These Vegan Candied Sweet Potatoes are a must-try for the holiday season! Made with simple, plant-based ingredients, they’re naturally sweet, rich, and perfect for any festive dinner. The sweet potatoes are steamed and topped with a delicious, buttery sauce that’s made vegan-friendly, offering a healthier twist on the classic candied sweet potatoes.

Full Recipe: 

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 1.5 tbsp vegan butter, melted

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• Sea salt, to taste

Directions

1. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.

2. Fill a large pot with water and place a steamer basket inside. Add the chopped sweet potatoes to the steamer basket. Cover with a lid and steam over medium heat for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces, until tender.

3. While the potatoes are steaming, melt the vegan butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract until combined.

4. Once the sweet potatoes are tender (check with a fork), transfer them to a serving bowl.

5. Drizzle the sweetened butter mixture over the sweet potatoes and gently stir to coat evenly.

6. Season with sea salt to taste and serve warm.

Nutrients

• Calories: 209 per serving

• Carbohydrates: 46g

• Protein: 2g

• Fat: 5g

• Saturated Fat: 1g

• Sodium: 150mg

• Potassium: 558mg

• Fiber: 6g

• Sugar: 20g

The Sweetness of Sweet Potatoes: Nature’s Candy

Sweet potatoes are the star of this dish, offering both a natural sweetness and a rich, earthy flavor that makes them perfect for a dessert-like side dish. Packed with essential nutrients like fiber, vitamin A, and potassium, sweet potatoes are not only delicious but also incredibly good for you. Their natural sweetness comes from the starches in the tuber, which break down into sugars when cooked, making them the ideal base for candied sweet potatoes.

Unlike regular white potatoes, sweet potatoes have a creamy texture and a slightly sweeter taste, which makes them a favorite in both savory and sweet dishes. By steaming the sweet potatoes, you ensure that they retain their nutrients and natural flavors while becoming tender and soft, ready to absorb the delicious butter sauce. The steaming method also helps preserve the vibrant orange color of the sweet potatoes, which adds to their visual appeal when served on the dinner table.

Why Vegan Butter? A Healthier Alternative

One of the key features of this recipe is the use of vegan butter, which provides a rich, creamy texture without the dairy found in traditional recipes. Vegan butter is made from plant-based oils, such as coconut or olive oil, and offers a similar consistency and flavor to regular butter but with fewer saturated fats and cholesterol. This makes it a healthier alternative while still delivering the desired buttery richness that complements the sweet potatoes.

Using vegan butter also ensures that the dish remains completely plant-based, making it suitable for vegans, vegetarians, or those with dairy intolerances. The melt-in-your-mouth quality of vegan butter combined with the sweetened spices creates a sauce that coats the sweet potatoes beautifully, making each bite as indulgent as the next. Plus, vegan butter often contains fewer additives compared to margarine, offering a more natural, cleaner option for cooking.

Spices and Flavor Profile: A Festive Touch

The spices in this dish are what really elevate it to holiday-worthy status. Ground cinnamon and nutmeg are classic spices often associated with fall and winter flavors. They bring a warm, aromatic depth to the sweet potatoes, complementing their natural sweetness. Cinnamon, in particular, adds a slight earthy warmth that pairs perfectly with the creaminess of the sweet potatoes and the richness of the vegan butter.

Nutmeg, on the other hand, adds a subtle, slightly sweet and spicy flavor that enhances the overall taste of the dish. Together with the vanilla extract, these spices give the dish a comforting and festive aroma that will fill your kitchen, creating the perfect ambiance for any holiday gathering. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla is a timeless flavor profile that evokes the spirit of the holidays, making this dish a crowd-pleaser for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any cozy meal with loved ones.

The Role of Sea Salt: Balancing Sweetness

While the brown sugar and spices create a sweet, comforting flavor in this dish, the addition of a small amount of sea salt helps to balance out the sweetness. Sea salt brings out the natural flavors of the sweet potatoes and the spices, adding a hint of savory contrast to the otherwise sweet and creamy dish. Salt is a key ingredient in many sweet dishes, as it enhances the other flavors and provides a well-rounded taste.

The amount of salt in this recipe is minimal, just enough to enhance the sweetness of the potatoes and the richness of the butter sauce without overpowering the flavors. This balance of sweet and salty creates a harmonious flavor profile that’s both indulgent and satisfying. Additionally, sea salt has a subtle, more natural flavor than regular table salt, which makes it a great choice for recipes like this, where the focus is on wholesome, clean ingredients.

A Healthier Twist: Dairy-Free and Plant-Based

What sets these Vegan Candied Sweet Potatoes apart from the traditional version is the use of plant-based ingredients that make the dish healthier without compromising on flavor. By using vegan butter and almond milk, this dish becomes a dairy-free option, making it accessible to those with lactose intolerance, dairy allergies, or those following a vegan lifestyle.

The traditional recipe often calls for heavy amounts of butter and sometimes even marshmallows, which can make it overly rich and high in fat and sugar. By using almond milk and a modest amount of vegan butter, this version reduces the overall fat content while still maintaining that creamy, indulgent texture that makes candied sweet potatoes so irresistible. Additionally, almond milk is a lighter, plant-based alternative to dairy milk, offering a subtle flavor that complements the sweetness of the potatoes without overwhelming them.

The use of brown sugar adds a rich, molasses-like flavor to the dish, creating the perfect balance of sweetness. Brown sugar is often considered a healthier option compared to refined white sugar, as it retains some of the nutrients found in the molasses. This makes it a better choice when looking for a more natural sweetener in your dishes.

Perfect for Holiday Feasts or Weeknight Dinners

Vegan Candied Sweet Potatoes are versatile and perfect for a variety of occasions. While they make an excellent side dish for holiday meals like Thanksgiving or Christmas, they are also great for weeknight dinners when you want to add something special to your meal. The sweet potatoes can be served alongside a variety of dishes, from roasted vegetables to vegan proteins like lentils, tofu, or chickpea-based dishes.

The dish pairs wonderfully with savory flavors, making it an ideal accompaniment to roasted or grilled vegetables, plant-based meats, or hearty grains like quinoa or rice. Its natural sweetness makes it a perfect foil for richer, more savory mains, creating a well-balanced meal that’s both filling and satisfying. Whether you’re hosting a large gathering or cooking for your family, these sweet potatoes are sure to impress.

Easy to Prepare with Minimal Effort

Despite its impressive flavor, Vegan Candied Sweet Potatoes are incredibly easy to prepare. The recipe requires minimal hands-on time, and most of the cooking is done through steaming, which helps retain the nutrients in the potatoes. Steaming is a healthier cooking method compared to boiling, as it preserves the flavor, texture, and nutritional content of the vegetables. The sweet potatoes become tender in just 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces, and the rest of the dish comes together quickly with just a simple stir of the sweetened butter sauce.

This makes Vegan Candied Sweet Potatoes a perfect option for those looking for a delicious, festive dish that doesn’t take up too much time or require advanced cooking skills. The simplicity of the recipe means it can be easily incorporated into any meal, whether you’re preparing a full holiday feast or a quick and wholesome weeknight dinner.

Conclusion: A Festive, Flavorful, and Healthier Side Dish

Vegan Candied Sweet Potatoes are a delightful and healthier twist on a classic holiday favorite. With their naturally sweet flavor, creamy texture, and aromatic spices, they make the perfect side dish for any occasion. The use of plant-based ingredients like vegan butter and almond milk ensures that this dish is both dairy-free and lighter than traditional recipes, without sacrificing the richness and indulgence that make candied sweet potatoes so beloved.

Whether you’re serving them for a special holiday gathering, a cozy dinner with friends and family, or just as a simple side dish for a weeknight meal, these sweet potatoes are sure to become a favorite. The combination of sweet and savory flavors, enhanced by the addition of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt, creates a perfectly balanced dish that will leave everyone asking for seconds.

With their ease of preparation and deliciously comforting flavor, Vegan Candied Sweet Potatoes are a must-try recipe that will add a touch of sweetness and warmth to any meal.