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    See More:   Comfort Food Gluten-Free Holiday Meals Raising Foodie Kids Side Dishes

    Last Modified: Feb 28, 2024 by Tara Gerner 11 Comments

    Candied Yams with Marshmallows

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    These candied yams are like dessert with a roasted marshmallow topping and thick syrupy sauce made from orange juice, brown sugar, and butter. Cook candied sweet potatoes in the microwave for an easy Thanksgiving side dish. Perfection!

    candied yams with marshmallows on a white platePin

    The perfect make-ahead candied yams recipe

    In my opinion, the best Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes are classic and easy, and they tolerate being made a day or two ahead of time with no loss of flavor or texture.

    This is one of those recipes.

    Depending on how things are going with cleaning (and how much room there is in my refrigerator), I will either peel and pre-cut the sweet potatoes the night before or cook the whole dish the night before, stopping just before adding the marshmallows.

    It reheats beautifully, so it really doesn't make any difference to the finished dish. When I make it ahead, I simply cover the whole thing and put it in the fridge, then on the morning of the holiday, I bring it out, put it in the microwave for five or so minutes to heat everything up, and then I cover it with mini marshmallows and pop it in the oven for ten minutes to toast them.

    About half the time, I forget to take it out and the marshmallows melt into the syrup. Oh well. Toasted marshmallows always sound nice, but no one cares either way.

    Well, maybe the kids care. But for as much as they eat, they'll get over it.

    a close up of one serving of candied yams with marshmallows over top of the baking dishPin

    The perfect day-of candied yams

    Now, all that said, our family has shrunk significantly and we now cook for only 6 people including our two children. So. I don't make much of anything ahead anymore. It's simply easier to do the cooking once and on the morning of the holiday.

    What I do these days is peel and cut up the potatoes on the morning of the holiday, prepare the sauce, pour over the potatoes, and microwave. It takes less than 15 minutes from start to microwave, so I don't sweat doing it ahead of time.

    After that, it's the same. I microwave until the potatoes are tender, then I cover them with marshmallows and put them in the already hot oven to toast. And then usually I forget to take them out and the marshmallows all melt into the sauce.

    What you'll need to make candied yams with orange juice and marshmallows

    Ingredients

    • 4 large sweet potatoes, cleaned and peeled - Long, skinny sweet potatoes are easier to cut into slices and then quarter slices. If you are going to cut them into cubes, you could use bigger, fatter ones.
    • ยฝ stick of melted unsalted butter
    • 1 cup packed brown sugar - I think brown sugar really matters, but if you don't want to use it, you could substitute an equal amount of maple syrup.
    • ยผ cup orange juice
    • 1ยฝ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice - Or to taste.
    • 1 large bag of mini marshmallows - These are optional, but I think the dish is a lot better if you use them. The first handful will melt into the sauce. Then, just before finishing the dish, you'll add the remaining marshmallows and toast them in the oven.

    How to make candied sweet potatoes with orange juice and marshmallows

    1. The night before your meal, clean, peel, and chunk the sweet potatoes. I like to leave mine in bigger-than-bite-sized chunks. Place the cut up potatoes in a large baking dish. Use a dish big enough that the potatoes are mostly in a single layer.
      peel and cut the yams into chunksPin
    2. Combine butter and orange juice in a mixing bowl.
      mix the melted butter and orange juicePin
    3. Add brown sugar.
      add brown sugar to the orange juice and butter mixturePin
    4. Mix well, until brown sugar is completely dissolved.
      whisk the sugar saucePin
    5. Pour sugar mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and top with a handful of miniature marshmallows, which will melt into the sauce.
      pour the sweet sauce over the yams in the baking dishPin
    6. Cover with plastic wrap.
      cover the yams with plastic wrapPin
    7. Microwave for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. If you're making ahead, allow the potatoes to cool and refrigerate until it's time to serve. If not, just move on to the next step.
      candied yams after baking or microwavingPin
    8. To serve: Top with remaining marshmallows.
      top the yams with mini marshmallowsPin
    9. Bake at 375ยบF for 10 minutes (20 minutes if chilled), until the potatoes are hot and marshmallow topping is just toasted.
      candied yams with marshmallows after baking to toast the marshmallowsPin

    How to cook candied yams: microwave, oven, or boiling water

    I prefer to microwave my sweet potatoes because they cook quickly. If you cut the potatoes into cubes about an inch and a half on each side, they'll cook in about 20 minutes in the microwave. Then you can bake them for 10 minutes to toast the marshmallows.

    If your pan won't fit into your microwave or you prefer to bake them the whole time, cover the potatoes with aluminum foil and bake at 375ยบF for about 75 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, top with marshmallows, and bake for an additional 10 minutes to toast the marshmallow topping.

    I don't recommend boiling the yams because boiling washes away a lot of the nutrients and flavor, but if you must boil them, here's how: bring a few quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the yams and boil for about 8-9 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well, then add the cooked sweet potatoes to a baking dish, top with the butter/brown sugar/orange juice sauce, top with marshmallows, and toast them at 375ยบF for 10 minutes.

    a close up of one serving of candied yams with marshmallows over top of the baking dishPin

    What's the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?

    In the United States, we use the terms "sweet potato" and "yam" interchangeably, but they are actually very different things. The orange fleshed root vegetable we buy in the US is a sweet potato.

    Yams are yellow-fleshed root vegetables with thick, brown, bark-like skin. They are native to Africa and can get quite large - up to 55 pounds a piece! It is very rare to find true yams in traditional American grocery stores.

    Often, sweet potatoes are mislabeled as yams, but no matter what your grocery store calls them, if they have thin skin and orange flesh, they are sweet potatoes.

    Can you make candied sweet potatoes with canned yams?

    Yes, you can, although they won't taste as good as fresh potatoes. Canned yams are already cooked and tend to be a bit mushy. All you'll need to do is drain them, toss the yams with the butter/brown sugar/orange juice sauce, and bake for 30 minutes at 375ยบF or until heated through. Then top with marshmallows and toast them for 10 minutes.

    a close up of candied yams with marshmallowsPin

    Candied yams variations

    There are a lot of ways you can doctor this recipe to make it more your own.

    Swap out the pumpkin pie spice for cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger in a 3:1:ยฝ ratio (1 tablespoon ground cinnamon:1 teaspoon ground nutmeg:ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger). Mix the spices well in a small bowl before adding them to the sauce.

    Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste with the brown sugar and orange juice.

    You can leave out the marshmallows. (But whyyyyyyy?)

    Replace the orange juice with bourbon, rum, or whiskey for boozy candied yams.

    Sprinkle the yams with ยฝ to 1 cup of chopped pecans before adding the marshmallows.

    If you want to leave the marshmallows out, you can replace them with a pecan streusel topping. In a small bowl, mix ยฝ cup of packed brown sugar, ยฝ cup of flour, ยผ cup (4 tablespoons or half of a stick) of melted butter, and ยผ cup of chopped pecans with a fork until it forms crumbles. Sprinkle the topping over the yams before baking.

    a close up of one serving of candied yams with marshmallows on a white platePin

    How to store leftovers

    Store cooled candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

    You can also freeze candied yams. Wrap the dish with plastic wrap then aluminum foil then place in the freezer for up to 4 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge. When completely defrosted, cover with aluminum foil then bake at 375ยบ for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

    Candied yams are part of my How to Host a Stress-Free Holiday Meal ebook which is available now.

    THE REST OF OUR THANKSGIVING MENU

    We don't get creative with our Thanksgiving menu. We like routines. We like the comfort of the same old food.

    • Roast Turkey
    • Creamy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
    • Candied Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Vegetable & Cornbread Stuffing
    • Old-Fashioned Chestnut Stuffing Recipe
    • Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
    • Traditional Green Bean Casserole
    • Fluffy Cranberry Fruit Salad with Pineapple
    • Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce
    • Praline Pumpkin Pecan Pie
    • The Worlds' Best Pecan Pie
    • Couldn't Be Easier Cherry Pie
    • No Church Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

    And for the leftovers, try one of these delights:

    • Turkey & Stuffing Muffins
    • Turkey Enchilada Casserole
    • Turkey Salad
    • Turkey Quesadillas

    You can read more about my easy and traditional Thanksgiving menu.

    Recipe

    candied yams with marshmallows on a white plate

    Candied Yams with Marshmallows

    These candied yams are like dessert with a roasted marshmallow topping and thick syrupy sauce made from orange juice, brown sugar, and butter. Cook candied sweet potatoes in the microwave for an easy Thanksgiving side dish. Perfection!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 246 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 sweet potatoes
    • ยผ cups butter melted
    • 1 cups brown sugar packed
    • ยผ cups orange juice
    • 1ยฝ pumpkin pie spice to taste
    • 1 bag mini marshmallows optional

    Instructions
     

    • The night before your meal, clean, peel, and chunk the sweet potatoes. I like to leave mine in bigger-than-bite-sized chunks. Place the cut up potatoes in a large baking dish. Use a dish big enough that the potatoes are mostly in a single layer.
    • Combine butter, brown sugar, and orange juice in a mixing bowl. Pour sugar mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and top with a handful of miniature marshmallows, which will melt into the sauce.
    • Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. If you're making ahead, allow the potatoes to cool and refrigerate until it's time to serve. If not, just move on to the next step.
    • To serve: Top with remaining marshmallows and bake at 375ยบF for 10 minutes (20 minutes if chilled), until the potatoes are hot and marshmallow topping is just toasted.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 10816IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
    Keyword orange juice, sweet potatoes, yams
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Follow @FeelsLikeHome or tag #FeelsLikeHomeBlog!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 8 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. amy2boys says

      November 09, 2009 at 6:32 am

      Hi! I posted Candied Sweet Potatoes at Rachel's today as well! I (My recipe is different though.) This looks so good - I love toasty marshmallows!

      Reply
    2. Tamy ~ 3 Sides of Crazy says

      November 09, 2009 at 3:45 pm

      LOL How can you go wrong with marshmallows? ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    3. Robyn's Online World says

      November 09, 2009 at 4:41 pm

      Sounds yummy! I make mine mashed and serve in orange cups - I use the orange juice from hollowing out the oranges inside the mix. I think the orange juice, like in yours, is a very important key to good sweet potatoes!

      Reply
    4. FeelsLikeHomeBlog says

      November 09, 2009 at 5:50 pm

      Amy - I tried to find your post, but no luck. Can you share the link so we can come over and check it out?

      Reply
    5. Geri@heartnsoulcooking says

      November 09, 2009 at 7:16 pm

      This is my favorite way to eat sweet potatoes, I need to try them with orange juice.
      Geri

      Reply
    6. amy2boys says

      November 09, 2009 at 7:59 pm

      Sorry - I wasn't clear. I linked it at Mouthwatering Mondays - at http://www.asouthernfairytale.com. My post is at http://www.milkbreathandmargaritas.com/2009/11/...Thanks for trying to find it!

      Reply
    7. Ida says

      November 11, 2009 at 12:03 pm

      I have used canned sweet potatoes, also, and they work just fine!

      Reply
    8. FeelsLikeHomeBlog says

      November 11, 2009 at 2:16 pm

      I never thought about that, but canned sweet potatoes would work nicely. You should probably shorten the cooking time in that case because they're already soft.

      Reply
    9. Ida says

      November 11, 2009 at 8:03 pm

      I have used canned sweet potatoes, also, and they work just fine!

      Reply
    10. FeelsLikeHomeBlog says

      November 11, 2009 at 10:16 pm

      I never thought about that, but canned sweet potatoes would work nicely. You should probably shorten the cooking time in that case because they're already soft.

      Reply

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