Stovetop Candied Sweet Potatoes
This stovetop candied sweet potato deserves a place on your Thanksgiving or weeknight dinner table. It’s a delicious and simple side dish that will impress everyone, holidays or not. The sweet potatoes are soft, buttery, and perfectly sweetened (but not sickly sweet) with a hint of saltiness.
This stovetop candied sweet potato is so easy and quick to make and will be ready in under 30 minutes from prep to finish. It is perfect for those busy holiday or weeknight dinners or when you need a last-minute side dish.
This is my favorite way of making this sweet and sticky buttery side dish. It is quick and requires minimal effort. Once you learn to make it on the stovetop, you will not return to baking it in the oven.
By the way, yam and sweet potatoes are botanically different. However, in the US, sweet potato is often referred as yams. I am not going to give reasons behind it, but all I can tell you is that this stovetop candied sweet potatoes or yam (if you are reading from the US) is so darn good it will be on your table every time. It can also double as dessert. Just serve it with some ice cream and chopped pecans, pistachios or walnuts.
Related recipes: Baked Sweet potato slices, baked apple slices and air fryer sweet potatoes.
What you will need
Sweet potatoes
Unsalted butter
Sea salt
Dark brown sugar
Maple syrup
Orange juice
Orange zest
Spices: I used cinnamon and nutmeg for that holiday flavor. You can leave them out if you prefer.
Vanilla extract: Optional
How to make stovetop candied potatoes
Wash and peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into rounds or cubes of similar sizes. You can also cut them into small cubes if you prefer
Place a skillet on medium heat. Add the butter and leave to melt, ensuring it doesn’t burn. Next, add brown sugar, maple syrup, orange juice, orange zest, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Stir until all the ingredients are well combined and the sugar is fully combined.
Add the sweet potatoes and stir to combine with the sauce.
Cover the skillet and let it simmer on low heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring halfway through or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and fork-tender. At this point, the sauce should be syrupy and thick enough to coat the potatoes.
Once done, remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Spoon all that delicious caramel sauce over the sweet potatoes and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Watch how to make it
Can it be made ahead
This stovetop candied sweet potatoes can be made ahead and reheated in the oven (preferably) or the microwave. For best results, separate the sauce from the potato (to stop it from getting soggy) before storing it and pour it over it just before reheating.
Tips
- Leave the dish to cool slightly before serving, as the caramelized syrup will be extremely hot.
- For a more holiday twist, you can add chopped toasted pecans or walnuts to the dish just before serving. The nuts add a nice crunch and contrast to the soft texture of sweet potatoes.
- You can also use different spices like ginger, allspice, or cloves if you prefer
More side dishes you will love
Bacon wrapped Brussels sprouts
Air fryer asparagus with parmesan
Stovetop Candied Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2.2 lb Sweet potatoes
- 100 g Unsalted butter
- ½ cup Dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup Maple syrup
- ¼ cup Orange juice
- Orange zest from 1 small orange
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmegs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Wash and peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into rounds (6-8cm thick) or cubes of similar sizes. You can also cut them into small cubes if you prefer
- Place a skillet on medium heat. Add the butter and leave to melt, ensuring it doesn’t burn. Next, add brown sugar, maple syrup, orange juice, orange zest, pinch of sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Stir until all the ingredients are well combined and the sugar is fully combined.
- Add the sweet potatoes and stir to combine with the sauce.
- Cover the skillet partially and let it simmer on low heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring halfway through until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and fork-tender. At this point, the sauce should be syrupy and thick enough to coat the potatoes.
- Once done, remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Spoon all that delicious caramel sauce over the sweet potatoes and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can cook up to 3 pounds of sweet potatoes with this recipe.
- Leave the dish to cool slightly before serving, as the caramelized syrup will be extremely hot.
- For a more holiday twist, you can add chopped toasted pecans or walnuts to the dish just before serving.
- The nuts add a nice crunch and contrast to the soft texture of sweet potatoes. You can also use different spices like ginger, allspice, or cloves if you prefer
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
And there you have it, a simple and delicious sweet potato recipe you can make at home in no time. As always, if you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Kindly rate the recipe 5 stars and leave me feedback in the comment section below. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save it to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox.
