Easy Candied Yams (sweet potatoes) are a quick way to serve up this popular side dish this holiday season with no peeling and slicing potatoes required! If you can open a can of sweet potatoes, you can get this dish made! In fact, it is so easy that you may want to serve it all year, and not just for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner menus. If you do have a bit more time, I also have a Candied Yams recipe made with fresh sweet potatoes that is delicious!

Pan of Easy Candied Yams on a table from overhead with a spoon.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Yams: Look for a 40-ounce can of cut yams or sweet potatoes. They can be in water or in syrup since you will drain them before using.

Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar provides the sweetness and a hint of caramel flavor to the side dish.

Butter: Pieces of unsalted butter are evenly distributed over the tops of the yams to help create the syrupy glaze. It also gives the dish some richness. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt in the recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: For the most flavor, make homemade pumpkin pie spice to add to the yams.

Ingredients for making Easy Candied Yams in a pan from overhead.

Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes

Are they yams or are they sweet potatoes? When shopping for yams, you will more than likely be buying sweet potatoes. In fact, the two are very different and yams are not very common in the United States. Yams have rough dark skin and the flesh is starchy and white, not sweet at all! In fact, a true yam tastes more like a white russet potato than a sweet potato. When I am buying sweet potatoes (sometimes mislabeled as yams) at the grocery store, I am looking for the orange inside. For all practical purposes, the terms are interchangeable in many traditional American recipes. But, if you do get your hands on yams, this recipe will taste a bit different.

How To Store Candied Yams

To store candied yams, first, let them cool completely. Next, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in the oven or in the microwave.

Close up of Easy Candied Yams in a pan with a spoon.

Can I Freeze Candied Yams?

Sure, you can freeze candied yams, but it may affect the texture when reheated. To freeze, let the dish cool completely. Then, store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, let them thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

4 from 1 vote

Easy Candied Yams

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

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Ingredients

▢ 1 can (40 ounces) cut yams or sweet potatoes, drained
▢ 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
▢ 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
▢ ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
To an 8×8-inch baking dish, add yams or sweet potatoes. Sprinkle brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt over the top.
Evenly top with butter pieces.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly and the syrup is thick, stirring halfway through baking. Serve immediately.