These Candied Sweet Potatoes are creamy, tender, and coated in a caramelized, sweet as candy glaze. Sliced sweet potatoes are slow cooked on the stove top in a mixture of sugar, brown sugar, butter, maple extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. You and your guests will love this sweet, rich, and indulgent Thanksgiving side dish.
A touch of maple extract ties all the flavors together and perfectly balances sweet and savory. The result is tender, sweet, and cinnamon-kissed sweet potatoes that will leave everyone at your table craving more.
Quick Look: Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes
- ⏲️Ready in: 1 hour
- 👪Serves: 8
- 🥘Key Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple extract
- 🍳Method: Stove top
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy
- 👩🍳Texture/Flavor: Tender sweet potato slices slow cooked in a cast iron skillet with a sweet, buttery glaze and hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- ☀️Best For: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday meals
- ✅Why You'll Love It: Easy to make on the stove top, freeing up valuable oven space. A cast iron skillet helps create the signature caramelized glaze.
Summarize & Save this content on:
Cooking sweet potatoes on the stove allows you to caramelize them directly in the sugary syrup, creating a beautiful, glossy glaze that coats each piece. It also means you free up oven space for that Southern Cornbread Dressing!
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Why You'll Love These Sweet Potatoes
- Ingredients for Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Ingredient Substitutions and Additions
- How to Make Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes
- What Goes with Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Peeling Sweet Potatoes
- Anne's Recipe Tips
- More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Storing Leftovers
- Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes FAQs
- More Side Dishes for the Holidays
- Recipe
- Comments
Why You'll Love These Sweet Potatoes
Stove top candied sweet potatoes have been cherished for generations for good reason! The natural sweetness of sweet potatoes combined with the richness of butter, the sweet notes of both white and brown sugar, and a hint of warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
With this sweet potatoes being so rich and sweet, sometimes I wonder, is this a side dish or a dessert? Then when I eat them, I really don't care about what category they're in 🙂 Sweet potatoes are my favorite holiday vegetable, and if you're here, they're probably yours, too!
Ingredients for Candied Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes - the star of the show! To help with the slicing, try to pick out the smaller, longer sweet potatoes instead of the larger, thicker ones. If you buy a 3-lb bag of sweet potatoes, they tend to be the smaller, longer type.
Butter - adds richness and flavor yes, but also creates the distinctive caramelization of the syrup that coats the sweet potatoes. You will use 2 sticks of butter to create the perfect buttery, sweet syrup that the sweet potatoes will cook in.
Sugar - with both white sugar and brown sugar, add even more sweetness to the dish and create a glossy, candy-like coating.
Cinnamon and nutmeg - these spices bring warmth and depth to the dish; if you're not a nutmeg fan, just leave it out. But the cinnamon is a must!
Maple extract - I really like to use maple extract for its subtle flavor. I also use it in my White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins and my Biscoff Blondies recipes. I'm in love with the flavor it adds!
Ingredient Substitutions and Additions
- Sweet potatoes and yams are not the same vegetable. Here in the U.S., if you see "yams" in the grocery store, they're actually sweet potatoes. True yams have a drier, starchier texture and aren't a good substitute for this recipe.
- You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste instead of maple extract for a different twist.
- Instead of cinnamon and nutmeg, use allspice. Allspice has warm, earthy notes with a hint of cloves and cinnamon.
- Adding chopped pecans on top before serving can add extra flavor and texture.
- Grated orange zest can brighten up the sweetness and add a citrusy aroma.
- For a surprising twist, a pinch of chili powder can add a hint of heat to balance the sweetness.
Need two side dishes? Try my Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole; it's a savory side dish that pairs perfectly with these candied sweet potatoes, and they also won't take up any oven space!
How to Make Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes
Please follow the recipe card for the best results.
Photo 1 - melt the butter in a large, deep skillet. Stir in both sugars, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Photo 2 - add the sliced and peeled sweet potatoes. Stir to coat all the sweet potato slices.
Photo 3 - bring mixture to a boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the maple extract.
What Goes with Candied Sweet Potatoes
Stove top candied sweet potatoes pair wonderfully with a traditional Thanksgiving spread. Serve them alongside turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and Cheesy Green Bean Casserole for a well-rounded meal. They also make a fantastic side for other occasions, like Christmas dinners or Sunday roasts.
Peeling Sweet Potatoes
What the easiest way to get the skin off sweet potatoes? Having the right tool to do it will make a huge difference!
- You can use your regular potato peeler but it can get a little tricky because sweet potatoes are harder and more bumpy than regular potatoes giving the regular potato peeler (and you!) a little more of a challenge.
- You could use a sharp knife, but it seems a little wasteful because more often than not, you get a lot of sweet potato still stuck to the skin!
- I've found the best and easiest way to peel a sweet potato is with a serrated peeler like this Boxgear Dual Blade Peeler (affiliate link).
Since I'm more of a "visual" learner, here's a handy YouTube video I think is very helpful! How to Peel Sweet Potatoes Easily, Safely, and Without Waste.
Anne's Recipe Tips
- Evenly slice the sweet potatoes to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
- Keep the heat low while simmering. You want the sweet potatoes to cook slowly in the buttery sugar mixture without scorching the glaze.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet Potato Cornbread - hot sweet potato cornbread is topped with butter and honey! A southern cornbread experience you must try!
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole - creamy mashed sweet potatoes are topped with pecan praline topping! The topping reminds me of my little Cajun grandmother's pralines.
Storing Leftovers
To store leftover Candied Sweet Potatoes, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes FAQs
Absolutely! You can prepare the candied sweet potatoes a day in advance and reheat them on the stove top just before serving.
In most U.S. grocery stores, the orange-fleshed vegetables labeled "yams" are actually sweet potatoes, and they're fine to use here. True yams are a different vegetable with a drier, starchier texture and aren't a good substitute for this recipe.
Slice the sweet potatoes evenly and stir them gently as they cook. Once they're tender, too much stirring can cause the slices to break apart.
And then give your actual doneness cue-fork-tender, knife slides through, whatever you use.
More Side Dishes for the Holidays
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Recipe
Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- large, deep skillet cast iron is preferred
- vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 6 sweet potatoes 3 pounds
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed in the measuring cup) light or dark
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon maple extract or vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the best results, please review the instructions before you begin the recipe.
- Peel, rinse, and dry the sweet potatoes. Slice them into ½-inch rounds. Set aside.
- In a large high-walled cast iron skillet (minimum 3 quarts), over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in both sugars, salt, optional nutmeg, and cinnamon. Use a whisk to combine and stir until the sugars are completely dissolved.
- Add the sweet potatoes and stir until all the slices are coated with the sugar mixture. Note: The butter-sugar mixture will be thick but it will liquify as it cooks.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the skillet with a lid, reduce the heat to low (ensure there is a very slow simmer) and cook for 15 minutes. Quicky stir the sweet potatoes, put the lid back on, and continue to slow simmer for another 20-25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Tip: a slow simmer is when you can hear a slow bubbling sound while the lid is on.
- When the potatoes are tender, remove the skillet from the heat. Gently stir in the maple extract. Note: the liquid's consistency will be like syrup and this is the way it's supposed to be. However, if you want to thicken it up, add about 1 cup of the sweet potatoes to a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth and no lumps (or use a food processor). Add the mashed sweet potatoes back into the candied sweet potatoes and stir.
Notes
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- Slice the sweet potatoes evenly to ensure even cooking.
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- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
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- Adjust the sugar and spices to suit your taste preferences.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
Comments
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