Candied Sweet Potatoes

These candied sweet potatoes are about to become your new favorite fall and Thanksgiving side. Simple to make, they are coated with a maple butter sauce for a wonderful sweet and salty dish that will be the star of your feast!

No Thanksgiving table is complete without a sweet potato side. I love a classic Sweet Potato Casserole, but these baked candied sweet potatoes with maple syrup may be my new favorite!

They are really simple to prep and are so deliciously sweet and salty. The outsides are caramelized and crispy and they are perfectly soft in the middle. Trust me, everyone will want seconds of these candied baked sweet potatoes!

For more easy and yummy sides, be sure to check out my Baked Sweet Potato Slices, Green Beans and Mushrooms, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.

Ingredients For Candied Sweet Potatoes

• Sweet potatoes
• Butter: I use unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, decrease the amount of added salt in the recipe.
• Maple syrup: For that wonderful subtle sweetness.
• Sugar: Use brown sugar for this recipe, it has a richer flavor due to the molasses.
• Seasonings: Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, rosemary, and salt.

How To Make Candied Sweet Potatoes In the Oven

• Preheat oven to 375 F and place sweet potato slices in a 9×13” casserole dish or 3 quart baking dish. Sprinkle salt and top and toss to coat.
• Add the butter, maple syrup, water, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and nutmeg to a small saucepan, and heat over medium heat, stirring until butter has melted. Stop stirring and bring to simmer, and simmer for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
• Pour maple butter sauce over sweet potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Arrange sweet potato slices in 2 layers in the baking dish. Sprinkle with dried rosemary
• Bake for 1 hour, stirring the potatoes every 20 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
• After you remove the candied sweet potatoes from the oven, let them rest and cool for 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
• You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Sauce will be thick after refrigeration but it will thin out once warm.

TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Cut the sweet potatoes into similar sized slices so that they cook through evenly.
• Cover the potatoes with foil after 20 minutes of cooking so that the maple doesn’t burn.
• The sauce will thicken when you refrigerate the potatoes but will thin out again once reheated.

Serving Suggestions

These candied sweet potatoes are a great addition to any Thanksgiving or holiday dinner, but you definitely don’t need a special occasion to enjoy them! Try them with:

• Honey Dijon Salmon
• Baked Chicken Breasts
• Pork Medallions with Creamy Mushroom Marsala Sauce

Can you make them ahead of time?

This baked candied sweet potatoes recipe is a great make-ahead side so it’s a perfect choice if you are planning to serve them as part of a bigger feast.

Once you have cooked the potatoes, let them cool to room temperature and transfer them to an airtight container. They will keep well in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat the sweet potatoes in the oven until warmed through to serve.

Recipe FAQs

Can you make them vegan?

Yes, it’s really easy to make these southern candied sweet potatoes vegan, simply swap out the butter for a plant-based variety and you are good to go. It’s also gluten-free.

Can you make them ahead of time?

This baked candied sweet potatoes recipe is a great make-ahead side so it’s a perfect choice if you plan to serve them as part of a bigger feast. Prep and cook them up to 2 days in advance.
You can store leftover candied sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep well in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat the sweet potatoes in the oven until warmed through to serve.

Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes

• Roasted Root Vegetables
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Harvest Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
• Roasted Beets and Carrots
• Roasted Honey Glazed Carrots
• Green Beans Almondine
• Roasted Butternut Squash and Apples

If you enjoyed this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

These candied sweet potatoes are about to become your new favorite fall and Thanksgiving side. Simple to make, they are coated with a maple butter sauce for a wonderful sweet and salty dish that will be the star of your feast! Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients  

• 3 to 4 lbs sweet potatoes, 5-6 medium sweet potatoes, cut in ½” slices
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 3 Tablespoon water
• 1 cup brown sugar, or alternative brown sweetener
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 375 F and place sweet potato slices in a 9×13” casserole dish or 3 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and top and toss to coat.
• Add the butter, maple syrup, water, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and nutmeg to a small saucepan, and heat over medium heat, stirring until butter has melted. Stop stirring and bring to simmer, and simmer for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
• Pour maple butter sauce over sweet potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Arrange sweet potato slices in 2 layers in the baking dish. Sprinkle with dried rosemary
• Bake for 1 hour, stirring the potatoes every 20 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
• After you remove the candied sweet potatoes from the oven, let them rest and cool for 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
• You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Sauce will be thick after refrigeration but it will thin out once warm.

Video

Notes

• Cut the sweet potatoes into similar sized slices so that they cook through evenly.
• Cover the potatoes with foil after 20 minutes of cooking so that the maple doesn’t burn.
• The sauce will thicken when you refrigerate the potatoes but will thin out again once reheated.

Nutrition

• Calories: 383 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 68 g
• Protein: 3 g
• Fat: 12 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Cholesterol: 31 mg
• Sodium: 249 mg
• Potassium: 632 mg
• Fiber: 5 g
• Sugar: 40 g
• Vitamin A: 24486 IU
• Vitamin C: 4 mg
• Calcium: 91 mg
• Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary with ingredients, brands, and portion sizes. For accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator.