Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes

Easy candied sweet potatoes recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. It's considered to be a classic Fall/ Thanksgiving side dish! Tender sweet potatoes are are coated in a butter brown sugar glaze. Also known as “candied yams” or “glazed sweet potatoes.”

This is one of the best candied sweet potato recipes ever! A recipe that takes very little effort and uses simple ingredients that you already have at home. Softened potatoes covered in a delicious candied glaze. It's a winning side dish for countless meals and a "must-make" side dish for Thanksgiving. You will have family and friends asking for the recipe because it's that good!

How to make candied sweet potatoes from scratch in slow cooker?

1. Prep - Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray.
2. Add the first ingredients - Mix the water and cornstarch until combined and smooth. Add in all the spices.
3. Add the potatoes - Place the sweet potatoes in the crock pot and stir to coat. Add butter on top.
4. Cook - Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours. Stir halfway through. Garnish and enjoy!

What to serve with glazed sweet potatoes recipe?

As mentioned, sweet potatoes are served in many different ways during Thanksgiving. Thus, it pairs well with main dishes such as roasted turkey and honey ham. However, there are other meal options that would be a great match with this classic side.

• Chowder
• Grilled Steak or Chicken
• Roast Beef
• Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
• Steak Bites
• Pot Roast

Are yams and sweet potatoes the same thing?

No, they're a separate root vegetable with noticeable differences. Sweet potatoes have soft, smooth skin that are various shades of orange. Their flesh is usually orange or white, which is sweet and flavorful. Yams appear to have the skin of tree bark. It's rough and dark - almost hairy. They're usually dry and lack flavor in comparison with sweet potatoes. Their flesh is commonly white or purple.

Variations

Topping options - Marshmallows (large or mini), roughly chopped pecans, walnuts, oats, granola, brown sugar crumble, marshmallow fluff, etc.

Add alcohol - Such as bourbon, spiced rum, whiskey, or similar options and flavors.

Add fruit - Such as apple, pears, plums, etc. They add another flavor profile. You can use dried fruit as well.

Other sweetener options - Such as only granulated sugar, only brown sugar, date paste, stevia, honey, agave, powdered sugar, maple syrup, molasses.

Use other extracts - Such as rum extract, cinnamon extract, hazelnut extract, almond extract, coconut extract, etc. Get as creative as you like!

Use zests- Such as lemon, lime or orange zest to add a citrus touch.

Use other juices - Instead of orange juice, try apple juice, pear juice, peach juice, etc.

Storage

Refrigerate - In an airtight container for up to3 days.

Freeze - In an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Reheat - In the microwave or stovetop.

Tips and Techniques

Why are my candied yams runny? - Cooking the recipe in a slow cooker leaves the sauce thinner, compared to the stove top versions. At the end, you can remove the sauce and cook it over stovetop to thicken it and then add it back in the slow cooker and serve immediately.

Can I use yams instead of sweet potatoes? - If need be, yes, you can. However, you need to note it won't taste exactly the same.

Can I use canned sweet potatoes? - No. That's because canned sweet potatoes come already cooked and soft and you will need to adjust the cooking time or else they will become too soft and "mushy" like mashed potatoes.

Put the toppings, just prior to serving - Do not cook the sweet potatoes with the toppings already on them. This will result in burnt toppings or soggy toppings.

How to peel sweet potatoes? - Use a vegetable peeler and start from one end and move to the other end in smooth strokes.

Recipe