Glazed Sweet Potatoes With Brown Sugar

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 11/15/22
Glazed sweet potatoes with brown sugar recipe

The Spruce / Teena Agnel

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This glazed sweet potatoes recipe is one of my favorite ways to make them. Sweet potatoes cooked in a skillet along with brown sugar, butter, and other seasonings...just delicious! It's especially good with ham or for a holiday meal.

A very simple recipe with just a few ingredients, and takes only 30 minutes from start to finish. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into thick slices, then throw on the seasonings and cook. 

It's a nice change of pace from the rich sweet potato casserole, a sweet potato and marshmallow dish, or something more complicated like hasselback sweet potatoes. If you prefer to keep preparation simple, this is an excellent choice. If you want to jazz the dish up a bit, see the variation ideas below the recipe instructions.

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Ingredients

  • 3 medium sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds

  • 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

  • 1/3 cup water

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for glazed sweet potatoes with brown sugar recipe
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch to 1-inch-thick slices.

    peel the sweet potatoes and cut into slices
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  3. Place the sweet potato slices in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 12 minutes, or until just tender. Alternatively, roast the sweet potato slices in a 375 F oven for about 25 minutes.

    Boil sweet potatoes
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  4. In a heavy skillet, combine brown sugar, water, butter, and salt. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

    combine brown sugar, water, butter, and salt
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  5. Add the sliced sweet potatoes to the brown sugar mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until well glazed, turning frequently to keep them from scorching.

    Glazed sweet potatoes with brown sugar
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

Recipe Variations

  • Add 1/2 cup of toasted pecan halves.
  • Instead of slicing, dice the sweet potatoes into uniform cubes.
  • Replace the 1/3 cup of water with apple cider or apple juice.
  • Replace the 1/3 cup of water with orange juice and add some fresh orange zest, if desired.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, or simmer the sweet potatoes with a cinnamon stick.
  • Margarine or bacon drippings may be used instead of butter.
  • Try camote baked sweet potatoes using honey and cut-up sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

Sweet potatoes and yams have been mixed up and interchanged with each other for a while. But they are actually very different. Sweet potatoes have light yellow or orange-red smooth skin, while yams have black or brown scaly type skin. While both are root vegetables, they belong to two different plant families. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
189 Calories
3g Fat
40g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 189
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 117mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 28g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 17mg 84%
Calcium 53mg 4%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 437mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)