Candied Sweet Potatoes

Prep 15 min
Total 60 min
Servings 6

It’s hard to imagine a Thanksgiving feast without a bowl of glossy, candied sweet potatoes with pecans. Plus, we’ve mastered a genius trick that makes peeling these sweet spuds a breeze. When you boil the potatoes with their skins on, you can peel and slice them with ease after they’ve cooled. So you can put away your vegetable peeler and let the hot water do the heavy lifting. Cooking the potatoes brings out their natural sweetness, which is well complemented by the mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, apple juice, brown sugar and butter. Together, all these ingredients add up to complex flavor. They introduce a bit of spice and acidity, which tames the sweetness in this dish and keeps it from becoming cloying. Chopped pecans and Honey Nut Cheerios™ make for a crispy topping that perfectly contrasts with the soft texture of the candied sweet potatoes.

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated March 17, 2020

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes

6

medium sweet potatoes or yams (2 lb)
1/3

cup packed brown sugar
1

tablespoon cornstarch
1/2

teaspoon salt
1/2

teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4

teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4

cup apple or orange juice
2

tablespoons butter or margarine

Topping

1

cup Honey Nut Cheerios™ cereal, crushed
2

tablespoons chopped pecans
1

teaspoon butter or margarine, melted

Steps

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1

In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, place potatoes; add enough water just to cover potatoes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or just until potatoes are tender. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool slightly.
2

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2- to 2 1/2-quart shallow casserole with cooking spray. Remove skins from sweet potatoes. Cut into 1/2-inch slices; place in casserole.
3

In 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple juice and 2 tablespoons butter to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour mixture over potatoes. In small bowl, mix topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over sweet potatoes.
4

Bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Sweet potatoes are available in varieties ranging from pale skin with light yellow flesh to dark orange or red skin and flesh. They’re often mistakenly called yams, but true yams are not sweet potatoes.
Choose nicely shaped, smooth, firm sweet potatoes with evenly colored skins. Store in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated space up to 2 weeks.
Looking to switch it up? Take your sweet potatoes to the savory side with this Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors that results in a dynamic, umami-forward dish.
If you prefer eating your sweet potatoes creamy and marshmallow-topped, give our multicooker version a try in this Sweet Potato Casserole. It’s ready in under an hour!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 240
Calories from Fat: 60

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 7g; 10%
Saturated Fat 3g 15% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 10mg; 4%
Sodium: 310mg; 13%
Potassium: 390mg; 11%
Total Carbohydrate: 43g; 14%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15% Sugars 24g
Protein: 2g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 380%; 380%
Vitamin C: 15%; 15%
Calcium: 8%; 8%
Iron: 15%; 15%

Exchanges:

1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;