Illegate Est. 2025
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FROM THE KITCHEN
★ House Favorite

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Buttery, caramelized sweet potatoes baked in a maple-brown sugar sauce with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla. A make-ahead-friendly holiday side dish.

Prep15 Minutes Cook1 Hour Rest10 Minutes Serves10 DifficultyEasy
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HOUSE RECIPE

Make it.

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Ingredients

  • Sweet Potatoes
  • 6 Whole sweet potatoes About 3–4 lbs
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Candied Sauce
  • 1/2 Cup unsalted butter 8 Tbsp / 113g
  • 1 tbsp water 15ml
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 60ml
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar Light or dark; about 200g
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Optional Finish
  • 2 tsp orange zest Optional
  • rosemary Fresh or dried, chopped; optional garnish
  • flaky sea salt Optional garnish

Method

  1. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into approximately 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place them in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish or similar 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the salt and toss to coat.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).
  3. Make the sauce: Cut the butter into smaller pieces to help it melt. Add the butter, water, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  4. Cook and stir until the butter has completely melted. Stop stirring and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Let it boil 2 minutes without stirring.
  5. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and optional orange zest.
  6. Pour the sauce over the sweet potatoes and toss until the slices are evenly coated.
  7. Bake for 1 hour, stirring the sweet potatoes every 20 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil to help the potatoes cook evenly.
  8. Remove from the oven. If using, garnish with rosemary and flaky sea salt.
  9. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will initially be thin but thickens as it cools.