Candied Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon

4.0
(2)
1 Review

Bourbon, apple cider, and brown sugar give these sweet potatoes a kick.

By
Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain was a prolific chef, author, and television personality who shared world cultures, customs, and cuisines through his numerous travel series and various books.
Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on July 26, 2023
Tested by
Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time.
Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 20 mins
Servings:
8
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

  • 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup fresh apple cider

  • 3 tablespoons bourbon

  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the sweet potatoes until barely tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well. Spread them in the prepared baking dish in an even layer.

  2. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter with the brown sugar. Whisk in the cider and bourbon, season with salt and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes and gently stir to coat.

  3. Bake the sweet potatoes until tender and the sauce is syrupy, 35 to 40 minutes.

    Candied Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon
    Whether you take your Thanksgiving sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top or not, they are really just dessert in disguise. And that alone makes them worthy of a spot towards the top of the list. Bobby Fisher

Make Ahead

The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Originally appeared: November 2016

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