Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Old-fashioned Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes with pecans is a dazzling holiday side dish with a rich combination of flavors and textures.

This recipe features thinly sliced tender sweet potatoes perfectly seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves and blanketed in caramelized brown sugar, sweet, creamy butter, and candied pecans.

Like my Southern Green Bean Casserole, it is truly a special occasion side dish that is also excellent to serve with virtually any meal.

Candied sweet potatoes in a round white baking dish.

Like my Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole and Terry’s Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole, this easy, classic, dessert-like, make-ahead sweet potato casserole comes together quickly and is decadent and delicious!

Side dishes rule at holiday dinners, and while this recipe for southern candied sweet potatoes with pecans may sound complicated, it is really simple to make. Your oven will do all the hard work, and you will get to sit back and enjoy the compliments.

Jump to:

Ingredient notes:
How to make Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes:
Recipe variations:
Recipe FAQs:
Sharon’s tips:
More sweet potato recipes:
📋 Recipe:

Ingredient notes:

Four sweet potatoes, brown sugar and pecans on a kitchen counter.

Sweet potatoes – are often called nature’s candy and are listed as one of the world’s healthiest foods. They are the star of this unique side dish.
Pecans – and sweet potatoes are best buds and make a perfect pairing. Using candied pecans ups the ante and makes the dish even more delicious.
Brown sugar – with its caramel-like sweetness, enhances the natural sweetness of the potatoes.
Butter – rich and creamy, this dish is yet another example that butter makes everything better.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves – are warm aromatic spices that finish off the dish perfectly.
Salt – balances out the sweetness and brings out the sweet, salty vibe.

How to make Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Use a mandoline slicer, a food processor with a slicing blade, or a sharp knife to slice the potatoes an eighth of an inch or as thinly as possible.

Lightly spray a 9″ round baking dish with two-and-a-half to three-inch sides or a cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the sweet potato slices around the dish in a circular pattern. Set aside.

A round white baking dish filled with sliced sweet potatoes in a swirl pattern.

Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly over the sweet potato slices. Top evenly with the cubes of butter.

A casserole dish with sliced potatoes topped with brown sugar and cubes of butter.

Cover the dish with either aluminum foil or a lid and bake for 75 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and remove the foil or lid. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Candied sweet potatoes in a round casserole dish with a serving spoon.

Recipe variations:

Instead of topping this dish with candied pecans, you can substitute roasted pecans or even crumbled pecan pralines or cooked bacon.
You could also leave the pecans off and top it with marshmallows or a streusel-type topping with flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts or orange zest.
A splash of bourbon or whisky would be a true expression of southern goodness and add extra richness.

Recipe FAQs:

What’s the difference between candied yams and candied sweet potatoes?

Although the terms are used interchangeably, most often, when you see a dish called candied yams, it is really candied sweet potatoes.

Although they are both root veggies, yams are starchier and less sweet than sweet potatoes, and they are not readily available in most areas of the US.

Can you make this side dish ahead?

Yes, make the recipe as directed, but do not bake it, and do not add the toppings. Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Before baking, add the toppings and then bake as directed.

What to serve with this side dish?

Old-fashioned candied sweet potatoes pair well with holiday classics, such as Smoked Turkey, Baked Ham, New York Strip Roast, or Rack of Lamb.

However, it would also be delicious with everyday main dish seafood classics such as Blackened Grouper, Fried Grouper, Blackened Mahi Mahi, and Fried Oysters.

Grilled entrees such as Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Half Chicken, Grilled Spatchcock Chicken, and Grilled Bone-In Pork Chops would also be lovely.

How to store and reheat leftovers:

Leftovers can be stored and covered in the fridge for up to five days.

They can be reheated in a 350° F oven for about 20 minutes or until they are warmed through. Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave for a minute or two.

Should you soak sliced sweet potatoes in water before baking?

There are various references on the internet regarding the need to soak sweet potato slices in water before baking to remove excess starch. This is not necessary with this recipe, and I do not recommend it.

Sharon’s tips:

For the most uniform sweet potato slices, try to choose potatoes that are approximately the same size in diameter and length. Longer potatoes which are about three inches or less in diameter, work better than shorter, fatter potatoes.
A mandoline slicer or food processor with a slicing blade makes it easy to slice the potatoes uniformly, but if you don’t have either one, you can certainly use a sharp knife. Thicker slices will just mean this casserole will take longer to cook.
To save time, you can leave the peel on the potatoes.
I do not recommend substituting canned yams or sweet potatoes for fresh ones in this recipe.