Sweet potatoes are a must for me for Thanksgiving dinner, and these Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes are one of my favorites! The fresh sweet potatoes really shine through with a little bit of butter, brown sugar, pecans, warm spices, and a marshmallow topping.
Try a spicy mac and cheese recipe or sourdough stuffing recipe for an additional star side dish at your Thanksgiving dinner table.
In the American South, sweet potato casserole is a staple. There are different ways to make it, and most people have a firm stand on the 'great marshmallow debate.
I grew up with toasted marshmallows on top of my 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 are a simple yet delicious recipe. This casserole dish is an excellent choice for any holiday meal or Sunday dinner.
It's the perfect addition during the holiday season! Another easy sweet potato recipe I love at the holidays is Sweet Potato Pudding and Alexia Sweet Potato Fries in an air fryer.
Another holiday side I can’t live without is an Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board. With simple ingredients, it’s perfect for snacking before and after dinner! Even the night before when you’re preparing all of the other dishes.
If you love these candied sweet potatoes then you'll love my Southern Sweet Potato Pie!
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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 for you during that time. Double down and make your pumpkin pie with sweetened condensed milk that day too!
Prepare the sweet potatoes recipe with the brown sugar mixture to make the candied glaze, but don’t add the marshmallows. When you’re ready to eat, 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
You can find these simple ingredients at your local grocery store.
- Sweet Potatoes – The star of the dish. Try them in Sweet Potato Pound Cake too!
- Brown Sugar – For a sweet taste with a hint of molasses.
- Unsalted 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.
Tips for the best Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes
Use these tips and tricks to make this casserole one of your favorite dishes.
- 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 in the brown sugar glaze.
- Don’t burn the marshmallow top for the best flavor. Keep an eye on the dish after putting it back in the oven because it can go from golden brown to black in an instant.
- Make these candied sweet potatoes a day ahead of time (without the marshmallow) then reheat them in the oven when you’re ready to eat. Add the marshmallow topping after reheating and bake for 3-5 minutes until marshmallows are puffed and slightly brown.
Variations
Here are some other options to make this easy recipe, depending on your tastes and preferences.
- If you don’t like pecans, you can leave them out or substitute walnuts.
- For a good sweet/heat combo, add ⅛ tsp chipotle chile powder or cayenne powder to these candied sweet potatoes!
- Try using real yams if you have access to them and want to change up the flavor a bit.
- Use large marshmallows rather than mini marshmallows.
How to make Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into ¼-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 until they're fork tender.
Remove candied sweet potatoes from the oven, then serve while hot if you’re not using marshmallows. If you’re topping with marshmallows, sprinkle them over the top then bake for an 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!
How to store
Refrigerate - Store this Thanksgiving side dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Reheat - When you're ready to eat Thanksgiving leftovers, scoop some of the potatoes onto a plate and heat in the microwave in 30-second increments until it's warm all the way through.
Freeze - This is the perfect holiday side dish to make ahead of time and store for when you're ready to eat. Cooking Christmas dinner can be chaotic, and having one (or more) dishes done ahead of time will take pressure off you.
Prep this delicious side dish, then cover the top with a layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. When you're ready to cook the dish, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake them according to the directions.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the tender sweet potatoes taste too mushy, you may have overcooked them. You should be able to slide a fork or knife into the potatoes without resistance. Once they reach that point, pull them out and allow them to rest on the counter with aluminum foil over the top.
Yes, you can definitely make these old-fashioned sweet potatoes without adding marshmallows to the top. The brown sugar and butter do a wonderful job of creating a candied mixture that turns golden brown and delicious when baked.
Sweet potatoes and yams are different root vegetables. Yams have a rough tree bark-like skin, a white interior, and a more neutral flavor, like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have reddish skin, orange flesh on the inside, and a sweet flavor. You can make this wonderful side dish with either option.
If you make my Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes please leave me a rating and/or review!
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Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- oven
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mix
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes peeled, cut into ¼ circles
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp cloves ground
- ½ cup pecans rough chop
- 7 tablespoon 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 10x7 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 3-5 minutes until marshmallows are puffed and slightly brown
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Connie
I made these tonight for Thanksgiving and they are fantastic. I definitely will be making these again.
Krista Stechman
Glad you liked them! Thank you 🙂
Grace
I just cut and layered all my potatoes and the next step says to toss them….
Krista Stechman
Sorry for the confusion! They do not need to be layered perfectly. They do however, need to be coated with the additional ingredients. Hope you were still able to enjoy them!
Christine
These are delicious!
admin
Thanks!!
Lauren
Made these for Thanksgiving and they were SO GOOD!! I made them vegan by using vegan butter (earth balance) and vegan mini marshmallows (dandies)! They were so easy to make and will definitely be added to the annual side dish menu!
admin
So happy to hear that! Thank you!
Amber
Made these today for thanksgiving but after 45 mins the sweet potatoes are still rock solid. Had to add an additional 40 mins before they got soft enough to add the marshmellow
Krista Stechman
Oh, sorry to hear that! You can try cutting them a little thinner next time to speed up the cooking process. Hope you still enjoyed them!
Amy
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!!
admin
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!