Description
This Candied Sweet Potatoes recipe offers a deliciously sweet and spiced side dish featuring tender sweet potato cubes coated in a buttery maple syrup glaze with warm cinnamon and nutmeg notes, finished with crunchy pecans for added texture. Perfect for holiday dinners or cozy family meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potatoes
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
Syrup Mixture
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Garnish
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking when the sweet potatoes are prepared.
- Boil sweet potatoes: Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot of boiling water. Cook for 10-12 minutes until they are just tender but not mushy, then drain and set aside.
- Make syrup mixture: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir continuously and cook for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Coat sweet potatoes: Add the boiled sweet potatoes to the syrup mixture in the saucepan, gently tossing to coat all pieces evenly with the glaze.
- Prepare for baking: Transfer the coated sweet potatoes into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour any remaining syrup over the top for extra flavor.
- Add pecans (optional): Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the sweet potatoes if desired for added crunch and nuttiness.
- Bake sweet potatoes: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Stir the sweet potatoes halfway through baking to ensure even cooking and glaze formation. The sweet potatoes should be tender and the syrup thickened into a shiny glaze at the end.
- Cool and serve: Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly to let the glaze set before serving. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- Boiling the sweet potatoes before baking ensures they cook evenly and remain tender without drying out.
- Chopped pecans add a nice crunch but can be omitted for nut-free versions.
- Adjust sweetness by modifying the amount of brown sugar or maple syrup to taste.
- Use fresh spices for best flavor; ground cinnamon and nutmeg elevate the dish’s warmth.
- For a vegan variation, substitute butter with a vegan butter or coconut oil.
