Want a less tedious way to enjoy candied yams? Deliciously sweet crockpot candied yams with golden pineapples on top is what you need!
Candied yams are most popular during Thanksgiving, Christmas and for Sunday dinner. As yummy as it is, it takes sooo long to make them the traditional way.
I mean you gotta boil or bake the sweet potatoes first. Then make the "candied" juice. Then bake another 45 minutes or so. Hence the reason why for some people it's only made during the holidays or special occassions.
Candied yams in the crockpot is perfect because it makes the dish seem less tedious! Simply peel, chop the sweet potatoes, add all the ingredients to the crockpot and let it cook.
This was inspired by my other Southern recipes on this site like Vegan Black-Eyed Peas, Hoecakes, Lima Beans and Slow-Cooker Cabbage.
Ingredients
Traditionally, candied yams taste "diabetic sweet". They don't have to be that sweet to still taste good.
- Sweet potatoes
- 100% Pineapple juice from canned pineapples
- 100% Pineapple juice adds a tropical layer of sweetness that you'll love. It also helps to not use quite as much sugar.
- Light brown sugar
- White sugar
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Butter
- Diced pineapple or pineapple slices for garnish
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
After peeling the sweet potatoes, the only thing left to do is add all the ingredients to the crockpot and let it cook! I like to call recipes like this "Chop, Dump And Cook". Pretty much what busy moms need in the kitchen.
Peel sweet potatoes and chop them.
Starting with the sweet potatoes, add all the other ingredients. Wait to add the pineapple juice mixture last.
Pour the pineapple juice mixture over the ingredients. Turn on high to cook.
Deliciously sweet crockpot candied yams are done!
Substitutions
Crockpot Candied Yams Vegan
- Making vegan crockpot candied yams is easy to do because it only requires changing up one ingredient. Use a vegan butter instead of regular butter. That’s all!
Variations
If you want to switch things up with the flavor try these ideas below.
Spiced Crockpot Candied Yams
- Add ½ teaspoon of ground cloves and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
What if I don't have pineapple juice?
- Then if you’d like, instead of adding pineapple juice you can just do 2 cups of water.
Storage
Good for 3-4 days in the fridge. Visit Leftovers and Food Safety for more information.
Crockpot Candied Yams
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1 cup 100% pineapple juice from canned pineapples
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup diced pineapple canned pineapples
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Peel and slice sweet potatoes. Drain the pineapple juice from the can into a liquid measuring cup. You'll have ~1 cup of pineapple juice. Then add the 1 cup of water to the liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
- Mix two tablespoons of cornstarch with a little water and mix well. You shouldn't need to add more than 1-2 tablespoons of water. Add sliced sweet potatoes to the crockpot then add all other ingredients including cornstarch. Stir all the ingredients together.
- Turn on high and cook for 3 hours. It's tender at 3 hours, but if you like your yams even more tender then you can cook longer (up to 4 hours). *At the 3 hour mark, I would recommend to check it every 30 minutes until it's tender the way you want it. Just to make sure it doesn't turn to mush :-).
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
In a manner of speaking, yes! People of Black descent in America say “candied yams” but we are actually using sweet potatoes. Technically a yam and sweet potato are two different foods. A yam has bark-like colored skin and is dry. It is grown in West Africa and has less beta carotene than sweet potatoes.
For candied yams in the crockpot, you’ll need to use a really good peeler. This might be a different approach from when making candied yams in the oven where you might boil or bake the sweet potatoes prior to cooking. Then simply peel the skin and cut the sweet potatoes.
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
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