Paleo Candied Sweet Potatoes

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These Paleo Candied Sweet Potatoes are just like the classic recipe with a few easy twists! They're loved by kids and adults alike and are perfect for feeding a crowd. Plus you only need 5 ingredients! (Okay, plus salt.)

And this Paleo Thanksgiving recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and vegan.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Baking time45

Total Time1 40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4-5 medium) all around the same thickness
1 teaspoon fine sea salt approximately
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon approximately
5 tablespoons coconut sugar approximately
½ cup chopped pecans
⅓ cup pure apple juice

Instructions

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
Scrub the potatoes and carefully add to the boiling water. Immediately set a timer for 40 minutes (no need to wait for the water to come back to a boil). When the time is up, carefully remove the sweet potatoes (I use cooking tongs) and let cool. (The sweet potatoes can be prepped up to this point and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.)
Heat the oven to 350° F.
Trim off the ends of the sweet potatoes and peel off the skin. Slice into ¼" rounds. Lay the rounds in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish in a single layer. Feel free to cut some of the rounds in half to fit into the edges of the layer, if necessary. Sprinkle with about ¼ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar.
Repeat the layering process, overlapping the rounds when possible to cover up gaps (but don't worry about any gaps). Add about ¼ cup of the pecans after the second layer. With the final layer, sprinkle over the last of the salt and cinnamon, about 2 tablespoons of the coconut sugar, and the remaining pecans.
Carefully pour in the apple juice in two or three places around the edge of the dish. Try not to let it splash over the sweet potatoes but don't worry if it does.
Bake the sweet potatoes for 40-45 minutes, until they look a little darker and caramelized. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

Notes

Serving note: When serving these at Thanksgiving with lots of other sides, you should be able to get about 12 servings. If serving at a meal where there are less side dishes, you might get only 8-10 servings (people take larger servings when there are less options).

Substitutions

You can also add about ½ teaspoon total of ground ginger and/or ground nutmeg over the layers of sweet potatoes. Or omit the cinnamon and any spices altogether.

You can use walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds in place of the pecans, or omit the nuts altogether.

You can use water or orange juice in place of the apple juice.

Make ahead

Once boiled, the sweet potatoes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Once baked, let the dish cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 350° F oven for 15-20 minutes.

Freezer info

I do not recommend freezing these. The sweet potatoes will become mushy.

Nutrition