American · Side · Easy
Candied Yams
Tender sweet potatoes under a crackly brown sugar top with marshmallows toasted to gold. Sweet enough to count as dessert, and it has never once pretended otherwise.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Candied Yams, in 5 ideas
- Brown the butter for the topping and the whole dish tastes like caramel.
- A pinch of salt is the difference between sweet and flat. Do not skip it.
- Swap the marshmallows for a pecan streusel if your table leans that way.
- A splash of orange juice in the mash brightens the sweetness.
- This reheats beautifully, so it is a safe make ahead for a crowded oven.
What you need
Ingredients
- 4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/3 cup butter, plus 2 tbsp for the top
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, plus 1/4 cup for the crust
- 1/4 cup milk or cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
How to make it
Directions
- Boil the sweet potatoes in salted water until completely tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well.
- Mash the sweet potatoes with the butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and fluffy.
- Spread the mash into a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish and smooth the top.
- Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar evenly over the top and dot with the extra butter.
- Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes, until the sugar has melted into a glossy crust.
- Scatter the marshmallows over the top and bake 5 to 8 minutes more, watching closely, until puffed and golden in spots.
Drain the sweet potatoes and return them to the hot pot for a minute to steam off extra water. Wet potatoes make a loose, weepy casserole.