This recipe for candied sweet potatoes has been handed down for generations in my family. The last and only person to have this family recipe was my Uncle Richard. He kept it close to him for my whole life until 3 years ago. He finally gave up the goods! It is the BEST recipe for sticky, sweet and delicious sweet potatoes!
- 5–6 medium sweet potatoes (approx. 5 lbs.)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon round black pepper
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (optional)
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Peel then slice the sweet potatoes into 1/2″ thick sticks or rounds (whichever you prefer). Place in a greased (spray) 9×13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper and olive oil on top and toss.
- Make the sauce: Combine all the butter, water, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the butter has melted. Once the butter is melted, bring to a gentle boil without stirring for 2-3 minutes so will start to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour sauce over potatoes and toss to coat.
- Bake for 1.5 hours, covered tightly, stirring every 20 minutes. After the first 60 minutes, uncover.
- Remove from the oven and cool uncovered for 10-15 minutes before serving. The sauce will be thin when you take it our of the oven, but will thicken as it cools.
Enjoy!
