Recipes Side Dish Vegetables Sweet Potatoes Chef John's Candied Yams 4.7 (66) 56 Reviews 16 Photos This is my recipe for candied yams. Sure, everyone knows orange-fleshed sweet potatoes aren't really yams, but it makes for a shorter name. I'm not a huge sweet side dish person, but I make an exception for this recipe that uses lemon instead of orange juice as a sweetener. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on December 27, 2022 Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 16 16 16 16 Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 8 Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Yams: 3 tablespoons kosher salt 2 quarts cold water 3 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces Glaze: 1 cup brown sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice ¼ cup maple syrup ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 pinch cayenne pepper Salt to taste Chopped pistachios, pecans, or walnuts for garnish Directions Stir salt into 2 quarts of cold water in a large pot. Transfer sweet potato pieces to the pot and place over high heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are not quite tender but still cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. Use the tip of a knife to test for doneness. Drain. Place brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, and pinch of salt in a skillet. Place over medium-high heat, stirring until glaze ingredients melt and start bubbling. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to thicken, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer drained sweet potatoes to a skillet. Increase heat to high; cook and stir until potatoes are coated with glaze and very tender, and glaze has thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to serving dish; garnish with chopped nuts. Chef John Chef's Note: If you're using fine salt instead of kosher salt, use about 5 teaspoons fine salt instead of 3 tablespoons kosher salt. I Made It Print 132 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 338 Calories 6g Fat 70g Carbs 3g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 338 % Daily Value * Total Fat 6g 8% Saturated Fat 4g 19% Cholesterol 15mg 5% Sodium 2294mg 100% Total Carbohydrate 70g 25% Dietary Fiber 5g 19% Total Sugars 40g Protein 3g 6% Vitamin C 11mg 12% Calcium 92mg 7% Iron 1mg 8% Potassium 666mg 14% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.