Southern candied sweet potatoes are a traditional holiday side dish that kids and adults love because it almost tastes like dessert! The sweet potatoes are cooked until delectably tender in a sweet cinnamon and nutmeg syrup that is hard to resist. This classic recipe will surely make its way onto your list of holiday traditions.
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Instructions
Peel your 4 lbs sweet potatoes, then cut them in half. Slice each sweet potato half into ¼-inch thick half-moons.
In a skillet over medium heat, melt the ½ cup butter. Once melted, add the potatoes to the skillet and stir to coat with the melted butter.
In a small to medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the 2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon salt until evenly distributed. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and reduce the heat to low.
Cover and cook on low, stirring every 5-10 minutes, for about 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender or 'candied' and the sauce has darkened.
Remove from heat and stir in the 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla extract just before serving.
Notes
4 pounds of sweet potatoes should be 5-6 large sweet potatoes, and ½ a cup of butter is 1 stick or 8 tablespoons.
Since the vanilla extract is added at the end, you will want to use pure vanilla extract rather than imitation for the best flavor.
Stir gently just before serving to make sure that all of your sweet potatoes are evenly sauced.
I added 2 tablespoons of water to keep the sweet potato mixture from caramelizing (and burning) but most sweet potatoes release enough moisture for this to be a non-issue.
To store: Place leftover Southern candied sweet potatoes in an airtight container once they have cooled. Pop them in the fridge and enjoy them within 5 days! You may also freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
To reheat: Thaw frozen candied sweet potatoes in the fridge overnight. To reheat a large amount, put them in a baking dish and cover them with foil. Bake at 350°F (175°C) until heated through (15-25 minutes depending on how much you are reheating). Individual portions can be microwaved.