessings
Omg!! I gave this receipe a try since my yams never come out right. So I Followed the directions ….And All I can say is Thank Ya! Larwd Ham Murcy! Lol Oh My Oh My They Are Delicious !! Never Had Nun Like These Before! Shucks I Might Cook Me Some Yams Once A week now😍
Hi!
You mentioned in your video that these candied sweet potatoes are even better if you make them the night before. What are the exact instruction as to where you put them after they are done cooking and how about what to do with them after they are stored as far as heating up or cooking more?
you still can’t print the recipes
This recipe is so bomb! I am having extra people this year, can this recipe be doubled or tripled?
Can I do all the prep the day before and bake on the day I want to serve?
Yes…..this recipe is awesome. I make it every year for Thanksgiving!
Wondering about the serving size for this recipe. About how many does it feed?
hola Jay : may name is Angelica and I am from
Mexico. I have been married for long time w/ a black American and he doesn’t like Mexican food, so I have to learn how to cook the food that he likes. , so my life is been so much easy since I find you.. your recipes they are amazing and super, super, super delicious I cannot imagine my life without your help .. especially on holidays, your recipes taking place all over on my table from start to the end. Thank you so much
What size pan should I use?
Hello philly boy jay what I like about your cooking is your recipes they are so simple , and it not alot you have to do to prepare a meal and i have been going by your recipes and my cooking and food dishes has came out one hundred everytime as long as i follow it to the tee i really thank you for sharing you expertises and keep up the wonderful cooking that you’re doing. Peace & Blessings 🙂
Phillyjay, you give me joy. Whatever I have tried from your recipe repitore has always been amazingly delicious and delightful. Thank you so much.
Pheather
Phillyboyjay is AWESOME!!! As a self taught chef myself, im very selective and not easily impressed. I can switch up flavors and techniques with EVERYTHING he cooks and its pure awesomeness. Blessed hands…….keep it going!
I cannot locate your full recipe for your mashed potatoes.
I cannot locate your mashed potato recipe on the website. It keeps saying it cannot be found.
Absolutely delicious!!!
I had never even attempted to make candied yams before until I found your recipe on YouTube. Thank you so much for publishing that video. I made them for Thanksgiving and they were soooo good was trying to find another reason to make some more, lol. Thank you again, and please continue to share your wonderful recipes for those of us who are not that savvy in the kitchen. 😉
The BEST recipe for candies yams. It is way different from what I was taught and let’s just say I will be making yours for now on. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe to us.
This is the best!!! I made them the the family and the love it!! Thank you
Hi Jay! I tried to message you on Christmas to get the measurements for your mashed potatoes but I guess you were busy. Where can I find this?
Is the amount of cinnamon correct ?
Love your recipes!
Looks so delish and easy to make!.
These ARE THEE BEST (IN YOUR VOICE ) SWEET POTATOES THANK YOU SO MUCH I USE MOST OF YOUR RECIPES SHOOT!! ☺
Hi,
I’m looking to make your seafood gumbo for X’Mas.Im on your website looking for the ingredients.Where can I find it? Also I’m here in Los Alamitos and no one sells the brand of crab meat BLU.What can I use in it’s place.?My name is William
I don’t rate recipes as much as I should & felt like you really deserved me taking the time to do so. Tried this recipe for this Thanksgiving and they were WONDERFUL! This will be my go to recipe for yams going forward. Everybody else loved them and was wanting seconds even though someone else brought a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. LOVE your cooking on You tube! My mom was a fantastic cook and your recipes bring back memories of my younger years.
Keep up the great work!
Granted mom made her in cast iron skillet on stove top, didn’t pre-boil before cooking in candy sauce, and added marshmallows on top and hit them under the broiler at the end. But end result looks the same, she peeled then boiled in the skillet, then added the sauce and finished cooking, topped with marshmallows and dropped them under the broiler to toast the top. Same idea but have to be little more exact with water I guess? Just like you said, while they boiled she was doing some other food that needed attended, mixed the sauce to have ready. To watch seemed like well oiled machine, and no body best nit come in and mess up the groove unless you came to help, and had some idea what was needed.
I will be using your recipe it sounds and looks like how my mom made hers; Mom has Alzheimer’s and didn’t write down her “recipes” (mostly just added by sight, approximate amounts and always came out right). Have you ever added marshmallows on top and turned on broil to toast as an added, final step?
I made this today and the baked chicken! I just wanted to say thank you for the recipes they were delicious! Btw, you should allow comments on your videos! I’m sure plently if people would say how great your recipes are!
You got them hands Jay! I used your recipe for dressing, mac and cheese, candied yams. It all came out delicious. Happy Thanksgiving !!
I’m making these for the first time, and i just wanna understand I boil the water first and then add yams and boil them for 40 minutes?
Best candied yams in 63 years!
I love Philly jay boy’s receipt
Hello! This will be my second time making your recipe. I wanted to know could I substitute the corn syrup for maple syrup?
Made these for a work potluck and they are easily the best I have ever made. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hello, looks good! How long do you boil the sweet potatoes for ? My first time making them and i want them to come out exactly like yours 😬
Hello PhillyBoyJay. I’ve been following you for a while. It is nice to see you still at your craft and to observe the new image that you display to your fanbase. The sweet potato recipe is quite a treat. May your success continue to blossom. Blessings from an admirer in DC.
Does the sauce thicken? I want to fix them for Thanksgiving dinner.
Your the best thank you Mr wonderful.
I made these candied yams last night and let’s just say I couldn’t stop eating them!!! I couldn’t!!! Just incredible with my collard greens that was cooked and frozen from a month ago, cornbread, and fried pork chops. No baked chops with this meal. That candied yam juice on that cornbread!? Could eat it for breakfast!! Gotta be the best candied yams yet!!!
Best sweet potatoes ever!!!!!
Prior to watching your video I had already peeled and cut my sweet potatoes up. Is there a difference between boiling them with the skin and boiling them cut up without the skin? And also are you using light or dark brown sugar?
Best candied sweet potatoes I’ve ever made and eaten in my life. A million times better than Patti Labelle’s recipe. Your recipe is THEE ONLY ONE I’ll ever use
Help me! I have never been able to make candied sweet potatoes the way I’d like them so I decided to try your recipe. I am not understanding the recipe. The amount of sugar in the list of ingredients doesn’t match instruction #3. The list says 1 Cup + 2 Tbs Brown Sugar. Instruction #3 says 2 Cups brown sugar. Which should I use?
Did you mean 2 tablespoons of cinnamon? That’s a lot of cinnamon.
Use 1 cup of brown sugar + 2 tbs of brown sugar to top the candied wsweet potatoes
I am not a cook but, your recepies have been a tremendous help to me in the kitchen. Thank you so much!!!!
Do you use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar??
Does the recipe change if you add 6 yams instead of 4?
7 is where you use the remaining brown sugar.
Use the 1 cup of brown sugar in the baking dish with all the other ingredients to make the candied sauce. When you add the sweet potatoes, sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of more brown sugar on top before putting it in the oven.