Look, I know your oven may have an overbooked schedule between the turkey, the dressing, that one side dish from 1932 that no one but your grandpa demands every year and no one has the heart to say 'no'. That's why we're setting these on the stove top.
That's why I have made the candied yam trifecta: an option to make my grandma's soul food candied yams in the oven, southern yams in the crockpot, and now also on the stove. No excuse for not having yams on the table!
These candied yams are sweet potatoes taken up several notches. We have a glossy brown sugar and butter glaze speckled with cinnamon and vanilla bean from homemade vanilla paste, brightened with ginger and orange juice, and given some love with a shot of bourbon.
I just felt the need to give the old fashioned flavors a little zhush this year, they'll be touching the mac and cheese after all.
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Why You'll Love these Stovetop Candied Yams
- No oven needed. This stovetop candied yams recipe frees up precious oven space for your turkey or mac and cheese, perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday spread.
- Make-ahead friendly. These yams reheat beautifully! Just warm them gently and that syrup melts right back into glossy perfection.
- Perfect texture every time. The yams turn soft and buttery, not mushy or falling apart, with a rich glaze that actually sticks to every bite.
Ingredients Needed
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Fresh Sweet Potatoes - do not grab 'yam' at the grocery store! You're looking for sweet potatoes, they're usually labeled Beauregard, Jewel, or Garnet varieties.
- Butter - use salted or unsalted, just make sure to taste the sauce before serving. Even sweet things need salt.
- Dark Brown Sugar - I use dark brown sugar for that molasses-y sweetness, but light brown works, too.
- Orange Juice - fresh or bottled works.
- Bourbon - I use Uncle Nearest, love it.
- Vanilla Bean Paste - or vanilla extract, but I just made a ton of vanilla paste to give as gifts so it's what I used!
- Spices - some freshly ground nutmeg, a little cinnamon, cloves and ground ginger for a touch of spice.
How to Make Southern Candied Yams on the Stove Top
Step 1
Melt the butter and build your base.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or braiser, melt the butter over medium heat until it’s foamy and fragrant.
Step 2
Make the brown sugar glaze.
Stir the dark brown sugar into the melted butter until it dissolves into a glossy caramel base, then whisk in the orange juice, bourbon, vanilla bean paste, and warm spices until the syrup smells rich and cozy.
Step 3
Add the sweet potatoes and simmer until glossy.
Toss the sweet potato slices in the syrup until coated, then lower the heat and cover. Let them simmer gently for 30–40 minutes, basting every so often until tender.
Uncover and cook 10-15 minutes more, spooning the syrup over the yams as it thickens into a shiny, caramel-like glaze.
Step 4
Serve warm.
Turn off the heat and let them sit a few minutes so the syrup. Spoon into a serving dish and drizzle with any extra syrup from the pan.
Equipment I Used
Chef's Tips
- Don’t over-stir. Once the syrup is bubbling, stop stirring and just baste. Spoon that syrup over the yams every so often to coat them evenly.
- Keep an eye on consistency. If the syrup’s too thin, simmer uncovered a few extra minutes. If it’s too thick or sticky, add a tablespoon of water or orange juice to loosen it up.
- Use a heavy pan. A wide, heavy-bottomed skillet or braiser keeps the syrup from scorching. Thin pans make hot spots that burn the sugar.
Troubleshooting
The heat was probably too high. Keep the stove on medium-low once the syrup starts bubbling. You want a gentle simmer; if it boils hard, it’ll scorch before the potatoes are tender.
They either weren’t cut evenly or didn’t simmer long enough. Make sure the syrup stays at a steady simmer and cover the pot for the first part of cooking to trap steam and help soften them.
Yes you can! Let them cool completely in the syrup, then keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The syrup thickens as it chills. Reheat gently with a splash of water or orange juice to loosen the glaze, then baste before serving.
Sure! Just make sure your skillet is oven-safe and tuck the candied yams + marshmallows under your broiler for a couple of minutes until the marshmallows bubble up and brown.
What's the Difference between Yams and Sweet Potatoes?
The sweet potatoes we use in the U.S. have a smoother skin that's reddish in color with orange flesh, while a yam is a tougher tuber with bark-like skin and white flesh.
So a candied yam is actually a candied sweet potato. You're like 'why is it called yams, then?!' and it's simple: Black Americans named it that!
When pumpkin desserts became all the rage with European nobility, the American nouveaux riche tried to keep up...but the south was struggling growing pumpkins. Sweet potatoes were swapped in and the Black chefs called them 'yams' due to their visual similarity to the yams back in Africa.
More Thanksgiving Sides We Love
Candied yams are always on my thanksgiving menu, they're just too good! I hope y'all love them as much as we do around here. Tag me @sweet_tea_thyme so I can see your recreations, I love when you do!
Stovetop Candied Yams
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, salted or unsalted
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup orange juice, fresh or bottled
- 2 tablespoon bourbon whiskey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅕ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 Pinch kosher salt
- 3 lbs fresh sweet potatoes, about 4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and chopped into ¾–1 inch thick pieces
- caramelized pecans, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or braiser, melt the butter over medium heat.½ cup butter
- Stir in the dark brown sugar until it dissolves into a glossy caramel base, then whisk in the orange juice, bourbon, vanilla paste, and spices until well combined.1 cup dark brown sugar, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 tablespoon bourbon whiskey, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 Pinch kosher salt, ⅕ teaspoon ground cloves
- Add the sweet potato chunks into the syrup, toss to coat, then lower the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Let them simmer gently for 35-40 minutes, stirring and basting occasionally until they're fork tender.3 lbs fresh sweet potatoes
- Remove the lid and let cook for another 10-15 minutes, spooning the syrup over the candied yams as it thickens to coat them. Taste and adjust for salt as needed.
- Let the yams rest for a few minutes off heat so the syrup thickens more. Spoon them into a serving dish and pour all the extra syrup from the pan over them, then garnish with pecans and serve.caramelized pecans
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