Sliced sweet potatoes are coated in a spiced, buttery sauce that becomes sticky and caramelized when baked. These are the richest and sauciest candied sweet potatoes I’ve ever made and are a Thanksgiving staple in our house.
The Sweet Potato Side Dish We Bust Out Every Thanksgiving
If you asked me to pick between my favorite holiday sweet potato side dishes, I’d definitely struggle to do so.
I mean, who can rank a perfectly sweet and savory sweet potato casserole topped with crispy pancetta and sage against a lusciously silky sweet potato soufflé? And now that my family has hopped aboard the candied sweet potato train, it makes me wonder — how many sweet potato sides are too many when planning your Thanksgiving menu?
These delightfully old-fashioned candied sweet potatoes are a breeze to whip up alongside your usual Thanksgiving mainstays. With just 7 basic ingredients, you can transform humble sliced sweet potatoes into saucy, candied perfection with minimal effort or planning on your part.
I’m definitely sneaking these onto our holiday table this year. There’s always room for one more side dish … even if half of them are sweet potatoes in one form or another 😂
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
For soft and tender rather than chewy-around-the-edges sweet potatoes, boil them before slicing. Most recipes have you slice the raw sweet potatoes and then bake right away, but this drastically increases the bake time and can create slightly chewy and crisp edges rather than saucy and caramelized ones.
Don’t skimp on the brown sugar, as that’s what forms the base of the sauce. The brown sugar will melt down and caramelize in the oven, adding the “candied” element to these baked candied sweet potatoes.
A splash of orange juice brightens up the sauce without making it taste citrusy. It’s that something-something that prevents the sweet potatoes from being cloyingly sweet.
The 7 Main Ingredients You’ll Need
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Sweet potatoes — You’ll need 6 medium sweet potatoes. Don’t peel or chop them, simply add them straight to the pot of water to boil.
- Brown sugar — The molasses in the brown sugar amps up the caramelized flavor of these Thanksgiving sweet potatoes. Don’t swap with granulated sugar or you’ll miss out on that caramel flavor.
- Butter — Salted or unsalted both work, just make sure to use real butter to create a luscious, sticky sauce.
- Spices — A blend of kosher salt, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger flavor the sweet potatoes without overwhelming their naturally sweet flavor.
- Orange juice — Freshly squeezed is ideal, but I’ve also used a quality bottled orange juice (i.e. not from concentrate!) and had good results.
How to Make Candied Sweet Potatoes in the Oven
- Boil and slice the sweet potatoes. Pop the sweet potatoes (whole and unpeeled) into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, then drain and carefully peel off the skins before slicing.
Heidi’s Tip: You always want to submerge your sweet potatoes in water and then bring to a boil. This ensures even cooking from the inside out; if you place the sweet potatoes in already boiling water, the outsides will cook long before the insides do.
- Assemble in a casserole dish. Layer half of the sweet potato slices in a 9×13-inch baking dish, then top with half of the butter, brown sugar, and spices. Repeat this layering process once more and then drizzle with orange juice.
- Bake uncovered. You’ll know your candied sweet potatoes are done when the sauce has thickened up and is bubbling.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 medium-size sweet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Boil and prepare the sweet potatoes. Add 6 medium sweet potatoes with the skin on, to a 3-quart saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, and cook for 30-40 minutes, depending on their size, until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain, cool, peel, then cut into ¼-inch slices. Heat the oven to 375°F.
- Layer the casserole. Arrange the slices in two layers, overlapping, in a large, buttered baking dish. Sprinkle each layer with 2 tablespoons butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger. Drizzle the top with 3 tablespoons orange juice.
- Bake the sweet potatoes. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, basting occasionally, until glazed and bubbly.
Nutrition
What to Serve With Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Mains — Roast Turkey Breast, Juicy Roast Turkey, Glazed Ham, Whole Roast Chicken
- Sides — Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash, Green Bean Casserole, or try one of these 40+ EASY Thanksgiving Sides
- Salads — Roasted Beet and Ricotta Salad, Cranberry Apple Kale Salad, Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Desserts — Chocolate Cream Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie
Storage Tips
Let the leftovers cool completely before covering tightly with foil or transferring to an airtight container. They’ll keep for 3 to 5 days in the fridge and individual portions reheat well in the microwave.
More Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Recipes
- Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sweet Potato Soufflé
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Best Ever Baked Sweet Potatoes
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