Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (2024)

Some people call this recipe Candied Yams. Some call it Candied Sweet Potatoes. Whatever you call it, this is a homemade version that you can make super easily in the CrockPot Slow Cooker.

Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (1)

This recipe has been updated from the first time I wrote it.


Here is the one you should use:

The Ingredients.

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 7 to 8 sweet potatoes, or yams, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 to 1 cup mini marshmallows (to add after cooking)

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Rub the butter onto the inside of your slow cooker. Layer in the sweet potato slices. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and kosher salt. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes.

Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. When potatoes are soft, scoop into an oven-safe dish, dot with marshmallows, and broil in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until marshmallows have JUST begun to brown.

Enjoy!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Day 10.

It is not Thanksgiving. But I promised the kids that I would make something yummy tonight. They chose "those really good potato things that grandma makes with marshmallows."

I am pretty sure that my mom makes them from a can. Which is totally fine--but I did happen to have a bag of sweet potatoes in the crisper drawer. (new ones. not the bag from here.)
After opening and closing cabinet doors way too many times, I settled on the following:

Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (2)
Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (3)
Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (4)

The Verdict:

It tasted amazing. I could have gotten away with 1/2 of the sugar amount. The taste was exactly like the canned stuff. But this cooked for 5 1/2 hours--so it has to be better, right?

Right?

The marshmallows completely disappear while cooking. Warn small children.

Trust me.

Updated 12/08: I made these for our Thanksgiving dinner, and they were amazing. I doubled the recipe and didn't add the marshmallows until the very end. Instead, I scooped the finished sweet potatoes out of the crock, and put in a round corningware dish. I added the marshmallows, and broiled in the oven for 3-5 minutes until the marshmallows were browned nicely. We had 10 adults and 5 kids for dinner, and everyone loved them. It seems the secret to feeding kids is to starve them beforehand... ;-)

Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (5)

Thanksgiving Slow Cooker

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Other great side dishes to make for a holiday meal:

  1. Company's Coming Potato AuGratin
  2. Tecan-topped baked sweet potatoes
  3. Traditional stuffing
  4. Cornbread stuffing
  5. Corn risotto

Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (6)

Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (7)

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 12

Author: Stephanie O'Dea AYearofSlowCooking.com

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 6 HourTotal time: 6 H & 30 M

How to make candied yams or candied sweet potatoes in the crockpot slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 7 to 8 sweet potatoes, or yams, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 to 1 cup mini marshmallows (to add after cooking)

Instructions

  1. Use a 4-quart slow cooker.
  2. Rub the butter onto the inside of your slow cooker.
  3. Layer in the sweet potato slices.
  4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and kosher salt.
  5. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes.
  6. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
  7. When potatoes are soft, scoop into an oven-safe dish, dot with marshmallows, and broil in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until marshmallows have JUST begun to brown.

https://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/2008/01/crockpot-candied-sweet-potatoes-recipe.html

Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at January 10, 2008

Labels: gluten free, side dish, slow cooker, vegetables, vegetarian,

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What they say about this article

  1. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (8)

    Edi1/10/2008

    I like your blog idea - I'll be checking back!

    Since I was married I had a very small crockpot and that finally got too small and old, so now I have a BIG one. Actually probably too big.

    But anyway - I don't use it as much as I could/should b/c I just don't know what to do with it. That's where you come in. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete

  2. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (9)

    Damsel1/10/2008

    I pink puffy heart sweet potatoes cooked like this -- I've just never tried it in the crock pot. Maybe it's time to change that! :)

    ReplyDelete

  3. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (10)

    Anonymous1/10/2008

    HI-I saw your blog link on an aol food board. I love it!! I also have a crockpot that I never use, and would love to find different dishes that have been tested to try!! Love your blog!!
    I was wondering--you put the sweet potatoes in raw?? did you use the juice from 2 oranges or the 1/4 cup? Sounds delicious and I want to try?
    Thank you!
    Carm

    ReplyDelete

  4. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (11)

    carm, if we hadn't finished the orange juice for breakfast, I would have used regular orange juice. The juice from those two little oranges is what I happened to use instead. Yup, the sweet potatoes were raw.
    thank you!
    xox
    steph

    ReplyDelete

  5. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (12)

    donna1/10/2008

    I wonder if the marshmallows could be added near the end of the cooking? How long do you suppose it takes to just soften them as opposed to melting them? ...just thinking out loud in cyberspace.

    Love your blog-can't wait to check it every day :)

    ReplyDelete

  6. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (13)

    Jennifer P.1/10/2008

    The only way I like sweet potatoes is in a fry (have you ever tried sweet potato fries?). But the pictures are lovely and the marshmallows made me laugh! Huzzah for unlimited shelf life!

    Thanks for the sweet comment on my blog. I feel a bit like the ugly duckling that people decided to name prom queen being featured on TCB, but I'll go with that!

    ReplyDelete

  7. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (14)

    Stacy1/10/2008

    Those look really yummy! I only wish the hubby would eat them, and then I could cook them. He doesn't think anything sweet should be served at dinnertime. *sigh*

    I have chicken soup in the crockpot today...my house is going to smell divine when I get home from work. :)

    I think I those same marshmallows in the pantry, too. ;)

    ReplyDelete

  8. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (15)

    Lynn Douglass1/10/2008

    Suzanne Earley turned me on to your blog. I do use my crockpot quite a bit, but haven't gotten very creative with it. I'm definitely going to try the chicken enchilada casserole! Your blog is not only informative, it's fun to read!

    ReplyDelete

  9. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (16)

    Anonymous1/10/2008

    I just found you through Creative Blogs. You are definitely on my favorites list! I've been wanting to use my crockpot more. I can't wait to try recipes :)

    ReplyDelete

  10. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (17)

    Anu1/10/2008

    Steph, sorry if I sound totally ignorant but I come from a country where crockpot has not surfaced (India).

    What is the motivation to cook in a crockpot as against, say, a pressure cooker? Is the food healthier? (I thought veggies would lose enzymes from long cooking times..) What about power consumption? Does the crockpot consume too much power from being on all those hours?

    Once again, I'm vegetarian so the idea of tenderising meat does not talk to me :)

    ReplyDelete

  11. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (18)

    Hi vickie! hi lynn!

    anu, I haven't ever used a pressure cooker, so I don't know the difference--I wish I did. I don't have actual statistics, but from the cookbooks I've read, I've gathered that crockpot cooking is very energy-efficient. Although I enjoy making Al Gore happy, I think what *really* makes me happy is the whole "set it and forget it" aspect to crockpotting. I adore throwing something in there and then going about my day doing other things while dinner (or dessert, or sides, and apparently mulled wine which I'm very excited to try...) cook unattended.
    xoxo
    steph

    ReplyDelete

  12. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (19)

    Anu1/10/2008

    Thanks steph.. I just needed a minute nudge to make the purchase!

    ReplyDelete

  13. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (20)

    Stephanie1/10/2008

    What a great idea for a blog! I enjoy reading all your commentary! I'm excited to see what other great things you come up with this year!

    ReplyDelete

  14. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (21)

    Tara Bear7/16/2008

    did you know that marshmallows can be frozen? i haven't tried it myself, but saw it on a cooking show, so it must be true. and if you're using them for this recipe again, if you toss them in frozen, maybe they won't completely melt away....someone should try it =)

    ReplyDelete

  15. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (22)

    Anonymous11/27/2008

    I made this for Thanksgiving dinner and my family loved them. We couldn't find peeled, sliced, bagged sweet potatoes, so we used 7 whole potatoes chopped and doubled everything but the sugar (upped that to 1/3 cup). Everybody loved these. Great blog!

    ReplyDelete

  16. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (23)

    Anonymous3/06/2009

    I only have a large slow cooker. This burned but had great potential. Next time I am going to try your trick of putting it in a smaller heat safe container inside. I've decided to start from Jan 01 08 and try every recipe I think the fam will eat. I've made 8 so far in the last month. I'm might be a little obsessed. THANKS!

    ReplyDelete

  17. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (24)

    Anonymous5/10/2009

    Yep, I'm making them again for Mother's Day. Can you believe my mom was planning a turkey dinner with no sweet potatoes? That's just unAmerican. Happy Mother's Day Stephanie. Hope it's wonderful.

    janet
    jayceeinbedford@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete

  18. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (25)

    Sarah11/26/2009

    Thanks for the recipe. the sweet potatoes got lots of compliments.

    ReplyDelete

  19. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (26)

    Theresa11/27/2010

    Used our 1.5qt for this, but they were so yummy that next time we'll do more in the 4qt! Just delicious! I didn't have orange juice or oranges, so I used some apple cider, which I think I like better!

    ReplyDelete

  20. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (27)

    Anonymous12/18/2012

    You are stinking HILARIOUS! I love your blog & have made a few of your recipes with great success. I'm looking forward to trying many more. Thank you :)

    ReplyDelete

  21. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (28)

    Unknown11/23/2015

    I have put pineapple in my Candy yams, so I did not need I Orange juice. Also a bit more brown sugar.

    ReplyDelete

  22. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (29)

    I just found this recipe and plan to try it. If you make it a day ahead, how long would you say to reheat without overcooking the potatoes? Gwen

    ReplyDelete

Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my candied yams runny? ›

Drain the syrup: This is a key move so your candied yams don't turn out runny due to too much liquid in the baking dish. Place the drained yams into a medium baking dish.

Do sweet potatoes get sweeter the longer you cook them? ›

So if you want a sweet, sweet potato, you have to cook it until it reaches 135–170°F (57–77°C). And you want to keep sweet potatoes in that range for as long as possible. That will maximize how sweet the potatoes taste.

Why does my sweet potato not taste sweet? ›

The longer and slower you cook a sweet potato, the more maltose is formed and the sweeter it will taste.

How do you not overcook sweet potatoes? ›

If your sweet potatoes cook too long in the oven they can overbake and become dry. The insides will become mushy. Moving your sweet potato cubes around and checking them periodically can help avoid overcooking.

How do you keep sweet potato mash from getting watery? ›

How Do I Make Sure My Mashed Sweet Potatoes are Not Watery? To make sure your potatoes aren't watery, don't overcook the potatoes. It's also important to drain the potatoes completely once you're done boiling them to avoid having unwanted water lingering in your pot.

What brings out the flavor of sweet potatoes? ›

Slow-roasting the sweet potatoes activates endogenous enzymes that bring out their natural sweetness.

What is the best tasting sweet potato? ›

The most versatile and sweetest variation of sweet potatoes is the Beauregard. Throughout the United States, you will see this species stacked high in the grocery stores during the holiday season. Beauregard's have a bit of a stringy texture, but they stay soft: this is what makes them so popular.

How long does it take for sweet potatoes to get tender? ›

Cut into eighths and place in a large pot. Add enough water to just cover the potatoes, and a pinch of salt. Boil sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a fork. It will take less time if you cut the sweet potatoes into smaller pieces.

Why do I feel weird after eating sweet potatoes? ›

Sweet potato intolerance

However, sweet potato contains a type of sugar called mannitol that can cause stomach pain, trigger bloating, and diarrhoea. Frequent symptoms after eating sweet potato might suggest that you are intolerant to foods that contain mannitol.

Can diabetics eat sweet potatoes? ›

You can still eat sweet potatoes if you have diabetes, assures Huff. The fiber content in sweet potatoes, especially if you consume them with the skin on, can help reduce spikes in your blood sugar. Plus, how you cook your sweet potatoes can also help reduce the extent to which your blood sugar rises.

What is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? ›

Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family, while yams belong to the lily family. Yams aren't as sweet as sweet potatoes, and they are starchier and drier. Their texture and flavor are more similar to potatoes or yuca.

Is it better to boil or bake sweet potatoes? ›

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

Why put egg in sweet potato casserole? ›

The eggs in the sweet potato casserole are what binds it all together without making the base too heavy. Without them, the casserole wouldn't be quite as fluffy and scoopable!

Why are my sweet potatoes still hard after cooking? ›

If the potato is still firm when squeezed, that means it needs to cook more. Baked sweet potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat for 2 minutes in the microwave, at 400°F in the air fryer for 5 minutes, or at 400°F in the oven for 10 minutes.

Why are my sweet potatoes so thin? ›

My sweet potatoes are long and thin. Is there something wrong with my soil? Too much nitrogen in the soil causes long, thin roots. When planting next season, don't improve soil in your sweet potato patch with anything that might add nitrogen (such as compost), and don't fertilize.

How long does it take to soften yams? ›

Fill the pot with just enough salted water to cover the yams. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. If you can pierce the flesh with a fork or knife, they're ready.

Should I boil my yams before baking? ›

Do you boil yams before baking? Boiling yams before baking help reduce the baking time. You can certainly boil them before cooking but I love yams that have been slowly roasted in the oven.

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