Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

Naturally sweetened with honey and orange juice then studded with pecans flavored with cinnamon this delicious Candied Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday.

Naturally sweetened with honey and orange juice then studded with pecans flavored with cinnamon this delicious Candied Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday. | manilaspoon.com

My family and I are getting excited about Thanksgiving and it’s just around the corner. Since my parents and siblings are in the Philippines and hubby’s parents are in England, when Thanksgiving comes we really don’t have our family to celebrate with us – it’s just the four of us, hubby, me, and our two little Americans.

We do miss them, especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas as it’s not often that we get to see them because the fares are astronomically high to travel abroad during the holiday season.

Thankfully, despite missing our blood relatives during special occasions, we have never really felt alone as our family has always been adopted by some very kind families from our church during Thanksgiving.

The past 12 years we have been in the US, we never had to celebrate Thanksgiving on our own and by God’s grace, we have another new family to join this time. It just feels wonderful that way.

This is why I decided for this post to make a classic Thanksgiving side dish – sweet potato casserole and perhaps share it with our host family this year. I usually bring Lumpia (Filipino Spring Rolls) as appetizers as that is often requested but I thought why not add another dish to the list and so here it is.

Flavored with honey and orange juice then studded with pecans this tasty Candied Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. | manilaspoon.com

This Candied Sweet Potato Casserole gets its flavor from a combination of honey, orange juice, and orange zest. It’s easy to prep and I like that it’s practically naturally sweetened but not overly sweet.

Here’s a quick rundown of how I make this Candied Sweet Potato Casserole. For printing, please check the recipe card below.

Chopped pecans flavored with cinnamon and a little sugar is sprinkled over on top to add extra crunch and yum.

Flavored with honey and orange juice then studded with pecans this tasty Candied Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. | manilaspoon.com

I simply peel the sweet potatoes and then slice them thinly (1/4 inch or less) and then arrange them on a baking dish with overlapping layers.

Flavored with honey and orange juice then studded with pecans this tasty Candied Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. | manilaspoon.com

Then I pour over the potatoes a combination of honey, orange juice and zest, butter and a little salt and bake it covered first. So, at this point, it would only be cooked halfway.

Flavored with honey and orange juice then studded with pecans this tasty Candied Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. | manilaspoon.com

Thereafter, I sprinkle the chopped pecans mixed with a little sugar and cinnamon on top, baste it quickly and then bake it until the potatoes have softened. The result is a tasty sweet potato casserole with bright flavors of honey and orange that looks nicely caramelized, too thanks to the cinnamon and sugar on top.

It’s not super-sweet (like dessert) but the amount of honey (or other sweeteners you prefer) can be adjusted to your taste. It’s certainly a perfect complement to roast turkey (or chicken and pork) for Thanksgiving and beyond. Hope you like it.

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Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

Naturally sweetened with honey and orange juice then studded with pecans flavored with cinnamon this delicious Candied Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday.
4.64 from 65 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
 

  • 2 lbs sweet Potatoes (about 5 cups), peeled and sliced thinly
  • 1 cup Orange juice
  • cup Honey (or Maple syrup)
  • 6 tbsp unsalted Butter, melted
  • 2 Oranges, zested
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ cup chopped Pecans
  • ½ tsp ground Cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp brown Sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
    In a baking dish (about 2 quartz capacity –  8 or 9 x 11″), arrange the sliced sweet potatoes in overlapping layers.
    In a bowl combine the orange juice, orange zest, honey, butter and salt. Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes ensuring that all slices are coated (to ensure better absorption of the sauce).
  • Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. In the meantime, mix the pecans, cinnamon and sugar. After 30 minutes, adjust the oven temperature to 375 F,  take the dish out and uncover and sprinkle all over with the chopped pecan mixture. Bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes have softened.
    If desired, place under the broiler for a 1-2 minutes to caramelize the topping a bit. Enjoy!

Notes

Note: As this dish is mostly naturally sweetened, it’s not overly sweet like the regular sweet potato casseroles with sugar and marshmallows. Feel free to adjust the amount of honey to your liking. This can be made ahead and simply reheated the next day. The batch can also be doubled if desired.
Keyword best candied sweet potato recipe, candied sweet potato casserole, candied sweet potatoes with pecans, glazed sweet potato coins, healthy candied sweet potato recipes, layered sweet potato casserole, light candied sweet potatoes, quick easy candied sweet potatoes, southern sweet potatoes with orange juice
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Naturally sweetened with honey and orange juice then studded with pecans flavored with cinnamon this delicious Candied Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday. | manilaspoon.com

Last updated on October 9th, 2023 at 01:13 pm

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101 Comments

  1. November 12, 2015 / 4:26 am

    orange juice and zest?? I am VERY excited to try this recipe – sounds SO good!

  2. November 12, 2015 / 5:08 am

    No once can turn down the sweet potato casserole! Love the orange juice and honey! So perfectly balanced!

  3. November 12, 2015 / 5:17 am

    What an amazing holiday dish. I've got some sweet potatoes just begging to be made into this!

  4. November 12, 2015 / 11:22 am

    Dear Abigail, I absolutely love this for the holidays! Such a perfect winter side dish and so beautiful too! xo, Catherine

  5. November 12, 2015 / 12:49 pm

    You can put pecans and maple syrup on anything and I would be happy, but even more so when it is combined with sweet potatoes. Yum!

  6. November 12, 2015 / 1:56 pm

    This sounds like the perfect Thanksgiving dish! I love sweet potatoes and this recipe sounds amazing!!!

  7. November 12, 2015 / 2:35 pm

    I am an orange vegetable fanatic so I looooooooooove this.

  8. November 12, 2015 / 3:00 pm

    What a glorious Thanksgiving side dish! This sounds the BEST way to make sweet potatoes! So glad you have an "extended" family with whom to celebrate the holidays, Abby!

  9. November 12, 2015 / 7:06 pm

    What a beautiful dish – all the right flavors and all that sweet deliciousness!

  10. November 12, 2015 / 7:26 pm

    I love sweet potato casseroles, your version with the sweet potato slices and orange juice sounds wonderful, I will have to try it soon!

  11. November 12, 2015 / 8:05 pm

    I love the simplicity of putting this together. I can only imagine how heavenly it tastes!

  12. November 12, 2015 / 8:38 pm

    Dear Abby, what a gorgeous dish…mmmm. Love those layered sweet potatoes. I'm so glad you have a special family to spend Thanksgiving with. (And they have a special family too!) I know you'll have a wonderful time. (And I would really love to taste those spring rolls.) We are especially thankful this year as my brother had a terrible fall from a ladder several months ago. He broke many bones, had many surgeries and will be in a wheelchair at least through the New Year. It could have been so much worse and we're so thankful he'll BE at the Thanksgiving table this year. Have a blessed time with your family. xo

    • November 13, 2015 / 2:45 am

      Oh, I am so terribly sorry to hear about your brother Allie! Praying for a speedy recovery. Glad he could join you for Thanksgiving and wishing you and your family a blessed and enjoyable gathering. Thanks, Allie!

  13. November 12, 2015 / 8:44 pm

    My mouth was full on watering by the time I got to the end of the recipe. Looks fantastic!

  14. November 12, 2015 / 10:21 pm

    This si SO going to be on my table this year for Thanksgiving! Much easier way to enjoy sweet potatoes 😀

    • November 13, 2015 / 2:45 am

      Hope you enjoy it Chrisy and thanks for stopping by! 🙂

  15. November 13, 2015 / 10:37 am

    It is hard not to be able to meet with your family during holidays but it is so nice to be surrounded by people who feel kind enough to spend these days with you. I studied in the US and I still remember with great love the family that adopted me. Those potatoes are perfect and I am sure everyone will be happy!

  16. November 13, 2015 / 3:44 pm

    I love that this casserole is sliced (as opposed to mashed)—looks just stunning!

  17. November 13, 2015 / 7:42 pm

    This looks so good! And, I'll be honest, I'm really excited that it doesn't have marshmallows on it. Looks great like this!

    • November 14, 2015 / 4:47 pm

      Thanks, Debi! Love it the way it is, too. 🙂

  18. November 13, 2015 / 10:53 pm

    Yummy recipe! I love the flavors and low sugar. I make a sweet potato casserole that we all love that is similar to this one. So good and not too sweet! Sweet potatoes don't need sticky, gluey marshmallows to be good!

    • November 14, 2015 / 4:46 pm

      So true Diane! I love that this is not overly sweet, too and mostly naturally sweetened. Thanks!

  19. November 14, 2015 / 12:49 am

    All of those pecans and honey make this dish look so tempting. Can't wait to try it.

  20. November 14, 2015 / 4:41 pm

    This seems to be so easy to put together and looks so delicious. Perfect for Thanksgiving dinner.

    • November 14, 2015 / 4:43 pm

      Quick and easy to prep for sure Divya, thanks!

  21. Anonymous
    November 17, 2015 / 9:15 pm

    Just one quick question about the basting… are we to use a small spoon and jam it down in the dish to retrieve the liquid or tip up the hot pan?? I'm sure this is super simple, I'm just missing it. Is there more liquid in the pan than I am imagining?

    Celena

    • November 17, 2015 / 9:29 pm

      I just used a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out the juice especially after it's been in the oven and then drizzle the juice all over. I push the potatoes a little to get the juice – it's quite easy to do that and then just push it back. You want a little liquid to drizzle over the potatoes when serving too. 🙂

    • Anonymous
      November 18, 2015 / 3:05 pm

      Thank you! I figured as much but I wasnt sure if I was supposed to move the potatoes around. I am trying it next weekend!!

  22. November 20, 2015 / 4:55 pm

    hello! This looks like a delicious dish and I plan to make it for Thanksgiving. Does this dish travel well? I know you said we can make it in advance and reheat. So should I bake the whole thing through and then just reheat when I get to my in-laws' house? Thanks!

    • November 20, 2015 / 6:44 pm

      I have never travelled with this but if you are traveling long distance keep it in a chilled container or ice box and then reheat when you get to the place. If you have time, you can make it at your MIL's place so it depends on how much time you have really.

  23. November 21, 2015 / 6:29 pm

    Question regarding reheating. If I make it the day before do I bake it the full hour and then another 20 minutes the next day? Thank you …. Looks great!

    • November 22, 2015 / 12:02 am

      Bake it covered for 30 minutes or just until the potatoes are heated through. Oven temps vary so please check after 20 minutes to see if it's already bubbly and hot.

  24. November 24, 2015 / 2:46 am

    This is great I think adding a little bourbon would be great bourbon goes great with sweet potatoes

  25. November 25, 2015 / 6:06 pm

    I'm so excited to make this! Have you ever tried making it the day before and then warming it the next day?

    • November 25, 2015 / 8:24 pm

      Yes, just make sure you cover it when reheating. I think it's more flavorful.

  26. November 28, 2015 / 4:31 pm

    Hi Abby – I was volunteered to bring the sweet potatoes for our Thanksgiving meal this year. I searched the web and looked at the search results using only images. Your dish was the most beautiful presentation I had ever seen! I used your recipe – loved the addition of honey (I used to be a beekeeper). Everyone loved them! Thanks so much, I love your photos and how each finished dish looks amazingly delicious!

    • November 28, 2015 / 6:30 pm

      Thank you so much for your very kind feedback Robin! You totally made my day!!! Always appreciate it when people come back and let us know how the cooking and eating went. 🙂

  27. December 1, 2015 / 2:36 am

    Simple and delish without all the added sugar and marshmallows. I did forget to add the cinnamon, but it was still yummy. I do want to try to replace the butter with coconut oil to make it a bit healthier. Easy.

    • December 1, 2015 / 4:37 am

      So happy to know you liked it Tracy! Thanks for letting us know and I may have to try the coconut oil, too! Glad you stopped by!

  28. December 12, 2015 / 8:01 am

    Lovely combination of flavors here.Beautiful recipe – Perfect for the start of Spring. I look forward to making this.

  29. December 23, 2015 / 9:30 pm

    Do you think you could use Apple juice instead of orange? Looks beautiful!

    • December 23, 2015 / 9:42 pm

      Am sure you can though the taste would be slightly different but worth a try! Let us know how it goes if you get to try it Tracy. Thanks!

  30. Daphne Cox
    November 22, 2017 / 1:55 pm

    Good Morning! I’m looking forward to this dish tomorrow. Wondering if you’ve ever prepped and let ingredients sit over night? I could put it in the oven now, but would love to wait and cook only once.

    • abigail
      Author
      November 22, 2017 / 7:52 pm

      I haven’t done so but I don’t see a reason why it cannot be prepped ahead. Perhaps that way the potatoes would soak up more of the juices overnight and take less time to cook. If you do, please let us know how it worked for you. Thanks!! Happy Thanksgiving!

  31. Natalie
    November 23, 2017 / 12:54 pm

    This looks so amazing! Any chance this could be made in a casserole dish? I’m just wondering if the layering will throw off the flavor/texture of the top layers?

    • abigail
      Author
      November 23, 2017 / 1:50 pm

      I use a square casserole dish and even a rectangular dish should be fine as stated in the recipe (suggested dish to use). If you mean casserole pot – I haven’t done it there but I don’t see why it won’t work – if your dutch oven is oven safe it should be good. After the baking as well, I baste the top with the juices which should be plenty and that would add more flavor to the top layer. 🙂 Thanks and enjoy!

  32. Terese
    December 25, 2017 / 6:32 pm

    Abby,
    We had not one but two of your recipes this Christmas, this sweet yam dish with dinner and eggs in a nest for brunch! Thank you for these and all your wonderful recipes. Blessings to you and the family!

    • abigail
      Author
      December 25, 2017 / 10:09 pm

      Thank you so much for trying this Terese and glad you liked the recipes!! Best regards to your family! We surely miss you!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, too!!

  33. Susan
    December 26, 2017 / 10:17 am

    I have made this twice in the last couple of weeks. It’s a nice change from mashed sweet potatoes and can be made ahead. Delicious!

    • abigail
      Author
      December 26, 2017 / 11:15 am

      Thanks Susan! Glad you enjoyed this! It’s my favorite, too!

  34. Steph
    February 11, 2018 / 12:53 pm

    Looks amazing!
    Will try this recipe, but with maple syrup du Québec!

    • abigail
      Author
      February 11, 2018 / 1:22 pm

      That sounds delicious already!! Enjoy and hope you like it. 🙂

  35. Kayleigh
    November 21, 2018 / 11:50 am

    Do you use orange juice? Or the juice from the real orange?

    • abigail
      Author
      December 28, 2018 / 9:40 pm

      You can use either.

  36. Shadi Hasanzadenemati
    September 29, 2020 / 12:37 pm

    5 stars
    The combination of flavors in this candied sweet potato casserole dish is great! Love it!

  37. Pam
    September 29, 2020 / 1:10 pm

    5 stars
    I love that you used fresh sweet potatoes and kept them in slices instead of mashing. This is a wonderful variation to the way I usually see sweet potato casserole.

  38. Emmeline
    September 29, 2020 / 1:12 pm

    5 stars
    Love this version! This candied sweet potato casserole will be great to bring to this year’s thanksgiving dinner!

  39. Jessica Formicola
    September 29, 2020 / 2:03 pm

    5 stars
    I think this might be our new go to for Thanksgiving! It looks incredible and I can’t wait to try it!

  40. Katie
    September 29, 2020 / 2:20 pm

    5 stars
    Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this candied sweet potato casserole.

  41. Leslie
    October 1, 2020 / 12:38 pm

    5 stars
    I really like how well you put this together. I love that you used sliced sweet potatoes instead of mashing them. Plus your flavors just take this to another level!

  42. Lesli Schwartz
    October 1, 2020 / 2:58 pm

    5 stars
    We love serving sweet potato casserole on Thanksgiving. I’ve never prepared it sliced before, but an excited to try! Your recipe looks delish!

  43. Sue
    October 2, 2020 / 8:38 am

    5 stars
    I love that you can start with raw sweet potatoes in this recipe, it makes it so convenient. And that golden color is stunning, I think this will replace my regular sweet potato side this year 🙂

  44. Emily
    October 2, 2020 / 7:27 pm

    5 stars
    This is always my husband’s favorite dish at Thanksgiving! The flavor combo in this candied sweet potato casserole is so delicious.

  45. Alex Ryder
    October 3, 2020 / 4:05 am

    What a lovely looking dish is this candied sweet potato casserole, perfect for sharing at a big family meal like Thanksgiving or Christmas!

  46. Alexis
    October 3, 2020 / 8:54 am

    5 stars
    This is a gorgeous dish. I’m putting it on the list for dishes this holiday season.

  47. Sarah James
    October 3, 2020 / 11:11 am

    5 stars
    Your Sweet Potato Casserole looks delicious. I like how it’s naturally sweetened with honey and orange juice as I’m not keen on overly sweet sides. Thanks for sharing.

    • abigail
      Author
      October 5, 2020 / 10:10 am

      Yes, I’m with you there. This has just the right amount of sweetness without being sickly. Thanks and enjoy.

  48. Julie @ Running in a Skirt
    October 3, 2020 / 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    What a classic and gorgeous casserole for the holidays. I love the candied top and my family loved this for Thanksgiving.

  49. Amy Liu Dong
    October 3, 2020 / 9:57 pm

    5 stars
    I love every ingredients you put in this candied sweet potato recipe and I am pretty sure that this one is delicious. I’ll try to make this for my family.

  50. Chef Dennis
    October 4, 2020 / 10:28 am

    5 stars
    I can’t wait to try this candied sweet potato casserole recipe. My family is going to love it.

  51. Sondra Barker
    October 4, 2020 / 3:30 pm

    YUMMY! This looks so good, I love sweet potato! Can’t wait to try this. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!

  52. Kushigalu
    October 5, 2020 / 8:07 am

    5 stars
    Love sweet potatos. Amazing side dish to try for a holiday dinner. Thanks for sharing.

  53. Ramona
    October 5, 2020 / 3:02 pm

    5 stars
    What an amazing and creative recipe to make over the holidays! The colour of the dish looks amazing and the flavours and combinations make me drool! Thank you for sharing this recipe for candied sweet potato casserole.

  54. Sapana Behl
    October 7, 2020 / 3:17 am

    5 stars
    Wow, I love sweet potatoes and these candied casserole looks so delicious and comforting to try it soon. Beautiful pics.

  55. John
    November 26, 2020 / 1:10 am

    I wanted a sweet potato dish that was not super sweet or mashed. I didn’t have orange juice, so I used apple instead. I did have an orange and used the zest. I personally thought that the orange flavor was too strong, in the future I would tone it down, maybe zest of half an orange. Otherwise, it was good and would be worth making again.

  56. Julie Bartlett
    November 26, 2020 / 10:01 am

    Recommendations on how to reheat this casserole? Covered or uncovered? Temperature and time?
    We made it ahead to bring to dinner but are not sure how to reheat for serving it.

    • abigail
      Author
      November 26, 2020 / 12:24 pm

      I would do it at 375F covered and then see if it’s heated through after 30 minutes then adjust the time accordingly. You can try that.

  57. Claudia Lamascolo
    October 15, 2021 / 3:50 am

    5 stars
    These are seriously mouth watering with all those nuts and glistening glaze I just fell in love with Sweet Potatoes!

  58. Natalie
    October 15, 2021 / 8:37 am

    5 stars
    Sweet potato casserole is one of my favorite thanksgiving dish. This year I will give your recipe a try. Looks delicious!

  59. Amanda Dixon
    October 15, 2021 / 10:07 am

    5 stars
    This is perfect for the holidays! It’s so simple, and the honey adds the best flavor. Such a great recipe!

  60. Tatiana
    October 15, 2021 / 11:44 am

    5 stars
    I added a little bit of bourbon to the casserole and it was phenomenal.

    • abigail
      Author
      October 16, 2021 / 7:55 am

      I need to try adding bourbon next time! YUM!

  61. Juli
    November 15, 2021 / 10:14 pm

    5 stars
    That looks like a delicious upgrade to sweet potatoes. I love the maple in there with the orange!

  62. Shashi
    November 15, 2021 / 10:44 pm

    5 stars
    This sounds absolutely scrumptious – what a fantastic side dish! Love the extra pecans on there!

  63. Gavin Sutherland
    November 15, 2021 / 11:36 pm

    5 stars
    PERFECTION! I’ve made it 3 times now and it just gets better and better 😉

  64. Traci
    November 16, 2021 / 12:21 am

    5 stars
    You had me at candied LOL. Srsly, beautiful classic recipe that’s perfect for the holidays. Thanks for sharing!

  65. Kristen Wood
    November 16, 2021 / 1:48 am

    5 stars
    I made this for my family last year and I’ve returned to say here I am again. 🙂 Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

  66. Tavo
    November 16, 2021 / 2:15 am

    5 stars
    Looks so yummy! I am adding this recipe to my Thanksgiving table!

  67. Paula
    November 16, 2022 / 2:22 pm

    Sounds delicious.Can you make without pecans( a few guests are allergic)? Would I just leave rpthem out or replace with something else?

    • abigail
      Author
      November 16, 2022 / 2:49 pm

      You can replace them with marshmallows if you like. Or leave them out. Enjoy.

  68. Pam
    November 17, 2022 / 9:00 pm

    How many people does this recipe feed?

    • abigail
      Author
      November 19, 2022 / 9:17 pm

      It should serve about 8 people but can easily be doubled if you need more.

  69. Paula
    November 22, 2022 / 12:10 pm

    How many people does this feed?

    • abigail
      Author
      November 22, 2022 / 4:40 pm

      I’d say it’s about 6-8 servings but if you want it for a bigger crowd – just use a 9×13 baking dish and double the recipe. Enjoy.

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