Description
These perfect candied sweet potatoes are soft, buttery, extra saucy, caramelized, and sweet. This delicious side dish is easy to prepare with ingredients you can buy in advance, and you can even prepare some elements ahead of time. Baked slowly to achieve tender slices soaked in a rich maple-brown sugar sauce, they make a wonderful accompaniment to any meal.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 5–6 medium sweet potatoes (3–4 lbs)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Sauce
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: 2 teaspoons orange zest
Garnish (Optional)
- chopped fresh or dried rosemary
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Sweet Potatoes: Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the slices in a greased 9×13-inch or similar 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt evenly over the potatoes and toss to coat. Use nonstick spray to grease the baking dish.
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 375°F (191°C) to preheat while you prepare the sauce.
- Make the Sauce: Cut the butter stick in half to help it melt evenly. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, water, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir continuously until the butter melts completely. Then stop stirring and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Allow it to boil for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and orange zest if using.
- Coat the Potatoes: Pour the warm sauce over the sweet potatoes in the baking dish and toss gently to coat all the slices evenly with the sauce.
- Bake the Potatoes: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour total, stirring the sweet potatoes every 20 minutes to ensure even cooking and caramelization. After the first 20 minutes, cover the dish with aluminum foil to promote even baking.
- Finish and Serve: After baking, remove the dish from the oven. Sprinkle chopped rosemary and flaky sea salt on top if desired. Let the sweet potatoes cool uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will be thin when hot but thickens as it cools.
- Storage: Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The sauce will thicken when chilled but will thin again when reheated, which can be done in a microwave.
Notes
- Cutting the butter stick in half helps it melt more easily and evenly for the sauce.
- Covering the dish with foil after 20 minutes prevents the sweet potatoes from drying out and helps them bake evenly.
- Orange zest is optional but adds a lovely bright flavor to the sauce.
- For a herbaceous touch, garnish with fresh or dried rosemary and flaky sea salt just before serving.
- Reheat leftovers gently to loosen up the thickened sauce.
