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Super quick and easy, these delicious Caramelized Sweet Potatoes are a healthy alternative to traditional, sticky, marshmallow recipes. Besides being a fabulous side, they can also be used on salads and in soups.
If you're looking for the easiest, prep-ahead side that everyone will rave about, this Caramelized Sweet Potato recipe is IT!
The only difficult thing about these delicious sweet potatoes was deciding on a name. I oscillated between Caramelized Sweet Potatoes and Candied Sweet Potatoes, but you can clearly see which was the winner.
Candied Sweet Potatoes seemed appropriate since they're like good candy - addictingly delicious and quite irresistible! The only problem was the image that the traditional Candied Sweet Potatoes brought to mind - overly sweet, sticky, gooey, loaded with brown sugar and/or marshmallows. Just try googling Candied Sweet Potatoes and you'll see exactly what I mean. This healthy, delicious side would be out of place on a page like that.
So I went with Caramelized Sweet Potatoes, and I'm quite certain you're going to love them. They can be prepped in advance, then finished in under 10 minutes, right before serving.
Short ingredient list
The ingredients list is simple: sweet potatoes, olive oil, butter, honey, ground coriander and salt. The preparation is even simpler: combine all the ingredients in a pan with a splash of water. Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover and cook for 3 minutes. The potatoes are steamed a bit at first and then the cover is removed, allowing the water to evaporate. That's when the beautiful caramelization process takes place as the sweet potatoes are glazed with the delicious honey/butter mixture.
See what I mean? Easy, super easy! At this point, you're done... except to note the happy smiles when the family (or friends) take the first bite.
Make Plenty!
Oh yes, just a warning: be sure to make plenty, as they'll disappear before you can say, "Caramelized Sweet Potatoes"! The recipe serves four, but you may see sad faces when the bowl's empty before everyone's had their fill.
Café Tips for making these Caramelized Sweet Potatoes
- This recipe calls for ground coriander. Coriander is the seed that cilantro is grown from. If you don't care for cilantro, don't worry, coriander is a totally different flavor. It's a bit citrusy, yet warm at the same time. Don't skip it as it adds a delicious layer of flavor!
- If I have them, I really enjoy using whole coriander seeds and crushing them just before adding them to a recipe for fresh, delicious flavor. For these Caramelized Sweet Potatoes, however, I recommend ground coriander, as it disappears into the delicious glaze.
- This recipe is super easy and comes together in less than 20 minutes. The only thing that is time-consuming at all is peeling and chopping the sweet potatoes. I've got a quick and easy solution for that though - I use my Vidalia chopper and I can have all of the sweet potatoes diced into perfect size pieces in less than a minute. I also use my chopper for onions, bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, apples, squash, cucumbers... It is truly a little kitchen workhorse for me!
- Feel free to swap out the honey in this recipe for maple syrup, also delish!
- These Caramelized Sweet Potatoes can be prepped an hour or two ahead. Just combine everything in a large skillet as instructed in the recipe. Cover and set aside for an hour or two. 10 minutes before dinner, proceed with the cooking part in step 2.
- Guess what? These delicious veggies are way more than a side dish. We've got a FABULOUS salad recipe that uses them too and another coming up. Be sure to put sweet potatoes on your shopping list and you'll be all set to go!
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20-Minute Caramelized Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes, about 1¾-2 pounds total
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- fresh finely chopped parsley for garnish, if desired.
Instructions
- Peel sweet potatoes and cut into ½-inch cubes*.
- Combine all ingredients in a large skillet with a lid. With cover off, bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir well. Reduce heat to a maintain a steady simmer, then cover and cook for 3 minutes.
- Remove cover, increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and potatoes are tender, golden and caramelized. This will take around 4-6 minutes. If liquid evaporates and potatoes are not tender, add a few tablespoons of water and continue cooking and stirring till tender. You want them tender, but not mushy.
- Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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I just ordered the vidalia chopper on Amazon. I want to make your Harvest Apple Arugula Salad! My question is...is the vidalia chopper strong enough to chop a raw sweet potato, or do I cook them first. Thank you!
Hi Denise, yes, it is strong enough for a raw sweet potato. We cut them into slices first and then use the chopper to dice them. Enjoy!
Just made these to “practice” before thanksgiving. They were so delicious and so very easy. I am forwarding this recipe to all my friends and family.. I can think of no other reason to make sweet potatoes any other way. I used maple syrup instead of honey as I didn’t have any and didn’t want to run to the store and it still worked beautifully and the crispy bits…..like candy. YUM!! I sprinkled with flake salt before serving which we also really enjoyed.
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Kristi!
Made these ahead today as I am having a crowd on Thanksgiving. Wrapped them good and put them in the freezer. Was alittle concerned about coriander but wow, they are so yummy. Keep em coming Cris, I have liked everyone of yours that I made.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Susie!
Can this be cooked ahead and then reheated before serving (like in the oven)?
Yes, I would warm them in the oven at 325-350˚F, covered then uncover and roast for a few more minutes before serving.
Just made this for dinner tonight. Super easy, very fast and so yummy. I used Maple syrup for a great fall taste. Thank you for this lovely recipe.
Thanks, Mary Anne! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Why did you rate it one star then? If you liked it as much as you’re saying you should change the rating to five stars. Just sayin’
That said, this recipe is super delicious! Making it again for Thanksgiving.
Thanks, Holly!
😉 - that drives me crazy!
Great recipe, Chris - as usual. Thanks! (Also fixing it for Thanksgiving.)
Thanks, Laura!
Love these sweet potatoes on any arugula salad. We've made this recipe several times, finally convincing me to get the Vidalia Chop Wizard.
That Vidalia chopper definitely makes this recipe a breeze. Thanks for sharing your result, Michelle!
Can this be prepped and put in the refrigerator in the pan overnight and then cooked the next day?
Hi Anita, if you wanted to prep this ahead, I would just peel and dice the sweet potatoes and store them in a ziplock bag or other type of storage container. Then you could combine the other ingredients in a small jar. The next day, combine the two in a pan and proceed with the recipe.
Enjoy!
What flavor honey do you recommend? Orange Blossom, Wildflower, etc.
Hi Janice, just use your favorite. I usually have wildflower on hand but others would be good too!
This was really good and so easy to make! Definitely a keeper. Very tasty. Thank you for a great recipe!
Yay! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
The marshmallow topped was always a family favorite, but this is my new goto recipe for any pot luck.
Getting a tool to help with the Dicing was key to making this easy.
That's awesome Mike. Yes, the tool makes a huge difference!
You can really taste the honey in these, I'm not a fan of honey, so next time I make them I'm thinking of using maple syrup instead of the honey.
That's a great idea Terese, if you're not a fan of honey. Also some honeys are stronger tasting than others. Maple syrup would be delicious!
I've never been a fan of the marshmallow topping and this is much better than zapping them in the microwave like I usually do.
Thank you Sandra! Yes, I just got tired of the "traditional" fall sides and wanted to find something healthy and new.
I definitely prefer these over the marshmallow topped sweet potatoes! And I love roasted squash in an autumn salad, so I bet these sweet potatoes would be a terrific addition, too!
It's hard not to like these Liz, so full of flavor!
This looks terrific! Sweet, but not overly so. Love sweet potatoes, and they take so well to all sorts of different flavorings. This is my kind of dish -- thanks.
They're kind of a beautiful blank pallet to combine new flavors on!
Made this recipe last night for my husband,adult son and myself!! Should have doubled recipe!! Delicious..
Oh, that makes me smile on the inside and out Barb! So glad they worked for you!
Though my husband is a marshmallow person, I think I will be able to sway him with the word "caramelized". Thanks Chris!
You bet Abbe!
I am going to make these for Thanksgiving but I probably won't wait that long to try them for myself. Love the cute little size, more browned bits on all those sides! I even have that great cutting gadget to use. Love these!
It's fun to do a "test run" on new recipes before the holidays, isn't it Susan?
Looks fantastic♥
Thanks Summer! Love your name 🙂
A perfect autumnal side dish, Chris.
Thanks Angie! it does check all the boxes for fall flavors!
Hi Chris, what a beautiful dish, love the addition of coriander. Can't wait to see the other recipes up your sleeve;)
We've got some good ones Cheri! Stay tuned!
A delicious dish for the fall season.
It is perfect for fall and all the special occasions of the season!
That is just sweet potato perfection there! Simply perfect 🙂
Thanks Jennifer.!
These look so beautiful! And perfect for October. They look like they would melt in your mouth. And perfect for any meal, including breakfast instead of home fries!
That's a great idea Ginny, I hadn't thought about breakfast but now I'm imagining them with a few sunny side up eggs, yum!
I can't stand the gooey marshmallow covered sweet potato dishes, this looks so elegant and perfect! Love the coriander in there, and I will check out the Chop Wizard, I hate cutting sweet potatoes!
I'm with you Jenna on the marshmallows. Do check out the Chop Wizard, it saves so much time!
This will be a big favorite in our house! Can't wait to see what you do with the salad and appetizer recipes 🙂 Have a wonderful week Chris!
Thanks Tricia, I'm excited about both the salad and the appetizer. Hope your week gets off to a great start too!
I love the size!
Little bites..
Yes! They look so nice on a serving platter!
How funny!! I just grated a big sweet potato on Thursday on a large grate. I put coconut oil. coconut sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, grated nutmeg and orange juice after it started to caramelize. I had made something similar in the oven with them cut in cubes but never grated on the stove top. We LOVED it. I didn't have a name since I just made it up and never measured a thing. HA!!!
This looks yummy!! I have never used coriander.
Sounds like you and I are thinking alike Charlotte!
Coriander is such a unique flavor for these sweet potatoes, Chris, great idea!
Thanks Sue, I love the subtle yet unique flavor that coriander adds.