Sweet potatoes are a must for me at Thanksgiving and these Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes are one of my favorites! The sweet potato really shines through with a little bit of butter, brown sugar, pecans and warm spices.
I grew up having marshmallows toasted on top of my mashed sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. So I decided to add them to this recipe too. They’re definitely optional here but SO delicious! A match made in heaven if you ask me.
Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes is a simple yet delicious recipe. It’s a great Thanksgiving or Christmas side. Perfect for any occasion during the holiday season!
If you love these candied sweet potatoes then you’ll love my Southern Sweet Potato Pie!
More Thanksgiving recipes!
- Homemade Au Gratin Potatoes
- Southern Sweet Potato Pie
- Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie
- Glazed Shallots
- Dutch Apple Pie
Can you make candied sweet potatoes ahead of time?
These Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes can be made ahead of time and reheated when you’re ready to eat. The holidays are always busy and jammed packed with cooking. This can make things easier on you during that time.
Prepare the Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes according to the recipe but don’t add the marshmallows. When you’re ready to eat then just heat the oven to 350°F and bake the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes covered.
Give them a stir to make sure they’re hot then add the marshmallows on top and toast in the oven for 5 minutes until brown. Serve the candied sweet potatoes hot.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Sweet Potatoes – The star of the dish
- Brown Sugar – For a sweet taste with a hint of molasses
- Butter – Roasting sweet potatoes in butter adds a delicious depth of flavor
- Kosher Salt – The salt will enhance the sweet flavor and bring out the sweet potato taste
- Pecans – These are optional but add a nice crunch and flavor to the dish
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon goes so well with sweet potatoes and brown sugar
- Cloves – Cloves add a nice little holiday flavor touch to the candied sweet potatoes
- Marshmallows – For an extra delicious topping. These are optional
Equipment needed
- Peeler – I use a peeler like this
- Baking Dish – I like to use a ceramic baking dish for my candied sweet potatoes. I have this set and love it!
- Oven – You’ll need to roast the sweet potatoes in the oven
Tips for the best Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Make sure to give the sweet potatoes a stir 2 – 3 times while they’re roasting. This helps keep them evenly covered in butter and ensures they cook evenly
- If you don’t like pecans you can leave them out or substitute walnuts
- Don’t burn the marshmallow top! Keep an eye on it if you plan to toast marshmallows on top
- Make these candied sweet potatoes a day ahead of time and reheat them in the oven when you’re ready to eat
- If you like a good sweet/heat combo add 1/8 tsp chipotle chile powder to these candied sweet potatoes!
How to make Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into 1/4 inch rounds. Layer them into your dish.
Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with brown sugar, pecans, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Toss potatoes to coat then dot with cubed butter. Roast for 35 – 45 minutes, stirring every 10 – 15 minutes.
Remove candied sweet potatoes from the oven then serve while hot if you’re not using marshmallows. If you’re topping with marshmallows then sprinkle them over the top and bake and additional 5 minutes.
The marshmallows will be puffed up and slightly brown when done. Serve immediately.
Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Try my Glazed Shallots or Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie!
If you make my Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes please leave me a rating and/or review!
If you want all the newest recipes sent straight to your inbox then don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter! I would absolutely love you to leave me a rating or review at the bottom of this post if you make this Glazed Shallots recipe! I love hearing feedback from everyone. Please tag me in any Instagram photos if you make my recipes, I love to see what you’re cooking! Follow along on Instagram!
Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- oven
- peeler
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mix
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes peeled, cut into 1/4 circles
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp cloves ground
- ½ cup pecans rough chop
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter 1 inch cubes
Topping
- 1 cup marshmallows optional
Instructions
Prepping the Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes then layer them into a 10×7 baking dish
- Top sweet potatoes with brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves and pecan. Toss to coat
- Dot sweet potato mix with cubes of butter
- Bake 35-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes
Top with Marshmallows
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, top with marshmallows if using and bake another 5 minutes until marshmallows are puffed and slightly brown
- Serve hot and enjoy!
My Mom always makes hers with marshmallows on top as well and I’d never try them growing up. Now I love sweet potatoes and I’m sad for all the years I passed them up!!
I’ve been trying to get my girls to try them too and they won’t! That’s what I always tell them, You don’t know what you’re missing!