These candied yams are sweet potatoes tossed in brown sugar, butter and spices, then baked until caramelized. Add a sprinkle of marshmallows and you’ve got the perfect holiday side dish with minimal effort!

Every holiday meal must include sweet potatoes. When I’m in charge of Thanksgiving dinner, I often make side dish recipes such as Hasselback sweet potatoes, Ruth’s Chris sweet potato casserole, mashed sweet potatoes, or this sweet and decadent candied yams recipe.

A pan of candied yams topped with marshmallows.

Candied yams are a holiday staple for good reason – they’re elegant, easy to make and taste absolutely delicious. This dish is the perfect way to showcase sweet potatoes, whether it’s for a special occasion or a simple weeknight dinner. Pair your yams with an Instant Pot turkey breast, baked ham or smoked turkey breast for a memorable meal. Don’t forget the Thanksgiving salad on the side!

Candied Yams Ingredients

Bowls of ingredients including sweet potatoes, sugar, butter and spices.

This recipe contains yams (also known as sweet potatoes!), brown sugar, butter, ground cinnamon, salt, ground nutmeg and miniature marshmallows.

How Do You Make Candied Yams?

To make candied yams you want to find some yams with a nice, orange interior. Peel the yams, then dice them up into small slices or chunks and place them in a baking pan or casserole dish. Make the delicious sauce that “candies” the yams by whisking together brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Be sure to add the secret ingredient, a little nutmeg.

Pour the sauce over the yams and toss gently to coat. Bake everything up until the yams are tender and caramelized. The finishing touch is a handful of miniature marshmallows, then you’ll be ready to eat and enjoy!

Step by step shows showing how to make brown sugar sauce for sweet potatoes.

Tips For Candied Yams

  • I like to choose long, thinner sweet potatoes at the grocery store because they are easier to cut into similar size pieces. I typically use garnet yams but other varieties will also work.
  • Make sure you cut your yams into even sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
  • This dish is best served immediately upon coming out of the oven when the marshmallows are nice and hot.
  • If you need to feed a larger crowd, you can double or even triple the recipe.
  • While I often serve these yams around the holidays, they’re really good all year long. Pair them with a roasted chicken, London broil or baked mac and cheese for a dinner that the whole family will love.
  • You do not need to boil your potatoes ahead of time – they will cook to perfection in the sauce in the oven!
  • Leftover candied yams will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Quick Tip

Watch your dish carefully after you add the marshmallows because they can go from melted to burned in just seconds!

Candied Sweet Potatoes Variations

You can make these yams a number of ways for any holiday or dinner. Here are some fun variations.

  • You can omit the marshmallows and just enjoy the flavor of the brown sugar syrup.
  • Feel free to add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts. You can sprinkle the nuts on top of the yams or mix them into the dish. You can also add a dash of vanilla extract to the butter and sugar.
  • Swap out the brown sugar for maple syrup for a different flavor.
  • Instead of marshmallows, try a streusel topping. You can make a quick streusel  by mixing in a bowl 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup of flour, 4 tablespoons of melted butter and 1/4 cup of chopped pecans. Mix everything in the bowl until if forms crumbles. Place crumbles on the yams before they go into the oven and bake according to the recipe.
  • Add extra flavor with a squeeze of orange juice or fresh orange zest. You can also add more spices such as allspice or ground ginger.

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Process shots showing how to make candied yams with marshmallows.

Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?

Yams in the grocery store are sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes come in different colors and shapes. Sometimes grocery stores label the orange fleshed sweet potatoes as yams. However, there is a difference between sweet potatoes and true yams. A true yam is a root vegetable from Africa and Asia with a rough, brown skin. You do not want to use a true yam for this recipe, you will not get the same results. Feel free use any orange or red fleshed sweet potato for this recipe. I like to use the jewel or garnet varieties of sweet potatoes for this dish.

Is candied yams considered dessert?

While this dish tends to be sweet in nature, candied yams are most commonly served as a side dish rather than a dessert.

A spoon serving up a portion of candied yams.

Make Ahead Instructions

This recipe can be partially prepared in advance to make things go a little easier when you’re entertaining. You can coat the uncooked yams in the butter and brown sugar mixture, then store them in a bowl covered with aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Pour the yams into the baking dish and proceed with the rest of the recipe as directed. The butter mixture may solidify in the fridge, but that’s totally fine. The other option is to coat the potatoes in the brown sugar and butter, then bake them as directed, cool and reheat later. You’ll want to add the marshmallows when you reheat them, not during the initial baking. The yams may have a softer texture if they’re baked then reheated since they’re essentially being cooked twice.

Candied yams is a classic dish that is great for holidays, special occasions or any time you want a particularly fabulous dinner. If you love sweet potatoes, you’ll adore this recipe!

More Side Dish Recipes

Candied Yams Video

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5 from 76 votes

Candied Yams

AuthorSara Welch
A pan of candied yams topped with marshmallows.
These candied yams are sweet potatoes tossed in brown sugar, butter and spices, then baked until caramelized. Add a sprinkle of marshmallows and you've got the perfect holiday side dish with minimal effort!
Time
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Serves 8

Ingredients 

  • 4 pounds sweet potatoes peeled, halved and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • cooking spray

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 inch pan or 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Place the sweet potatoes in an even layer in the dish.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
  • Pour the brown sugar mixture over the sweet potatoes. Toss to coat them evenly in the sauce.
  • Bake the yams for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until tender and caramelized.
  • Sprinkle the marshmallows over the top, and bake for another 5 minutes or until marshmallows are melted and browned. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. I like to choose long, thinner sweet potatoes because they are easier to cut into similar size pieces.
  2. Make sure you cut your yams into even sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
  3. This dish is best served immediately upon coming out of the oven when the marshmallows are nice and hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 789mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 32438IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2mg

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  1. 5 stars
    What do you think about replacing the sweet potatoes with butternut squash? I have some that were gifted to me that I need to use.

    1. That should be fine! Butternut tends to cook a little quicker than sweet potatoes so you may want to reduce the cook time.

  2. 5 stars
    These are a delicious and easy holiday side dish that everyone will enjoy! This is getting added to my Thanksgiving Day menu.