Do you love caramelized food? With a hint of marshmallows and minimal effort, let us get introduced to Candied Yams. They are sweet potatoes coated in brown sugar, spices, and butter. These decadent sweet Candied Yams are delicious as a perfect holiday side dish. If you wish to showcase sweet potatoes as a simple weeknight dinner or for a particular reason, this dish is perfect.
Candied Yams are different from sweet potatoes. The recipe for Candied Yams is relatively straightforward to make. These yams melt in your mouth to give you the best candy floss feeling. The combination of marshmallows with the yams is just lip-smacking and tasty. If you plan to invite your friends or family over for a weeknight dinner, do not miss out on trying this recipe. Let us know the most elegant and tastiest recipe for Candied Yams.
Ingredients Required To Prepare The Candied Yams
- 4 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces.
- ⅔ cup of packed dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter.
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups of miniature marshmallows.
- Cooking spray.
Instructions To Cook The Candied Yams
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Take a 9*13 inch pan and coat it with cooking spray.
- Put the sweet potatoes in uniform later in the dish.
- Take a sample bowl and combine brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, butter, and nutmeg.
- Pour this mixture of brown sugar on the sweet potatoes.
- Toss them until all the sweet potatoes get evenly coated in the sauce.
- Bake the yams for about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Keep stirring them every 15 to 20 minutes until they become caramelized and soft.
- Sprinkle the miniature marshmallows on top.
- For another 5 minutes, bake the dish until the marshmallows are golden brown and melted.
- Serve the dish immediately.
And tada! Your yummiest Candied Yams is ready in just 30 minutes. With the blend of soft marshmallows and spices of sweet potatoes, this side dish is worth getting obsessed with. They are best for satisfying your sweet cravings and serve as the best appetizer.
Nutritional Calculation Of The Candied Yams
One-time preparation of the Candied Yams yields six servings. Per serving has the following nutritional calculation
- Calories – 381 kcal
- Carbohydrates – 74 gms
- Protein – 4 gms
- Fat – 9 gms
- Saturated fat – 5 gms
- Sodium – 286 mg
- Cholesterol – 23 mg
- Sugar – 34 gms
- Vitamin A – 32438 IU
- Vitamin C – 5 mg
- Calcium – 88 mg
- Iron – 2 mg
- Potassium – 789 mg
- Fibre – 7 gms
Tips To Make The Best Candied Yams
If you want to make the best quality Candied Yams, do not forget to abide by the below-mentioned tips and tricks.
- Try choosing thinner and long sweet potatoes as they are easy to cut into smaller pieces.
- Try to avoid chopping yams into variable sizes as they can affect the cooking.
- Serve this side dish instantly upon taking it out of the oven. When the marshmallows are hot and golden brown, they give the best taste.
Variations Of Candied Yams
Candied Yams are fun to make for weeknight dinner and holiday plans. They are just finger-licking tasty and melt instantly inside your mouth. Below are some quick variations to play with when planning to make Candied Yams.
- You can cut out the miniature marshmallows from the recipe to enjoy the tasteful bliss of brown sugar sauce.
- You can add chopped peanuts like walnuts or pecans as per your choice. Sprinkle the nuts over the yams and toss them into the dish.
- Instead of marshmallows, you can try using brown streusel topping. To make this topping, take a bowl and add ½ cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of flour, 4 tablespoon melted butter, and ¼ chopped pecans. Combine everything and place the crumbles over the yams before they are perfectly baked.
- If you want to add a hint of extra flavour, feel free to do the same by squeezing orange juice or fresh orange zest.
- To make it a bit spicy, consider adding ground ginger or allspice.
Difference Between Sweet Potatoes And Yams
If you have ever been to a grocery store, you must know that yams are sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are available in different shapes and colours. Many times, the grocery stores tag orange-fleshed sweet potatoes as yams. However, there is a hairline difference between yams and sweet potatoes. True yams are root vegetables that are available in Asia and Africa. It has rough brown skin; make Candied Yams; do not use true yams as you might not have the desired results. Instead, you can use red or orange-fleshed sweet potatoes for making this recipe. The use of garnet varieties of sweet potatoes is best for this recipe.
Are Yams Healthy For You?
Whenever considering making a side dish, do not forget to check out this fantastic Candied Yams recipe. Yams not only taste good but are also healthy for you. They are loaded with nutrients with Vitamin B5, B6, A, potassium, and manganese. The fibre content in yams positively affects the digestive system and is even beneficial for eyesight. As a perfect side dish, you can incorporate Candied Yams as a part of your balanced diet anytime.
Other Side Dishes To Get Obsessed With
Side dishes are the perfect appetizer to quench your instant cravings. Making Candied Yams satisfies your savoury desire and positively impacts your diet. A few other side dishes which you should try today are as follows:
- Broccoli Casserole
- Roasted Green Beans
- Scalloped Corn Casserole
- Grilled Mushrooms
- Grilled Zucchini with Herbs and Garlic
The Bottom Line
Candied Yams are a perfect mixture of crispy sweet potatoes and tender miniature marshmallows. It’s an easy-to-go recipe to make when you have a larger crowd to feed. As the best snack appetizers, these Candied Yams bring out the delicious flavour of brown sugar sauce and crunchy peanuts. They are super easy to prepare and require effortless cooking. The fun fact about cooking this recipe is that the amount it takes to cook it is even less than 30 minutes. Also, the ingredients are readily available in any grocery store. If you plan to change your menu this weekend slightly, consider cooking these tasty yams with your favourite variations.