Crockpot Candied Sweet Potatoes are tender, buttery, and sweetened with brown sugar and honey. They are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner and using a slow cooker is the easiest way to make them.
One of the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes on Southern Bytes is my Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe with its Pecan Praline Topping- but sometimes, we want something easier and we always need more oven space.
So bring out the slow cooker!
These slow cooker candied yams remind me of the frozen yams that I used to buy before I knew how to cook.
Once cooked, the sweet potatoes melt in your mouth and turn into sweet mush – like a bite of sweet potato pie. You don’t even need teeth to eat them!
Crockpot Candied Sweet Potato Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make this recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Whole Raw Sweet Potatoes
- Brown Sugar – Dark Brown Sugar will increase the molasses taste, but we like the taste of the honey to shine through. (Don’t use white sugar – the brown sugar will caramelize the potatoes and add to the flavor.)
- Cinnamon (and an optional pinch or grating of Nutmeg)
- Kosher Salt
- Honey – You can also use maple syrup if you like it – our family prefers honey. I like to use a local wildflower honey or clover honey – while you cook off most of the medicinal properties in the honey, the flavor pairs well with the earthy potato taste. (Especially if you can find potatoes from your region.)
- Butter, cut into cubes – I like to use salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, you may need to add a little more salt.
You’ll also need a 6 quart crockpot.
Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes
Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same, but most people are likely referring to sweet potatoes when they say yams, especially when discussing southern candied yams around the holidays. A true yam has a pretty starchy inside with an outside like palm tree bark. They are often used in Caribbean and African cooking.
Due to some marketing confusion in Louisiana in the 30’s when farmers marketed a sweet potato as a yam, people now mix the names up frequently. To learn more about cooking real yams, you can learn more from Afia, the blogger at the Canadian African.
If you do use real yams in this recipe, you will want to cook them for quite a bit longer, and make sure to sharpen your knife before cutting them.
How to Make Slow Cooker Candied Yams
- Rinse and scrub the sweet potatoes, then peel them, and cut off any blemishes or eyes.
- Slice the potatoes into round slices that are about ½ an inch thick.
- Spread the potatoes out in the crock pot.
- Sprinkle salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar over the top of the potatoes – then drizzle the honey or maple syrup over them. (If desired, grate a little fresh nutmeg over the top as well!)
- Toss to coat the potatoes in the sugar mixture.
- Spread the cubes of butter evenly over the potatoes.
- Cover the crock pot and turn it on.
Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
Stir gently every hour or so. Cook time may vary based on the thickness of the sweet potato slices.
- Once you can pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork, gently remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a large bowl. (Cover to keep warm.)
Thicken the Brown Sugar Glaze
- Using oven mitts (and maybe a helper) – take a rubber spatula and scrape the sugar syrup into a small saucepan.*
- Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes, stirring as needed until the sauce thickens.
*You can leave the syrup in the crockpot and cook it on high with the lid off until it thickens, but unless your crockpot has a saute function, this will take a really long time.
- Either pour the sauce over the potatoes in a serving dish and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm – or pour everything back into the crockpot on the “Keep Warm” setting with the lid on to stay warm while you wait for your guests.
Then, serve and enjoy!
These are so, so good – you’ll be skipping the canned yams this year!
Southern Style Candied Yams with Marshmallows
To make a southern-style candied yam dish, you can add marshmallows!
- Pour everything into a baking dish – all of the potatoes and the thickened sauce – then cover the top with mini marshmallows.
- Move the top rack of your oven up as high as it can go and place the baking dish under the broiler. Watch very closely so the marshmallows do not burn. You want to lightly brown the marshmallows – it should take just a minute or two. The marshmallows will caramelize and sweeten.
- Remove from the oven and serve!
Recipe Variations
- Use purple or white sweet potatoes for a more colorful dish.
- Replace the cinnamon with apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice to add a punch of flavor.
- Cut the Potatoes into Cubes – They will take longer to cook but some prefer the potatoes this way. (I prefer using slices, as with large chunks the outside will cook faster than the center of the potato and as you scoop the potatoes, they will fall apart.)
- Use Real Maple Syrup if your family likes maple-flavored things. We are a big honey family so we prefer honey on our potatoes. (Don’t use pancake syrup – the potatoes will get overly sweet with an artificial mapley flavor.)
- Double the recipe for a large crowd – a 6-quart crock pot can fit a double batch. (You might need to increase the cook time.)
- Add Pecans – To add pecans, toast them until they begin to brown, then add them to the sauce at the end when you are reducing it on the stove. That way they don’t get soggy. They will get toasty and then absorb just a little of that sweet sugary sauce. Be sure to dice them up nice and small. (You could also use walnuts, but this is a Southern food blog so we use pecans.)
- Add Toppings – You can also top the potatoes with granola or use the oat topping from my sweet potato crunch casserole.
Pin this to save it for later!
Pin ItFlavored Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Orange Glazed Candied Yams – Add some orange juice to the sauce when you cook it down on the stove. DO NOT add it at the beginning of the process. It is all you will taste. You do not need a lot. Just a teaspoon is plenty. You can also add a bit of orange zest to the sauce. Do not overdo it or the potatoes will taste bitter. Pour the sauce over the potatoes in the crock pot and allow them to cook in the orange sauce for about 30 more minutes on low.
- Bourbon Glazed Sweet Potatoes – Add some bourbon to the brown sugar sauce when you go to cook it down on the stove. DO NOT add it at the beginning of the cooking process. It is all you will taste. You will have booze potatoes. You do not need a lot. More than the orange juice recipe though – about a tablespoon and a half is plenty. Pour the bourbon sauce over the top of the sweet potatoes in the crock pot and allow them to cook in the bourbon sauce for about 30 more minutes on low.
Helpful Tips
- Test the potatoes every few hours with a fork. Once you can easily stab them with a fork, it’s time to turn off the heat. They will keep cooking as they sit piled up with the warm sauce on them.
- Instead of stirring, gently toss the potatoes as if you are folding egg whites into a batter – kind of lift the layers of potatoes over the other layers and move them around. If you stir too hard, you’ll mash the potatoes.
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
No – canned sweet potatoes are already cooked and are soft. If you cook them again, they will dissolve into a puddle of goo.
Wash and scrub the potatoes, then use a vegetable peeler and smoothly peel from one end of the potato to the other. I also cut off the ends and any dark spots.
How to Store Leftovers
Storage
Once cooled, store leftovers in the sweet glaze in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheating
You can either reheat the potatoes in the microwave or in a pot on the stove, just be sure to heat them over low heat and be sure to heat them in the cooking liquid. Try not to stir them too hard or they will fall apart.
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Crockpot Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (Candied Yams)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes about 3 medium to large potatoes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup honey
- ⅓ cup butter cubed
Instructions
Cook the Potatoes
- Rinse and scrub the sweet potatoes, then peel them and cut off any blemishes or eyes.2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
- Slice into round slices, about ½ an inch thick, then spread them out in the crockpot.
- Sprinkle salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and honey or maple syrup over the top. (If desired, grate a little fresh nutmeg over them as well!)½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup honey
- Toss to coat the potatoes in the brown sugar mixture.
- Spread the cubes of butter evenly over the potatoes.⅓ cup butter
- Cover the crock pot and turn it on. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Stir gently every hour or so. Cook time may vary based on the thickness of the sweet potato slices.
- Once you can pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork, gently remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a large bowl. (Cover to keep warm.)
Thicken the Brown Sugar Glaze
- Using oven mitts and maybe a helper, take a rubber spatula and scrape the sugar syrup into a small saucepan.
- Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes, stirring as needed until the sauce thickens.
- Pour the sauce over the potatoes in a serving dish and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm OR pour everything back into the crockpot on the "Keep Warm" setting with the lid on to stay warm while you wait for your guests.
- Then, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Leftovers
Once cooled, store leftovers in the sweet glaze in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.Special Equipment Needeed
- 6 quart crockpot or slow cooker 6 quart
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
