Candied Yams with Pecans

My aunt always made candied yams the exact same way every Thanksgiving, and I'd watch her slice them with that practiced rhythm, the knife catching the orange flesh just right. One year I decided to make them myself, thinking I'd improve on her method, and ended up with a watery mess because I skipped the toasting step for the pecans. That failure taught me something important: sometimes the classics survive because they actually work. Now when I make this dish, I follow her lead, and the house fills with that unmistakable buttery-cinnamon warmth that means someone's coming home to something good.

I made this for a coworker's potluck once, and someone actually asked for the recipe before the dish was even half empty—that never happens. She said it tasted like autumn but also like someone actually cared, which stuck with me because that's exactly what good food does.

Ingredients

• Yams: Look for ones that feel firm and have no soft spots; they should be roughly the same size so they cook evenly, and cutting them into half-inch rounds ensures they're tender inside while the glaze gets under them just right.
• Unsalted butter: This lets you control the salt level, and butter actually contributes a richness that oil never will, plus it helps the spices dissolve into the glaze properly.
• Light brown sugar: Packed firmly into the measuring cup so you get consistent sweetness, and light brown has less molasses than dark, which keeps the dish bright instead of heavy.
• Pure maple syrup: Non-negotiable for flavor; the cheap pancake syrup stuff will make this taste thin and artificial, so spend the extra dollar.
• Ground cinnamon: Fresh is better—if your jar is older than six months, it's lost its personality, so smell it first and trust your nose.
• Ground nutmeg: Just a whisper of this, because nutmeg has opinions and too much drowns everything else out.
• Kosher salt: Brings all the other flavors into focus and cuts through the sweetness in a way that makes people say this tastes better than they expected.
• Pecan halves: Toast them yourself instead of buying pre-toasted; the difference in flavor and crunch is worth the extra three minutes.
• Vegetable oil: Just enough to help the pecans toast evenly without burning, and it doesn't interfere with their natural flavor.

Instructions

Heat your oven and prepare:

Set the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a small baking dish so nothing sticks to the bottom later. This temperature is hot enough to caramelize the glaze without cooking the yams too fast.

Toast the pecans:

In a small skillet over medium heat, toss the pecans with oil for about two to three minutes, stirring constantly until they smell warm and almost nutty. The moment you smell them getting toasty, take them off the heat and onto a plate because they'll keep cooking from residual heat.

Arrange the yams:

Lay the yam rounds in a single layer in your baking dish, overlapping them slightly if needed so they sit snug together. This helps them steam slightly while the glaze does its work.

Make the glaze:

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, stirring gently until everything dissolves and the mixture barely bubbles at the edges. You'll know it's ready when it looks glossy and smells like fall in a pan.

Coat the yams:

Pour the warm glaze over the yams and gently toss them so each slice gets coated, then smooth them back out into a single layer. Don't be shy with the glaze; you want it pooling slightly in the corners.

Bake covered:

Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes, which gives the yams time to start getting tender while the glaze thickens underneath. The foil traps steam and keeps everything moist.

Finish uncovered:

Remove the foil, gently turn the yams over, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until they're completely soft and the glaze has thickened into something almost syrupy. You'll see the edges of the glaze starting to caramelize slightly, which is exactly what you want.

Top and serve:

Sprinkle the toasted pecans over the warm yams right before serving so they stay crunchy, and let everyone catch that smell the moment the dish hits the table.

Save

There's a moment about fifteen minutes into the uncovered bake when the kitchen smells so good that people start appearing in doorways asking if it's done yet. That's when you know you've got something worth making again.

How to Know When They're Done

The yams should be tender enough that a fork slides through without resistance, but they shouldn't fall apart when you try to turn them. The glaze will look slightly thickened and more amber-colored than when you first poured it, and it should coat the back of a spoon lightly.

Flavor Combinations That Work

If you want to experiment, a small pinch of orange zest stirred into the glaze adds brightness that plays beautifully with the cinnamon, or you could add a tiny bit of vanilla extract right at the end. Some people add a small splash of bourbon, which sounds fancy but honestly just makes it taste warmer and deeper.

Making This Ahead and Storage

You can prep the yams and glaze separately a few hours before baking, then assemble and bake when you're ready. Leftovers keep for about three days in the fridge and actually taste even better reheated gently in a 300-degree oven because the flavors have time to deepen.

• Reheat covered with foil so the yams don't dry out, and add the toasted pecans fresh right before serving instead of storing them with the dish.
• Don't freeze this because the texture of the yams changes in a way that never quite comes back, but it makes a great make-ahead side for any gathering where you need one fewer thing to worry about.
• If you're doubling the recipe, use a slightly larger baking dish and add about five more minutes to each baking stage.

Save

This dish has a way of turning a simple weeknight dinner into something that feels a little bit special, which is the whole reason to cook in the first place. Make it once and it becomes the thing people ask you to bring.

Recipe FAQs

→ How do I toast pecans properly?

Toast pecans in a skillet over medium heat with a bit of oil, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes until fragrant but not burnt.

→ Can I substitute yams with sweet potatoes?

Yes, sweet potatoes can be used interchangeably, providing a similar texture and sweetness.

→ What’s the best way to get a thick glaze on the yams?

Simmer the butter, brown sugar, and spices until bubbling gently before pouring over the yams and baking uncovered at the end.

→ How do I keep the yams tender without drying out?

Cover the dish with foil during initial baking to trap moisture, then uncover to thicken the glaze without over-drying.

→ Can I make this dish dairy-free?

Substitute unsalted butter with plant-based alternatives to maintain richness without dairy.