Candied canned sweet potatoes in crock pot

Q: Are candied yams and candied sweet potatoes the same thing?

Yes, all so-called yams” are in fact sweetpotatoes. Most people think that long, red-skinned sweetpotatoes are yams, but they really are just one of many varieties of sweetpotatoes.

Slow cooker candied sweet potatoes don’t get any easier or more delicious. Sweet potatoes cook low and slow (freeing up your oven!) and get drizzled with a sweet glaze! This may quite possibly be be the most delicious sweet potatoes I’ve ever tasted. And I’m so excited to finally share it with you!

Table of Contents Show

Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes
Are canned sweet potatoes already cooked?
Are candied yams and candied sweet potatoes the same thing?
How do you make Paula Deen's candied yams?
How long do sweet potatoes take to parboil?

Candied sweet potatoes has always been a side dish at my childhood Thanksgiving table.

Although my mom’s weren’t made in a slow cooker, they still were loaded with brown sugar and butter so yeah, they’re pretty fabulous. And my sweet tooth approved.

If you recall, last year I hosted my first Thanksgiving. I kept things classic with roast turkey, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, dinner rolls and since my father-in-law loves candied sweet potatoes I made him my favorite recipe. I wanted to blog it but there just wasn’t enough time to do it. So I waited almost an entire year to share it with you.

I don’t know about you but I have limited stove top and oven space once I stuff the bird into the oven and get going on all those side dishes. Because of this, I needed to bust out my slow cooker and put it to use. And candied sweet potatoes are made to be slow cooked.

Prep it, set it and forget it.

First peel around 3-1/2 to 4 pounds sweet potatoes. Next, place them into your slow cooker, sprinkle with a cup of each granulated and dark brown sugar. Then throw in 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and drizzle everything with a stick (!!!) of unsalted butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

You can toss it all together or not, it’s up to you. 😉 Cover, set to low and cook for 6 hours.

Lastly pour in a half cup of the vanilla/brown sugar/butter mixture into a small sauce pan. Heat to medium high and bring it to a boil and whisk in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch that has been mixed with 2 teaspoons water. This will thicken that glaze up perfectly so you can pour all over those sweet potatoes.

I know, right?!

Lastly, serve the potatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans and serve.

These slow cooker sweet potatoes are melt in your mouth delicious and I just know you’ll love them!

Enjoy! And if you give this slow cooker candied sweet potatoes recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

Yield: 10 servings

Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes

Slow cooker candied sweet potatoes can't get any easier or more delicious. These quite possible could be the most delicious sweet potatoes I've ever tasted.

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 6 hrs

Total Time: 6 hrs 5 mins

4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans

Combine sweet potatoes, both sugars, salt, butter and vanilla in your slow cooker.
Cover, set to low and cook for 6 hours.
Once potatoes are tender, remove 1/2 cup of the slow cooker liquids. Pour it into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. This should only take a minute or two. Meanwhile, mix together 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water.
Once the liquids are boiling, whisk in cornstarch mixture. Continue to whisk until thickened. About 1 minute.
Serve sweet potatoes drizzled with the thickened glaze and top with chopped pecans.

Serving: 1g, Calories: 427kcal, Carbohydrates: 79g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 166mg, Potassium: 660mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 49g, Vitamin A: 26026IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 78mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

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originally posted November 11, 2016 — last updated October 23, 2022 by Laurie McNamara

Are canned sweet potatoes already cooked?

One 15-ounce can of sweet potatoes equals one cup of fresh sweet potatoes. Canned sweet potatoes are precooked, so add them at the end of a recipe.

Are candied yams and candied sweet potatoes the same thing?

Yes, all so-called “yams” are in fact sweetpotatoes. Most people think that long, red-skinned sweetpotatoes are yams, but they really are just one of many varieties of sweetpotatoes.

How do you make Paula Deen's candied yams?

Paula Deen Candied Yams Instructions Begin by preheating your oven to 450°F. Toss the sliced sweet potatoes with vegetable oil and spread them out equally on a baking pan. Place them in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until tender, soft, and caramelized.

How long do sweet potatoes take to parboil?

Peel (if desired) and chop sweet potatoes into 1” chunks. Bring a saucepan 3/4 of the way full of clean, cold water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt to the water. Add sweet potatoes to the water and boil for 5-7 minutes.