Healthy Stovetop Candied Yams

These Healthy Stovetop Candied Yams are tender, warmly spiced, and coated in a lightly sweet maple glaze without the large amounts of butter and refined sugar traditionally used in candied yams.

Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, so this recipe lets their flavor shine while cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and vanilla create that familiar holiday-style candied-yam flavor.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30–40 minutes
Total Time: About 50 minutes
Servings: 8–10
Serving Size: About ¾–1 cup

Ingredients

  • 9 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Small pinch of salt, optional
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water, for mixing with the cornstarch

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Spiced Glaze

Add the maple syrup, butter, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ½ cup water, lemon juice, vanilla, and optional pinch of salt to a large skillet or pot.

Heat over medium-low heat until the butter melts, stirring to combine.

Step 2: Add the Sweet Potatoes

Add the chopped sweet potatoes and gently toss until evenly coated.

Cover and cook over low to medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring gently occasionally.

Step 3: Finish Cooking

Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 5–10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Avoid stirring too aggressively so the pieces don’t break apart.

Step 4: Thicken the Glaze

Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until smooth.

Stir it gently into the liquid surrounding the sweet potatoes.

Cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the sauce becomes lightly thickened and glossy.

Step 5: Serve

Remove from the heat and allow the yams to rest for about 5 minutes.

The maple glaze will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.

Why This Version Is Healthy

The biggest change is the dramatic reduction in added sugar.

This healthy version uses:

  • No white sugar
  • No brown sugar
  • Only ⅓ cup pure maple syrup for the entire 9-cup batch
  • Only 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

The cornstarch helps create that thick, glossy candied-yam-style sauce without requiring more sugar.

Sweet potatoes themselves provide fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.

Is maple syrup still sugar?

Yes. Maple syrup is still considered added sugar, which is why we’re limiting it to ¼ cup for this large batch rather than treating it as an unlimited “healthy” sweetener.

With approximately 10 servings, that works out to only about 1¼ teaspoons of maple syrup per serving.

Estimated Nutrition Facts

Per serving, based on 10 servings:

  • Calories: approximately 145–155
  • Protein: approximately 2 g
  • Total Fat: approximately 1–2 g
  • Saturated Fat: less than 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: approximately 31–33 g
  • Dietary Fiber: approximately 4 g
  • Total Sugars: approximately 12–13 g
  • Added Sugars: approximately 6–7 g
  • Sodium: very low if the optional salt is omitted

Nutrition values are estimates and may vary based on the size and variety of the sweet potatoes and ingredient brands.