Cooking Sweet Potatoes on the stove is a fast and simple way to make candied sweet potatoes in no time flat. Finish them off in the oven with marshmallows for a fast sweet potato casserole or eat them from the pot as-is!

I've been making my candied sweet potatoes (and yams) this way for years. Swapping yams for sweet potatoes whenever one is cheaper or more convenient, and the dish turns out great every time.
With a little clove added to the pot, a nice earthy spice is added that pairs great with the buttery sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Every bite tastes delicious, but I can't get enough of this tasty Thanksgiving side dish when I go that extra step and top it with marshmallows. Yum!
If you love sweet potatoes, make sure to check out my Mashed Sweet Potato Muffins and Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
Why This Recipe Works
- They're quick to make. This stove top sweet potato recipe is easy to make and incredibly fast too, perfect for hectic holiday feasts.
- No oven is needed. During the holidays, it's hard to schedule the oven around everything that needs to be baked, so having stove top recipes is great for time management and reduced stress. While adding marshmallows and broiling the dish is nice, it's totally optional.
- Simple ingredients. We don't need much to make this tasty side dish. In fact, we only need 4 ingredients. Any necessary shopping would be minimal.
🥘 Ingredients
Sweet potatoes- You will need some fresh sweet potatoes that have been washed, peeled, and diced into smaller pieces.
Butter- Use salted or unsalted butter, depending on what you have on hand. I like to use salted butter.
Granulated sugar- Adding white sugar will give us a sweeter taste and a nice caramelized flavor throughout the homemade syrup.
Ground cloves- For an added warm spice, you'll want some ground cloves.
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to cook sweet potatoes on the stove with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Combine all of the ingredients together in a large pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally.
Let the pot simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
Mash or serve as-is or do the following for a finishing step.
Place candied sweet potatoes in a casserole dish and then top with mini marshmallows.
Set oven broil to high and broil casserole for 1 minute until the marshmallows are toasty.
Serve warm!
🍴 Recipe Tips
If you want a less sweet stovetop sweet potatoes side dish, you can reduce the sugar by up to half. While cooking, the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes starts to shine through too.
While my steps do include a nice finishing touch, you can always eat it straight from the pot without the extra minute in the oven. It tastes great that way but toasted marshmallows always have a place in my heart- kind of like my Easy Smore's Pie.
There's no difference in end results whether you choose to use sweet potatoes or yams. This recipe can be used for either or.
💭 FAQs
Leftovers can be held in a covered container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat before eating to best enjoy them warm!
More tasty side dish recipes to check out
- Oven Roasted Green Beans with Garlic and Parmesan
- Easy 3 Ingredient Biscuits
- One Pot Wild Rice Pilaf
- Mini Spinach Artichoke Dip Bread Bowls
📖 Recipe
Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 cups Sweet potatoes (about 5-6 medium sized) ($4.29)
- ½ cup Butter (one stick) ($0.75)
- 1 cup Granulated sugar ($0.22)
- ½ teaspoon Ground cloves ($0.05)
Optional
- 2 cups Mini Marshmallows
Instructions
- Peel and dice your sweet potatoes into .5" cubes.
- In a large pot (or 12 inch cast iron skillet), combine all of the ingredients over medium heat. Let the butter melt and then stir everything together.
- Bring mixture to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes uncovered until potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Serve as is or place into a casserole dish and top with mini marshmallows. Broil for 1 minute until the marshmallows are toasty.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- You can reduce the sugar by up to half for a less sweet side dish.
- For less of a syrup you can also reduce the butter by half.
- You can eat your sweet potatoes from the pot or place them into a casserole dish and top with marshmallows. Broil on High for 1 minute to toast and then serve. If using a cast iron skillet or oven safe pot, you can just skip the casserole dish part.
- Yams and sweet potatoes are interchangeable in this recipe.
- Leftovers can be kept stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat before serving.
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