Candied Southern and Sweet stove top sweet potatoes smothered and cooked in brown sugar and butter are the traditional sweet potatoes of your childhood.
No marshmallows are needed (but you could certainly add them) to enjoy this easy-to-make side dish that compliments so many main dish dinners and holiday meals.
Why you will love making Stove Top Sweet Potatoes
There is nothing that says a holiday side dish more than sweet potatoes.
It doesn’t matter if you dice them, slice them, eat them baked or throw them in a crock pot, sweet potatoes smothered in butter and brown sugar are a delicacy as delicious as dessert.
I find sweet potatoes underrated – they are inexpensive to buy and feed a ton of people, and any vegetable that goes great with butter and sugar is all right with me!
This simple dish is great for holidays like Easter and Thanksgiving, but do not discount the deliciousness on Mother’s Day, July 4th, and simply a Tuesday dinner. This recipe is a delicious way to enjoy candied sweet potatoes year-round!
If you have not had a chance to dive into many sweet potato side dishes, I hope you love this recipe, and it helps you discover how easy they are to enjoy.
Simple Ingredients
Making a brown sugar candied Southern Sweet Potato is easy – you must gather a few ingredients (listed below).
- sweet potatoes
- butter
- brown sugar
- Seasonings – ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt
Prepping Southern Sweet Potatoes
Before making this delicious and often favorite side dish, you must prep your sweet potatoes. (tip: Pressure cooking sweet potatoes is a little less prep)
- Peel skin from sweet potatoes
- Cut into 1-inch chunks as evenly as possible so your potatoes cook all at the same time. Sweet potatoes are tough potatoes, so it’s best to have a quality sharp knife for this task.
How to Cook Sweet Potatoes Stove Top
- Add cut-up and peeled sweet potato cubes with butter to a cast iron skillet and heat over medium heat until butter is melted.
- Now combine nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a small bowl and mix well.
- Add brown sugar mixture to sauteeing potatoes and mix well to coat.
- Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Simmer sweet potatoes on the stovetop for approximately 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook on the stovetop for 20 minutes until the liquid is significantly reduced. Remove pan-fried sweet potatoes from the heat.
- Season with salt and serve tender potatoes alongside other delicious recipes for an extra sweet flavor.
Are yams and sweet potatoes the same thing?
While the words are often used interchangeably in modern society, yams are brown starchy veggies, and sweet potatoes are softer and vary in color.
Yams ARE sweet potatoes, but sweet potatoes are not yams.
You cannot substitute one for the other because of the taste and texture change.
Additional Flavor
The depth of flavor is really up to you. For extra flavor, try pumpkin pie spices, a tbsp of vanilla extract, or use large kosher salt.
The sweet potato pieces are forgiving when flavoring the butter mixture, so feel free to turn this simple recipe into something special with warm spices.
Easy Ways To Use Stove Top Sweet Potatoes
There are many ways to enjoy southern candied sweet potatoes year-round, and these recipes are perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.
Full of flavor, these rich side dish options can be served with anything from Thanksgiving stuffed turkey to pork chops to fried chicken!
Related Sweet Potato Recipes
- My favorite sweet potato casserole recipe is loaded with marshmallows and is a no-fail Thanksgiving side dish.
- Smooth and savory, sweet potatoes taste amazing mashed.
- Did you know that these delicious potatoes taste outstanding and savory too?
- Brown sugar and bacon make the perfect maple bacon sweet potatoes.
Stovetop Sweet Potatoes (Brown Sugar Candied)
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- salt to taste optional
Instructions
- Add cut up and peeled sweet potatoes and butter to a skillet and heat over medium heat until butter is melted and potatoes are coated.
- Combine brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix well.
- Add cinnamon brown sugar mixture to sweet potato skillet and mix well to coat all sides.
- Cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to low.
- Simmer sweet potatoes for 30 minutes, so they soften.
- Remove lid from the skillet and continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes until liquid is significantly reduced and potatoes are tender.
- Serve seasoned with salt if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
