This homemade sauce for candied yams transforms ordinary sweet potatoes into the ultimate holiday side dish! Made with brown sugar, bourbon, and butter, this easy candied yams recipe will become your new Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition.
The secret to perfect candied yams isn’t just the sweet potatoes—it’s all about the sauce. This bourbon brown sugar sauce for candied yams creates that signature sweet, buttery coating that makes this traditional Thanksgiving dish unforgettable. Whether you’re making candied yams for Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving, this foolproof method delivers restaurant-quality results every time.
The Story Behind My Grandma’s Candied Yams
Candied yams have always been one of my Thanksgiving favorites, and there’s a beautiful reason why. My Grandma Daisy practically raised me, and she taught me everything from cooking to cleaning to creating lasting family traditions. Although I was only blessed to spend 13 short years with her, I still remember her like I was with her yesterday.
Every single Thanksgiving, my grandmother made sure there were two things waiting for me: candied yams and canned cranberry sauce. To this day, Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving for me without those two dishes. That’s what food is all about—making memories, bringing families together, and keeping culture and history alive.
When I started my cooking journey, I couldn’t figure out for the life of me how to make sweet potatoes as sweet and buttery as my grandma’s. They would just taste like sweet potatoes with sugar on them. After many trials, I finally mastered this candied yams recipe with the perfect sauce that I hope gets passed down through generations.
What Makes This Sauce for Candied Yams Special
The magic happens in the sauce! Unlike traditional recipes that simply sprinkle sugar over sweet potatoes, this bourbon brown sugar sauce creates a rich, caramelized glaze that coats every bite. The combination of:
- Brown sugar and molasses for deep, complex sweetness
- Bourbon for subtle warmth and depth (the alcohol cooks off)
- Real butter for that signature richness
- Cinnamon and allspice for warm holiday spices
- Pecans for the perfect crunchy topping
The result? Sweet potatoes that are actually candied, not just baked with sugar.
Tips for the Best Candied Yams
Choose the Right Sweet Potatoes: Look for large, uniform sweet potatoes that will cook evenly. Avoid yams with soft spots or sprouting.
Don’t Skip the Roasting: Pre-roasting the sweet potatoes before adding the sauce ensures they’re fully cooked and develop a deeper flavor.
Make It Ahead: You can prepare this dish the day before! Assemble everything, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Add 10-15 extra minutes to the final baking time if cooking from cold.
Adjust the Sweetness: This recipe is intentionally sweet (it’s called candied yams for a reason!). If you prefer less sweet, reduce the granulated sugar to ¼ cup.
Bourbon Substitute: If you prefer not to use alcohol, substitute with apple juice or orange juice for a different flavor profile.
Making Candied Yams for Christmas and Thanksgiving
While candied yams are a Thanksgiving classic, they’re equally perfect for Christmas dinner or any holiday gathering. This traditional recipe works beautifully alongside ham, turkey, or prime rib. The bourbon brown sugar sauce for candied yams adds an elegant touch that makes this dish suitable for both casual family dinners and formal holiday celebrations.
Many families serve candied yams at both Thanksgiving and Christmas because they’re that good! The warm spices and sweet sauce capture the essence of the holiday season.
Why These Candied Yams Matter
Food is about more than taste—it’s about memory, tradition, and connection. Every dish at Thanksgiving has a special memory of a special person in my life. Enjoying these dishes around the holidays pays homage to their memory and recognizes them as an integral part of my life.
My grandmother was big on creating traditions. She and her two sisters kept all of our families together through holiday gatherings and celebrations. Now I’m working to pass on those traditions to my children, so they know who their Great Grandmother Daisy was and still is.
If you don’t have that one recipe you contribute around the holidays, make these candied yams! I promise your family will be begging for you to make them every year. You’ll be the “Daisy” in your family, creating memories and traditions that last for generations.
And trust me—these candied yams will be the reason why you’ll need to work out the next day!
Commonly Asked Questions
Candied yams are sweet potatoes that are coated in a sweet sauce (usually brown sugar and butter) and baked until caramelized. Regular sweet potatoes can be baked, mashed, or roasted plain. The key difference is the rich, candy-like sauce that gives candied yams their name and signature sweetness.
Yes! You can make the bourbon brown sugar sauce up to 2 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and gently reheat it on the stove before pouring over the sweet potatoes. You may need to add a tablespoon of butter to restore the consistency.
No, the bourbon is optional but highly recommended for depth of flavor. The alcohol cooks off during baking, leaving only a subtle warmth. If you prefer to skip it, substitute with apple juice, orange juice, or even water. You’ll still have delicious candied yams!
While you can use canned yams in a pinch, fresh sweet potatoes yield far better results. Fresh sweet potatoes have better texture, don’t get mushy, and absorb the sauce beautifully. If using canned, drain them completely and reduce the initial baking time by 20-30 minutes.
Store leftover candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, or microwave individual portions. The sauce may thicken when cold but will loosen up when reheated.
Similar Recipes
If you like traditional holiday side dishes like this, you will enjoy the ones below:
- Grandma Daisy’s Fried Apples
- Homemade Cornbread Dressing
- Apple Bacon and Herb Stuffing
- Leftover Thanksgiving Balls
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes! You can add any unique ingredient that you and your family love to this recipe. Some of those toppings are chopped pecans, miniature marshmallows, or chopped candied ginger.
No. You can add the mixture to the raw sweet potatoes and bake. It may take a little longer to bake. I like this method because it ensures that the potatoes are soft perfectly. If you do it this way, cover it with aluminum while cooking.
The Best Sauce for Candied Yams Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: 8–10 1x
Description
Deliciously sweet Candied Yams Recipe that will make your holiday dinner amazing! Just roast fresh sweet potatoes and roast in candied topping!
Ingredients
- 8 large sweet potatoes, peeled
- 1/2 c. canola oil
- 2 1/2 sticks butter
- 1 1/2 c. light brown sugar
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 tbsp. Unsulfured molasses
- 1/4 c. Bourbon
- 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. All spice
- 1/3 c. pecan pieces
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
- Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into medium chunks and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with canola oil and toss to coat evenly. Spread in a 9X13 rectangle casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Potatoes should be fork-tender.
- In a medium saucepan on medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, sugar, and molasses. Whisk on medium heat until well mixed. The mixture will begin to caramelize after about 5 minutes.
- Next, add the bourbon and the spices, and whisk for another 3 minutes. Once the sauce begins to bubble slightly, pour on top of the sweet potatoes.
- Sprinkle the pecans on top of the sweet potatoes and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 25 minutes. Leave the aluminum foil over the dish until ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 min
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Have made this for the last 3 thanksgivings, has become a staple in our family’s dinner. I like it because I can use different types of liquors, have used dark rum a couple of times and bourbon once and I also cut down about 1/4 cup of sugar because no one likes super sweet yams in my family and the marshmallows aren’t missed by the majority. The pecans are delicious on top! Great recipe overall, have just sent it to my mother in law by request, so I feel I should let the author know since credit is long overdue 😉
Thank you so much Chloe and I am so glad that I have contributed to your family’s holiday table!
I just started making this recipe last year, and I LOVE it! I really like this chunky sweet potatoe recipe instead of the smashed version. It is certainly sweet, but not too sweet. I added finely chopped rosemary to mine to give a little kick.
I am so glad you like it Shari!
Always a winner for me during Thanksgiving with my family. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for trying!