3-Ingredient Candied Yams Recipe

While holidays can be a busy time requiring you to plan meals and cook entertaining-worthy food, not all dishes need to be high-maintenance. Sometimes the simple recipes are the ones that really shine and become the talk of the gathering. This 3-ingredient candied yam recipe is proof that if you choose your ingredients wisely, you can create a masterpiece without much fuss. They're the perfect mix of savory and sweet with lots of buttery flavor and deep caramelized notes from the brown butter and the coconut sugar, and are a wonderful complement to a wide variety of entrees. The preparation couldn't be any simpler: Just chop the sweet potatoes, whip up a stovetop butter sauce, and let the oven do all the heavy lifting.

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "Another great thing about this recipe is you can prep the sweet potatoes the day ahead by chopping them and tossing them with the sauce. Just keep them covered in your fridge until you're ready to bake them. Or you can cook them ahead and warm them up prior to serving."

To make this recipe, pick up some sweet potatoes, butter, and coconut sugar. If you buy your sweet potatoes more than a few days in advance, store sweet potatoes in a dark and cool space, either loose or in a paper or mesh bag.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Peel the sweet potatoes

Chop the sweet potatoes into large cubes

Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat.

Let it melt completely, then continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, as it begins to foam. You'll notice golden specks forming on the bottom and a toasted, nutty aroma, which means the butter is browned. Immediately remove it from the heat.

Add the coconut sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt and stir for 2 minutes.

Place the sweet potato cubes into a large bowl, pour the brown butter mixture over them, and stir to coat.

Transfer the potatoes to a baking dish, cover them tightly with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and the brown butter sauce is bubbling and slightly thickened.

Garnish with flaky salt and chives if desired, and serve.

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Although these candied yams are delicious as is, if you want to doll them up, there are many ingredients that can be added to enhance the flavor. To brighten the dish with a citrusy tanginess, orange zest is a nice complement along with a splash of orange juice. Add one tablespoon of orange juice to the brown butter, and top the final dish with the zest of two oranges. Vanilla and cinnamon are two ingredients commonly added to candied yams, and they would work perfectly in this recipe. Try adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla and one teaspoon of cinnamon to the pot when making the brown butter. Or simply add a few shakes of cinnamon to the finished dish. 

For the sweetener, you can swap out the coconut sugar for maple syrup, or use half maple syrup and half coconut sugar. For some crunch, add in ½ cup of chopped pecans, candied pecans, or walnuts. If you want to create a version with marshmallows, simply add ½ cup of mini marshmallows to the yams during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Fresh herbs are always a good idea with vegetable sides. Try fresh parsley, cilantro, thyme, or rosemary as a topper to the completed recipe.

To ensure that your candied yams come out perfectly, there are a few tips to keep in mind. Starting with selecting the right sweet potatoes. You'll want to choose sweet potatoes that are orange on the inside. Jewel or garnet varieties are the most common and work very well in this dish. Avoid using Japanese sweet potatoes, which are white inside and have a much drier texture. Since many stores will label the sweet potatoes as yams, just look for a variety with deep reddish-brown or copper-colored skin.

When cutting the sweet potatoes, it doesn't really matter what size or shape you make them, but make sure they are all roughly the same size for even cooking. You'll get more caramelization on the edges of larger-sized cubes. Instead of large cubes, you can slice the sweet potatoes into ½-inch rounds and layer them in the baking dish.

If possible, when making the brown butter, use a pot with a light-colored surface so you can see when the butter is browning. Keep your eye on the clock when you mix in the coconut sugar. Don't overcook, and you'll want to remove the mixture from the heat right away to prevent burning and to avoid a sticky texture that is no longer pourable.

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