Scrub and score the sweet potatoes around the center and place in a large pot of boiling water. Cover and gently boil for 20-30 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.
Drain potatoes and place in a bowl of ice water until cool enough to handle then slip the skins off (see our video for this method). Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch slices or cubes.
Preparation with marshmallows:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
For the syrup, combine the sugar, water, butter, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring to a rapid boil.
Place sweet potatoes in an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish and drizzle with syrup.
Top with marshmallows and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Preparation without marshmallows:
In a large skillet, combine the sugar, water, butter, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Add the sweet potatoes, stirring to coat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Calorie count includes marshmallows.
A note about yams or sweet potatoes: In the USA these terms are used interchangeably. My candied yams are actually sweet potatoes. In the grocery store, sweet potatoes are commonly labeled as yams, even if they aren’t true yams, which is confusing. Either way, you’ll want sweet potatoes for this recipe!
Be sure to watch the video to learn how to easily peel sweet potatoes with just one cut of the knife!