Vegan Candied Yams with Marshmallows

Name: Vegan Candied Yams with Marshmallows
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 4 ½ pounds of yams; ½ cup of brown sugar; ¼ cup of melted vegan butter; 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon of salt; ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger (optional); 10 ounces of mini vegan marshmallows

Modified: Dec 16, 2024 · Published: Nov 7, 2022 by Toni · This post may contain affiliate links · 34 Comments

Melt-in-the-mouth baked vegan candied yams with marshmallows are simple to prepare, can be made with unrefined sugars, and are perfect for your Thanksgiving table!

Completed Vegan Candied Yams with Marshmallows in a baking dish against a white background.

Jump to:

Easy Vegan Candied Yams (Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes)
The Ingredients
What Could I Add to Vegan Thanksgiving Yams?
How to Make Vegan Candied Yams with Marshmallows?
FAQs
Top Recipe Tips and Notes
Storage Recommendations
More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
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Easy Vegan Stuffing
Vegan Pumpkin Pie (Easy, GF Optional)
Vegan Candied Yams with Marshmallows

Easy Vegan Candied Yams (Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes)

This holiday classic has had a vegan make-over by replacing dairy with non-dairy ingredients, like vegan butter and vegan marshmallows. The result is baked candied yams with ALL the flavor of old-fashioned candied sweet potatoes, but 100% vegan and cruelty-free.

The combination of tender sliced sweet potatoes (no canned yams here!) tossed in a rich sauce of brown sugar, vegan butter, vanilla, and several spices, all topped with vegan 'mallows' is a treat.

You can also partially prep the homemade candied yams a day in advance AND freeze the leftovers for a fuss-free holiday!

Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Try out this easy cranberry pear sauce, cauliflower stuffing, brown sugar green beans, and garlic and herb roasted vegetables.

The Ingredients

This candied sweet potato casserole (yam casserole with marshmallows) requires only a handful of simple ingredients, several pantry staples, and just 8 ingredients in total (plus salt)!

Ingredients for Vegan Candied Yams with Marshmallows measured out on a white surface.

You could make candied yams with maple syrup or coconut sugar for a refined sugar-free version. Alternatively, use a combination of granulated sugar and maple syrup.

Marshmallows: Use your favorite brand of mini vegan marshmallows OR check the alternative topping options below. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods both sell vegan marshmallows like Dandies brand.

What Could I Add to Vegan Thanksgiving Yams?

The above vegan marshmallow yams recipe is already sweet, 'buttery', moreish, and absolutely delicious. However, there are several variations and add-ins you can choose from to tweak this recipe to your liking.

Dried fruit: Raisins or dried cranberries will work well stirred into the oven-baked candied yams before adding the 'mallows'.
Orange zest: Add the zest of one orange to the vegan Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole. For more citrus flavor, add 2-3 tablespoon of orange juice concentrate.
Cardamom: Just a tiny pinch for depth.
Pecans: Add chopped pecans (or walnuts) to the Southern candied sweet potatoes halfway through baking OR use them as a topping instead of marshmallows.
Mashed sweet potato: To make a more traditional vegan sweet potato casserole, first oven-bake (or steam) the sweet potatoes until tender, then mash them with the sweet sauce ingredients (and a little dairy-free milk if needed). Then top with the marshmallows and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Crumble topping: Swap the mallows for a pecan streusal topping like in this easy peach crisp.

How to Make Vegan Candied Yams with Marshmallows?

Making candied yams is super simple. Just peel, chop, toss with the seasonings, and bake.

Process shot showing sliced yams in a bowl.

Process shot of adding candied liquid to yams in a bowl.

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Step 1: First, preheat the oven to 400F/205C, and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Meanwhile, wash, peel, and chop the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces and transfer them to a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk the melted vegan butter with the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and ginger (if using). Then toss it with the yams until they're evenly coated.

Process shot showing pre baked candied yams in a baking dish.

Process shot of adding marshmallows to yam mixture in baking dish.

Step 3: Spread the potato mixture into the baking dish and cover it with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, stir, then bake for a further 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Step 4: Finally, remove the candied yams from the oven, add a layer of mini vegan marshmallows, and bake for a further 4-6 minutes, just to slightly heat.

You don't want the marshmallows to start bubbling, or they'll turn into a white goo. For browner 'mallows', broil them instead of baking.

FAQs

Can I use mashed sweet potatoes/yams?

To make a more traditional vegan sweet potato casserole. First, cook the sweet potatoes by steaming, boiling, or roasting them. I prefer the latter as it caramelizes the sugars within and brings out the potatoes' natural sweetness (you may even be able to reduce the amount of added sugar). Or, try out these crispy roasted sweet potato wedges and sweet potato pumpkin soup.

What if the candied sweet potato casserole is too watery?

This shouldn't happen unless you double the sauce or add more liquids. However, if the sauce looks pretty watery halfway through the baking, add some cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon starch to 1 tablespoon water) into the dish and mix well.

How to make candy yams on the stove?

If your oven is packed to the brim with holiday dishes, don't worry, you can prepare these stovetop candied sweet potatoes instead.

Start by peeling and slicing the sweet potatoes. Then, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, add the sauce ingredients (minus the vanilla) and mix until the sugar melts. Then add the potatoes, the vanilla, and ⅓ cup of water and stir well.

Cover the pot with a lid and cook over low for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the yams are fully coated with the syrupy sauce until the yams are fork-tender. If the sauce thickens up too much, add more liquid. If it stays loose, add some cornstarch slurry.

For more non-oven meals, try out these chili sauce and grape jelly meatballs and Instant Pot garlic mashed potatoes.

Can I make sugar-free baked candied yams?

If you want to make healthy candied yams that are sugar-free, I recommend using a brown sugar alternative or a maple syrup alternative for the best flavor.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

Slice the sweet potatoes evenly: A mandoline or food processor slicing disk can help with this (and saves time). Even slices ensure they'll cook at an even rate.
For more syrupy candy yams in the oven: You can either save some of the 'syrup' to one side to baste the vegan candied yams when stirring it halfway through baking OR double the syrup entirely for a more decadent dish. If doubling the sauce, I often reduce the amount of 'mallows so it isn't too sweet.
Sweeten to taste: If you'd prefer to add more or less sugar, then adapt the sauce's sweetness to your liking.

Storage Recommendations

Store: Allow the candied sweet potatoes with marshmallows to cool and store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Freeze: Allow it to cool and store in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheat: The leftovers will reheat well either in a microwave (1-2 mins based on portion size and microwave power) or in the oven (at 350F/175C) until warm.

Can You Make Candied Sweet Potatoes Ahead?

Make ahead: You could make these vegan candied yams the day before by baking them up until the point of adding vegan marshmallows, then allow them to cool and store, covered, in the fridge. Remove the dish from the fridge 30 minutes before reheating, adding the marshmallows in the last 5 minutes (stir beforehand to redistribute the sauce).

If you want to prepare the elements without baking them, you can also do that the night before. Store the sliced potatoes in a container of water with plastic wrap to keep them from browning, and prepare the sauce in a separate bowl (it will solidify but just needs reheating to assemble the vegan Southern candied yams to bake).

More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

If you tried this vegan candied yams with marshmallows recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!

More Vegan Thanksgiving

Comments

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