Candied Yams Butter Cinnamon (Printable)

Savory-sweet yams mashed with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar for a warm side dish.

# What You Need:

→ Yams

01 - 2.5 lbs yams (sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

→ Flavorings

02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 cup milk or half-and-half
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Garnish

09 - 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
10 - Additional cinnamon for sprinkling

# Steps:

01 - Place peeled and cubed yams in a large pot. Cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes until yams are very tender when pierced with a fork.
02 - Drain the yams thoroughly using a colander and return them to the warm pot.
03 - Add butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, milk, and vanilla extract to the yams.
04 - Mash until smooth and creamy, adjusting milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is pure velvet without feeling heavy or overly sweet.
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you've been cooking all day.
02 -
  • I learned the hard way that overcooking the yams by even five minutes can turn them from silky to starchy and grainy—set a timer and stick to it.
  • Draining them well is the difference between mash and soup; take an extra minute to let the water really drain before moving them back to the pot.
03 -
  • Buy yams that feel dense and have no soft spots, since they'll cook more evenly and taste sweeter than older ones that have been sitting in storage.
  • Keep a hand mixer on standby, but use it only if your mash turns out slightly lumpy after hand-mashing—a few pulses fixes it without overdoing it.
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