Let me show you how to make my favorite easy Thanksgiving side: candied sweet potatoes! They’re soft, buttery, extra saucy, caramelized, and sweet. I especially love this Thanksgiving side dish because you can prepare the elements of this recipe ahead of time AND purchase the ingredients in advance, too.
Forever my favorite Thanksgiving side dish, these classic candied sweet potatoes make an appearance on our holiday table every year. (I’m surprised I haven’t shared the recipe with you before—these are the best!) In fact, we love them so much that we don’t limit this recipe to only once per year. I love these for Christmas, Easter, or a random Sunday night throughout the year. They’re full of flavor and as far as Thanksgiving side dishes go, they’re REALLY easy.
These Candied Sweet Potatoes Are:
- Soft & buttery
- Caramelized on the edges
- Absolutely packed with flavor: vanilla, brown sugar, maple, cinnamon, & ginger
- Even better with orange zest, rosemary, & sea salt
- Your new favorite Thanksgiving side dish too
I also appreciate that you don’t have to pre-cook the sweet potatoes. Unlike sweet potato casserole and sweet potato dinner rolls, where you boil and mash the potatoes, this candied sweet potatoes recipe simply needs thick slices of peeled potatoes. Easy enough, right?
And the best part of all? You can purchase all of the ingredients NOW so you aren’t rushing around Thanksgiving week.
How to Make Candied Sweet Potatoes
Let me quickly break down the steps before leaving you with the recipe.
- Pick up your sweet potatoes. You need 3-4 pounds, about 5 or 6 medium sweet potatoes. Look for sweet potatoes with a reddish/copper skin that’s smooth and firm. Store in a cool, dry place until ready to use. And if you have extras, try my sweet potato turkey chili next!
- Peel & slice sweet potatoes. When you’re ready to make this dish, peel the potatoes and slice into 1/2 inch slices. The thickness of the slices is important because (1) any smaller and the slices will over-cook and (2) any larger and the slices will under-cook. Place potato slices in a large casserole dish and toss with salt.
- Make the sauce. Put all the sauce ingredients into a pot, boil 2 minutes, then stir in vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is a recent (and welcome) addition to our family recipe because it adds SO much flavor. Just wait until you smell the sauce when you stir in that vanilla—you’ll already know you’re making something delicious!
- Pour over sweet potatoes. Pour sauce over potatoes and toss everything together so the sauce evenly coats all the slices.
- Bake for 1 hour. Stop and stir the sweet potatoes every 20 minutes to ensure the sauce caramelizes on each potato.
Buttery Brown Sugar Maple Sauce
These sweet potatoes would be nothing without the magical sauce. A recipe that we’ve been tweaking and perfecting over the years, the combination of ingredients is perfection.
Here are the ingredients you need:
- Butter: Butter is the base of the sauce. (And, honestly, why it’s so good!)
- Water: 1 Tablespoon of water helps liquify the sauce—it’s too thick without it.
- Brown Sugar: Name a better ingredient suited for sweet potatoes!
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup adds incomparable flavor to this Thanksgiving side dish. The recipe is good without it, but even better with its addition. Skip “breakfast syrup” and reach for pure maple.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, & Ginger: This dish includes the season’s favorite warming spices. The ginger adds a bright burst of flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Again, vanilla extract is a welcome addition. Stir it into the sauce after you remove the pot from heat.
The sauce thins out as it bakes due to the water content in the potatoes, but quickly thickens as it cools. Thick or thin, you’ll want to slurp up this sauce with a straw. Plus, it tastes fantastic with those other Thanksgiving dishes on your plate too! 😉
Finishing Touches for Candied Sweet Potatoes
When I made these candied sweet potatoes earlier this month, I added orange zest to the sauce. This is totally optional, but it added an element of FRESH to the entire dish. Likewise, adding chopped fresh or dried rosemary after the dish bakes is equally refreshing. And to balance out the sweet, I love a sprinkle of flaky sea salt all over the top.
This dish has it all: sweet, salty, fresh, buttery, saucy, soft, and caramelized. It doesn’t get much better than this:
More Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes:
- Cornbread
- Green Bean Casserole (from scratch)
- Biscuits
- Favorite Cranberry Sauce
- Sweet Potato Casserole (crunchy pecan topping!)
- Dinner Rolls (or try these Brown Butter Sage Dinner Rolls)
- Mushroom Puff Pastry Tarts
- Cornbread Stuffing or Sausage & Herb Stuffing
- Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Tarts
- Mac & Cheese or Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
For even more inspiration see my complete list of 40+ Thanksgiving side dishes. And of course… dessert! Here are our favorite Thanksgiving pie recipes, including classics like pumpkin pie, apple pie, and pecan pie.
Print
Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These perfect candied sweet potatoes are soft, buttery, extra saucy, caramelized, and sweet. I especially love this Thanksgiving side dish because you can prepare the elements of this recipe ahead of time AND purchase the ingredients in advance, too.
Ingredients
- 5–6 medium sweet potatoes (3–4 lbs)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: 2 teaspoons orange zest
- optional for garnish: chopped fresh or dried rosemary, flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Peel then slice the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place in a greased 9×13-inch or other 3 quart baking dish. Sprinkle salt on top and toss to coat. I just use nonstick spray to grease.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).
- Make the sauce: Cut stick of butter in half. (Helps it melt easier.) Combine all the butter, water, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the butter has melted. Stop stirring and bring to a gentle boil. Boil for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove sauce from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. (And orange zest, if using.)
- Pour sauce over potatoes and toss to coat.
- Bake for 1 hour, stopping and stirring the sweet potatoes every 20 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, I cover the dish with aluminum foil so the potatoes bake evenly.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt (if using), then cool uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce is thin right out of the oven but thickens as it cools.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Sauce will be thick after refrigeration, but thins out as you warm the leftovers up. Simply warm in the microwave.
Notes
- Make ahead tip: You can peel & slice the sweet potatoes 1 day ahead of time. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight. You can prepare the sauce on the stove (step 3) 1-2 days ahead of time. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until thin and liquid-y, then continue with step 4. Dish can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then cover with aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 25 minutes or until warm throughout.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Dish (or any similar 3-quart baking dish) | Saucepan | Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Flaky Sea Salt
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally,
Could you cook these sweet potatoes in a crock pot instead of baking? Thanks!
Hi Liz! We haven’t tried these in a crock pot so we are unsure of the result. It shouldn’t be a problem with the crock pot set on low. You will lose that slight caramelized texture though.
Love your recipes. I have just found your website .i have made your artisan bread which was so easy to make and delicious
Has anyone tried adding cranberries?
We’re sure you could, Chris!
Would this be ok to make in an electric skillet? I’m taking to a dinner and there will not be oven space.
I could cook ahead??
Hi Liz! We think you could bake them ahead of time and re-warm in an electric skillet. Let us know if you try!
I have made this for thanksgiving several times now and it’s become a family favorite, so thank you for this recipe. On a separate note, the white ceramic dish with the handles you used in the picture above, do you have a link for it? I’ve been needing a new one, but if there isn’t a link that’s ok.
Hi Bettina, thank you so much! I’m trying to think… I believe this was purchased from Home Goods the year I published this recipe (2019 I believe).
Could you substitute honey for the maple syrup?
Hi Dana, that should work in a pinch.
Do I use orange zest spice or zest a fresh orange?
Hi Lisa, we use zest from a fresh orange.
Is it possible to mix carrots and parsnips with the sweets potatoes and leave everything else in the recipe the same? Thank you
We haven’t tested this recipe with parsnips but would love to hear how it goes if you do, Josi!
I am new here but can’t wait to try some of your recipes.
I made these yesterday and they were GREAT! I did exactly as written and I don’t need to change anything. Thank you for posting!
This recipe is A1! As someone who cooks quite often, I try various recipes. This one is the perfect base for anyone looking to bake candied sweet potatoes. Here’s a tip. Do not skip the orange zest! It’s a game changer. If you know you know!
This is so delicious every time I make it. You will not be disappointed!
Thank you for the recipe looks delicious
prior the final 20 minutes in the oven I add pieces of pre-cooked ham to the mix. If this isn’t heaven, then I don’t want to go.
The best!!
This has been my go to recipe for years. I usually add fresh ginger not because it makes it better necessarily but because I never have dried. The only change I make that I feel is better is I cover it 1st then cook uncovered. This method is safer for me.
Great recipe. My guests loved it.
I made this recipe for my family for thanksgiving dinner. They loved the flavor of maple syrup and caramelize brown sugar. I did use rosemary the other time but I will definitely try it again next time I make it again. Thank you for your delicious recipe!
Substituted fresh cane syrup for the maple syrup and a pinch of Italian seasoning for the rosemary, very tasty!
This was so very good!
The maple syrup is what makes this recipe unlike any I’ve made before and I get so many compliments
Is this baked without a cover
Hi Veronica, see step 5 for baking instructions: Bake for 1 hour, stopping and stirring the sweet potatoes every 20 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, I cover the dish with aluminum foil so the potatoes bake evenly.
Best candied sweet Potatoes evers! Huge hit at Thanksgiving dish was annihilated. Def gonna be my go to recipe for now on. Great blend of spices perfect blend of sweet yet not crazy over sweet its just right.
I just made these for Thanksgiving and they turned out great! I made the sauce ahead of time so ended up adding a little more butter to thin the sauce out. Topped with some mini marshmallows for the kiddos and everyone was happy!
How long should the left overs be reheated in the microwave?
This recipe is soooo good! My kids don’t like mashed sweet potatoes so I decided to try this and it was a huge hit! I made it exactly as per the recipe and it turned out perfect
LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this recipe and left-overs are still wonderful. Thank you!
This was soooo good!! We thought it was going to be cloyingly sweet but it wasn’t- it was the perfect flavor and such a great addition to our thanksgiving meal. I used country crock dairy free for the butter. Will add toasted pecans next time!
Delicious! I have used your recipe numerous times and the only one I use, a simple recipe with awesome results, thanks, my friend
This dish got rave reviews at Thanksgiving! I will be adding it to our yearly menu. I especially appreciate your detailed instructions and notes. Thanks for helping me feel like a rockstar in the kitchen!
Excelled and Easy! Big hit at Thanksgiving. Substituted fried sage leaves for the rosemary, and used 1/2 the maple syrup(just a family preference). Highly recommend!