Candied Yams Brown Butter Sage (Printable Format)

Tender yams glazed with brown butter and fresh sage for a savory-sweet side dish.

# What's Needed:

→ Vegetables

01 - 3 pounds yams (sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds

→ Brown Butter & Sage

02 - 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 10 fresh sage leaves, chopped

→ Candied Glaze

04 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
05 - 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
06 - 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Arrange yam rounds in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter while swirling constantly until golden brown and nutty-scented, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add chopped sage and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Remove saucepan from heat. Whisk in brown sugar, maple syrup, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract until smooth.
05 - Pour brown butter-sage glaze evenly over yams and toss gently to coat thoroughly.
06 - Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
07 - Remove foil, baste yams with pan juices, and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes until yams are tender and glaze is thickened.
08 - Allow dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh sage leaves if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Brown butter and sage transform a childhood favorite into something sophisticated without losing the comfort factor.
  • The maple and orange juice create a glaze that's genuinely complex, balancing sweetness with depth that makes people ask for the recipe.
02 -
  • Watch the brown butter carefully—it can go from nutty-brown to burnt in about 10 seconds, and once it's scorched, the whole glaze tastes bitter and there's no fixing it.
  • Squeezing fresh orange juice instead of using bottled makes a genuine difference because that bright citric acid is what keeps this from tasting like dessert, and it actually brings out the sage.
03 -
  • Toast pecans lightly and sprinkle them on just before serving if you want texture and richness without changing the core recipe.
  • Squeeze your orange juice fresh and let it sit for a minute—this sounds fussy but that few minutes lets the juice reach room temperature and integrate better into the warm glaze.
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