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20 Nov 2011

Candied Yams (Without the Candy!)

by | posted in: Side Dishes | 10

I have been dying to share this recipe with you for almost a couple months now! It just so happens that I had a lot of CSA sweet potatoes lying around today, which means that I finally have a chance to share my healthy candied yams recipe. And nothing could be more appropriate for the Soul Food Sunday before Thanksgiving than candied yams!

Now, I’ve always known this dish as “candied yams” or “candy yams” but really what they are is sweet potatoes cooked in a sugary, buttery syrup. You’d be hard pressed to find a soul food restaurant or Southern dinner table that doesn’t serve these. They are absolutely divine alongside some collard greens and fried chicken! But when I started making them on my own, I was disappointed to discover how much butter and sugar is used to make the traditional recipe. For example, Paula Deen’s recipe uses a whopping 1 1/2 c. of sugar and half a stick of butter for just a few sweet potatoes. The recipe that I’ve created (after a few experiments) uses all natural ingredients, NO BUTTER, and NO REFINED SUGAR. These yams are sweet and delicious and need nothing more!

This time making this recipe I used a combination of white sweet potatoes and purple sweet potatoes.

I’ve never had purple ones before–they’re so beautiful!

You can use any type of sweet potato, and I actually find that the orange ones have the most natural sweetness. The key to this recipe is the sauce that you bake the sweet potatoes in, which is a reduction of apple cider along with a little maple syrup, honey, and spices to make the potatoes even more flavorful. The sauce is so good I could drink it!

If you’re planning on making sweet potatoes this Thanksgiving, think about giving this healthy version a try! They are juicy, sweet, and nothing but good for you.

 

Candied Yams (Without the Candy!)

by Lauren

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Keywords: bake side vegan sweet potato Southern

 

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 1/2 c. apple cider (or apple juice if cider’s not in season)
  • 3 T. raw honey
  • 2 T. maple syrup
  • 2 T. coconut oil
  • 1/2 t. cinnamon
  • 1/4 t. nutmeg
  • 1/4 t. salt

Instructions

Peel, rinse, and cut the sweet potatoes into large chunks, and boil them in a large pot of water for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes just begin to get tender (you don’t want them to be fully cooked).

While the potatoes are boiling, simmer the apple cider in a small saucepan over medium until it’s reduced by half, whisking occasionally.

Whisk the honey, maple syrup, oil, and spices into the apple cider and simmer for a few more minutes.

When the potatoes have started to get tender, drain them from the hot water and transfer them to a greased casserole dish.

Pour the apple cider sauce over the potatoes in the casserole dish.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, basting frequently with the sauce until the potatoes are very tender and the sauce begins to caramelize.

Let the potatoes cool for 15 minutes, baste again, and serve.

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The closer we get to turkey day, the more excited I am! Candied yams will definitely be on our family’s table in some form, I can’t wait!


I’ll be doing a Thanksgiving recipe roundup tomorrow in case you’re still looking for additions to your holiday table.

Thanks for reading!

-Lauren

 

 

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