Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes With Orange Juice
Learn to make the best baked sweet potatoes in a delicious orange juice and brown sugar glaze. Whether you're gathering for Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, or a regular Sunday dinner, this Old-Fashioned candied sweet potatoes recipe serves as an ideal side dish for your holiday meal.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange juice, freshly squeezed
- olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9 or 8-inch pan (I used 8x11 inch) or a 2-quart baking dish baking dish with olive oil or butter.
- Place the sweet potatoes evenly in the prepared dish.
- In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, maple, and ginger until well combined.
- Evenly pour the brown sugar mixture over the sweet potatoes.
- Gently toss the potatoes to coat them in the sauce. Bake for 45-50 minutes, pausing to stir every 15-20 minutes.
- Check the sweet potatoes for doneness; they should be firm but easily pierced with a fork.
- Once baked, let the yams rest briefly. This allows flavors to combine and textures to settle, resulting in even more tenderness and a delightful caramelized finish.
Notes
- Flavor - These old-fashioned candied sweet potatoes are tender, buttery, caramelized at the edges, and bursting with flavors like vanilla, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and a hint of orange.
- Add miniature marshmallows. Once baked, scatter marshmallows over the tender sweet potatoes. Put the dish back in the oven for 5 more minutes, until the marshmallows melt and turn golden brown. Serve right away!
- To Store. Store any leftover candied yams in an airtight container after they've cooled completely. Refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- Freezing. It's best to skip freezing these, as reheating might make them mushy. For cooked sweet potatoes like mashed or roasted ones, thaw them in the fridge before reheating. Just note, that their texture could be a bit softer after thawing.
- To Reheat. When you're ready to reheat, remove them from the fridge. Preheat your oven to 400°F, place the yams in a covered baking dish, and bake for 25-35 minutes until warmed through.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!