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Home / Holidays and Events / Thanksgiving Recipes / Classic sides

Candied Yams with Bourbon

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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 11/17/2019

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Candied Yams/Candied Sweet Potatoes are made with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter and plenty of warm spices and are the PERFECT holiday side dish! #yams #candiedyams #sweetpotatoes #candiedsweetpotatoes #thanksgiving #holiday #sidedish #candied 
Candied Yams/Candied Sweet Potatoes are made with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter and plenty of warm spices and are the PERFECT holiday side dish! #yams #candiedyams #sweetpotatoes #candiedsweetpotatoes #thanksgiving #holiday #sidedish #candied 
Candied Yams/Candied Sweet Potatoes are made with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter and plenty of warm spices and are the PERFECT holiday side dish! #yams #candiedyams #sweetpotatoes #candiedsweetpotatoes #thanksgiving #holiday #sidedish #candied 

Candied Yams/Candied Sweet Potatoes are made with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter and plenty of warm spices and are the PERFECT holiday side dish!

Perfect for any holiday dinner, and so easy to make!  With several different cooking options, you’ll find one that fits your cooking timeline, and your tastes.  We love holiday sides like my Classic Green Bean Casserole and this is one of my Side Dishes you’ll definitely want in your dinner rotation!

Candied yams in baking dish with spoon

CANDIED YAMS RECIPE

Candied yams and sweet potatoes are almost certainly a staple at holiday dinners like Thanksgiving.  For us, it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them!

While sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, the right combination of butter and brown sugar, along with warm spices and some cider and bourbon transform the humble potato into a syrupy, creamy, magical side dish.

HOW TO MAKE CANDIED YAMS

  • Peel and dice sweet potatoes, add to baking dish
  • Combine melted butter with sugar, spices, cider and bourbon
  • Pour over sweet potatoes and toss to coat
  • Bake until tender and caramelized

Candied yams in baking dish

WHAT IS A YAM

Oddly enough, those orange-fleshed potatoes at the grocery store that they sometimes call “yams”, especially around the holidays, aren’t actually yams at all!  They’re regular sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes can come in various sizes and colors, but the classic orange sweet potato, at least here in the United States, is synonymous with yams.  So don’t be fooled by the grocery stores!

Actual yams have a rougher, dark brown exterior and the flesh inside can be white, red or purple-ish.  A true yam is very hard to find here in the US, although some specialty stores may have them.

COOKING TIPS FOR MAKING CANDIED YAMS

  • Pick longer, skinnier sweet potatoes.  They’ll be easier to dice.
  • Speaking of dicing, try to keep the potatoes all roughly the same size.  Those little slivers from the ends of the sweet potato?  Don’t use those, they’ll cook wayyy too fast.
  • Don’t cover the sweet potatoes when baking.  It’s tempting, as it seems like it would help the potatoes cook faster, but it’ll actually leave you with a lot of liquid left in your baking dish after they’re done cooking.
  • Stir the sweet potatoes every 20 minutes or so.  This way all the potatoes are evenly cooked.

Candied sweet potatoes in bowl

VARIATIONS OF CANDIED SWEET POTATO YAMS

  • Orange – replace the apple cider with orange juice for a classic candied yam flavor.
  • Marshmallows – grab some mini marshmallows and toss them over the top of the yams after they’re done baking.  Broil for just a minute, and watch it closely so it doesn’t burn!
  • Maple – omit the brown sugar and replace it with maple syrup.
  • Canned yams – if you’re pressed for time or prefer using canned sweet potatoes/yams, they can be used.  Buy enough cans to equal the 3 lbs for this recipe, and drain any liquid from the cans.  Prepare as directed, but they’ll probably only need to bake about 25-30 minutes.

MAKING YAMS AHEAD OF TIME

Pressed for time?  No worries!

Complete steps 1 – 3, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.  Let the dish sit on the counter 20 minutes or so before baking as directed.

STORING

Leftovers should be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT USED IN THIS RECIPE

Nothing fancy here, just a trusty 9×13″ baking dish!

Candied yams on plate

HOLIDAY SIDE DISHES
  1. Classic Green Bean Casserole
  2. Orange Cranberry Sauce
  3. Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
  4. Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
  5. Ultimate Sweet Potato Casserole
  6. Cheesy Brussels Sprouts
  7. Baked Mac and Cheese
  8. Ultimate Dinner Rolls
HOLIDAY MAIN DISHES
  1. Copycat HoneyBaked Ham
  2. Slow Cooker “Rotisserie” Chicken
HOLIDAY DESSERTS
  1. Pumpkin Bars
  2. Easy Apple Crisp
  3. Browned Butter Caramel Sauce

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS!

AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Candied Yams/Candied Sweet Potatoes are made with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter and plenty of warm spices and are the PERFECT holiday side dish! #yams #candiedyams #sweetpotatoes #candiedsweetpotatoes #thanksgiving #holiday #sidedish #candied 

Candied Yams with Bourbon

5 from 9 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Calories: 306
Servings: 8 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
Made with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter and plenty of warm spices these candied yams are the PERFECT holiday side dish!

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs sweet potatoes peeled and diced into about 1 - 1 1/2" pieces
  • 5 Tbsp butter melted
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 cup apple cider
  • 2 - 3 Tbsp bourbon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • pinch of ground cloves (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F degrees and grease a 9x13" baking dish (or other 3 quart baking dish). Add diced sweet potatoes to prepared dish.
  • In a small bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, apple cider, bourbon, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves (if using). Stir together until mixed.
  • Add sugar mixture to sweet potatoes and toss to make sure all the sweet potatoes are coated.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender and caramelized.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

Sweet potatoes can be sliced into 1/2" thick rounds or 1/2" thick half-moon shapes if desired.

TO MAKE AHEAD:

Complete steps 1 – 3, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.  Let the dish sit on the counter 20 minutes or so before baking as directed.
 

USING CANNED YAMS/SWEET POTATOES:

Buy enough cans to equal the 3 lbs for this recipe, and drain any liquid from the cans.  Prepare as directed, but they’ll probably only need to bake about 25-30 minutes.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




  1. Angela W Bland says

    Posted on 11/24 at 7:34 pm

    Haven’t tried yet but I’m making it in the morning looks good thanks.

    Reply
  2. Hollie says

    Posted on 11/21 at 3:03 pm

    Wonderful recipe. Thank you for being so thorough and covering all the common questions. Will leave a rating after we try this Thanksgiving. 🦃🤩🤗

    Reply
  3. Theresa says

    Posted on 7/30 at 12:33 pm

    Going To make this Today Sounds Delish

    Reply
  4. Sandra says

    Posted on 11/21 at 6:24 pm

    This is really amazing! Everyone at my house will surely love this!

    Reply
  5. Cathy says

    Posted on 11/21 at 10:54 am

    My kind of yams! LOVE the addition of bourbon!!

    Reply
  6. Toni says

    Posted on 11/19 at 9:58 pm

    My husband will surely love this!! It looks amazing!

    Reply
  7. Catalina says

    Posted on 11/19 at 5:11 pm

    These sound like heaven! I will definitely try this recipe!

    Reply
  8. Katerina @ diethood .com says

    Posted on 11/19 at 11:56 am

    Oh my, these candied yams are AHHMAAAZING!!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!

    Reply
  9. Sara Welch says

    Posted on 11/18 at 9:12 pm

    This was the best way to enjoy yams! Served them with dinner and they were a hit! Looking forward to making them again for Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  10. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

    Posted on 11/18 at 6:46 pm

    I’m drooling this is everything I love!

    Reply
  11. Demeter says

    Posted on 11/18 at 4:24 pm

    I can’t believe I’ve never had these before! Such a great side dish to add to the table this year.

    Reply
    • Letrisha West says

      Posted on 11/19 at 7:50 am

      I will be trying this recipe out for Thanksgiving, I’m super excited about it!

      Reply

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Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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