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    Home » Thanksgiving

    Simple Maple Cranberry Yams or Sweet Potatoes

    Published: October 12, 2020 | 1:44 am, Modified: Apr 25, 2023 by Connie Edwards McGaughy This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Simple Maple Cranberry Yams or Sweet Potatoes 🌱 A simply delicious vegan version of a favorite Thanksgiving holiday candied yam side dish. Made with sweet potatoes (yams) and fresh cranberries baked with a citrusy orange and maple glaze and a hint of nutmeg. Enjoy this delish dish anytime you want!

    A baking dish filled with vegan simple maple cranberry yams (sweet potatoes).

    When I was a kid, my mom spent the better part of a week shopping, preparing and cooking our annual Thanksgiving feast for family & friends.

    Every year she made the same dishes without changing a single ingredient. Heaven forbid she should try something new, not that she didn't want to. She just knew how much we looked forward to her scrumptious homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy and perfect pumpkin pies. After all, we couldn't imagine breaking from tradition - particularly one that revolved around food and our beloved family recipes.

    Baked vegan maple cranberry yams sprinkled with orange zest on a dinner plate.

    When I stopped eating meat and dairy, I didn't want to give up my favorite family dishes, so I learned to 'veganize' my mom's prized recipes.

    How I made our family recipe even better than before

    Traditional candied yam recipes, like my mom's, include a lot of butter, brown sugar and marshmallows (most contain gelatin, definitely not vegan). This new & improved vegan rendition is lighter in fat and brighter in flavor. By using a small amount of non-dairy butter and pure maple syrup instead of processed sugar, the rich texture of the yams/sweet potatoes shine through. The addition of fresh cranberries and citrus combine to make a wonderful balance of sweet and tart. A pinch of ground nutmeg provides that subtle hint of spice that says "Happy Holidays". I know my mom would agree, it's simply delish!

    Here's why we love this recipe

    • It's simply delicious!
    • So easy to prepare
    • Lower in fat and sugar than traditional candied yams or sweet potatoes
    • Kids love it
    • Can be prepared a day in advance
    • Gluten-free
    • Looks and smells amazing!
    • Perfect for Thanksgiving or any day
    Jump to:
    • Here's why we love this recipe
    • How to make maple cranberry yams
    • Ingredients
    • 🥕Variations
    • Instructions
    • 🥕 Serving Suggestions
    • Equipment
    • 🥕 FAQ's
    • Need more ideas for your Thanksgiving menu?
    • Recipe

    How to make maple cranberry yams

    🥕See the printable recipe below for complete details

    Ingredients for maple cranberry yams including orange juice, zest, nutmeg, and walnuts.

    Ingredients

    • Yams - sweet potatoes
    • Cranberries - fresh, whole
    • Orange juice
    • Orange zest
    • Butter - vegan
    • Maple syrup
    • Nutmeg - ground or pumpkin spice
    • Walnuts or pecans - (optional)

    🥕Variations

    This recipe is so simple to prepare and quite flexible. Depending on your tastes and dietary needs of your guests, you can add or subtract ingredients. Here are a few ideas as food for thought.

    • Fresh cranberries - replace with dried cranberries
    • Orange zest - replace with lemon zest
    • Cinnamon
    • Cloves
    • Pumpkin spice
    • Chopped walnuts or pecans
    • Vegan marshmallows - I like this brand

    Instructions

    Sliced sweet potatoes on a cutting board.

    Wash & slice yams into thirds.

    Sliced raw yams in a pot.

    Place in a 5 quart or larger pot. Cover with water & lid. Boil until tender.

    Boiled yams in a colander.

    Strain yams in colander.

    Cooked sweet potatoes on a cutting board.

    Remove peels from yams (they should come off easily). Slice yams into ½" thick rounds.

    A glass baking dish spread with butter.

    Coat bottom of baking dish with small amount of vegan butter.

    Sliced yams (sweet potatoes) in a baking dish.

    Arrange ½ of the yam slices in a single layer in bottom of dish.

    Sliced, cooked yams topped with dabs of butter in a baking dish.

    Add a small dab of butter to each.

    A baking dish with cranberry orange yams (or sweet potatoes) topped with dabs of vegan butter.

    Place cranberries in between yam slices. Sprinkle with a small amount of nutmeg & drizzle with ⅓ of the maple syrup over the yams.

    A baking dish with cranberry orange yams (or sweet potatoes) topped with dabs of vegan butter.

    Repeat one more layer. Pour orange juice between yams. Sprinkle with orange zest.

    A baking dish with maple cranberry yams (or sweet potatoes).

    Bake at 375ºF for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining maple syrup & sprinkle with orange zest. Bake for 5 additional minutes.

    Remove from oven and allow to set for a few minutes.

    A baking dish with baked maple cranberry yams (sweet potatoes) sprinkled with orange zest.

    Oh, the aroma of baked cranberries, orange, nutmeg and maple is amazing!

    🥕 Serving Suggestions

    This recipe for vegan maple cranberry yams (sweet potatoes) makes the perfect Thanksgiving or holiday side dish. The mellow and lightly sweet maple flavor of the baked yams along with the bright citrusy tang of fresh orange juice and zest combined with tart of cranberries pairs beautifully with savory dishes.

    A vegan Thanksgiving dinner plate filled with mushroom Wellington, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, stuffing and cranberry maple yams.

    Who wouldn't love to dig into this beautiful plate of the best vegan mushroom seitan Wellington, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, classic green bean casserole, and simple homemade vegan bread stuffing?

    Equipment

    • 5 qt or larger stovetop pot with lid
    • Colander or strainer
    • Cutting board
    • 9" x 13" baking dish
    • Citrus zester
    • Measuring spoons
    • Measuring cup
    A baking dish with cranberry orange yams (or sweet potatoes).

    🥕 FAQ's

    Are yams and sweet potatoes the same thing?

    You may have noticed I keep referring to yams & sweet potatoes interchangeably. There’s a lot of confusion about the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. Many of us assume that yams are large, dark reddish-colored tubers with deep orange flesh and sweet potatoes are smaller and lighter in hue. Even the signage in grocery store produce aisles often label the big darker red ones as ‘yams’. I'd never given it much thought until I started a recipe blog. So I googled it and found out that what I've always known as yams are, in fact, sweet potatoes. True yams are starchy, pale, edible roots with rough bark-like skins and not nearly as sweet as sweet potatoes. All I know is I grew up calling them yams and this is one time I'm not breaking with tradition.

    Are sweet potatoes (yams) healthy?

    Yes they are! According to this article in TIME:
    All potatoes are nutrient-dense and healthy for you. But sweet potatoes—the orange, yellow and purple varieties of the root vegetable—are lower in calories and carbohydrates than the average spud. They’re also higher in vitamin A, an antioxidant that boosts immunity and helps you maintain healthy skin and vision. One sweet potato provides far more than 100% of your recommended daily allotment of vitamin A, per the USDA.

    How to store baked simple cranberry maple yams or sweet potatoes

    Cover baked yams with food grade plastic wrap or in a covered air-tight container and keep cold in a refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave in 30 second increments or in a 300℉ oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.

    Need more ideas for your Thanksgiving menu?

    🥕 Here's a few of our favorites!. . . Enjoy!

    Images of vegan Thanksgiving dishes including cranberry orange sauce, apple and pumpkin pie, Brussels sprouts, cranberry maple yams, scalloped potatoes, pumpkin bread and stuffing.

    Recipe

    Simple vegan maple cranberry yams in baking dish

    Simple Maple Cranberry Yams or Sweet Potatoes

    by Connie🥕
    Simple Maple Cranberry Yams or Sweet Potatoes 🌱 A simply delicious plant-based version of a favorite Thanksgiving holiday candied yam side dish. Made with sweet potatoes and fresh cranberries baked with a citrusy orange and maple glaze.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Casserole, Dinner, Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Holiday, Thanksgiving, Vegan
    Servings 6
    Calories 277 kcal

    Equipment

    • 5 qt or larger covered stovetop pot
    • Cutting board
    • Measuring spoons
    • Measuring cup
    • Citrus zester
    • kitchen knife
    • strainer or colander
    • 9" x 13" rectangular baking dish or large round baking dish

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 4 large sweet potatoes
    • ½ cup cranberries whole fresh
    • 2 tablespoon non-dairy butter
    • 4 tablespoon maple syrup reserve 1 tbsp
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ¼ cup orange juice
    • 3 tablespoon orange zest reserve 1 tbsp

    Instructions
     

    • Wash yams (sweet potatoes) and cut into thirds. Leave skins on.
    • Place yams in 5 qt. (or larger) pot. Cover with water (about 2" above yams). Cover with lid.
    • Place pot on stove over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to med-high, maintaining a steady boil. Allow yams to cook for approx. 15 -18 minutes until just tender. Test by inserting a sharp tip knife.
    • Remove from heat. Carefully pour off water and drain yams in a colander or strainer. Allow to cool down for a few minutes.
    • Preheat oven to 375°
    • Once the yams are cool enough to touch, use the tip of a paring knife to cut a very shallow slice down one side of the skins. Pull the skins away from the yams. They should come off very easily.
    • Cut yams into ½" rounds.
    • Spread a small amount of butter on the bottom of baking dish.
    • Place one layer of yam rounds in the bottom of the dish.
    • Add a small dab of butter on each yam round.
    • Sprinkle a small amount of nutmeg on each.
    • Sprinkle a small amount of orange zest on each.
    • Place whole fresh cranberries in between each yam round.
    • Lightly drizzle about ⅓ of the maple syrup over all.
    • Repeat by adding another layer of yams, butter, nutmeg, zest, cranberries & maple syrup.
    • Gently pour orange juice over all.
    • Cover with foil and bake at 375° for 25 minutes, until juices are bubbling and cranberries are soft. Remove foil.
    • Drizzle remaining maple syrup over all and sprinkle with remaining orange zest. Continue baking uncovered for additional 5 minutes.
    • Remove from oven. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    🥕This recipe makes about 6 servings. When I prepare this for Thanksgiving, I usually make a double batch. It's always nice to have extra for leftovers which can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days.
    🥕Prepare up to a day in advance. Store covered, refrigerated. Reheat at 350℉ for 25 minutes or until hot, prior to serving.

    🥕Variations - feel free to substitute or add any of the following

    • Fresh cranberries - replace with dried cranberries
    • Orange zest - replace with lemon zest
    • Cinnamon
    • Cloves (use sparingly, just a pinch - cloves can pack a punch)
    • Pumpkin spice
    • Chopped walnuts or pecans
    • Vegan marshmallows 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 157mgPotassium: 828mgFiber: 8gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 32190IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 1mg

    These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Connie Edwards McGaughy

      September 28, 2021 at 11:58 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is likely one of the easiest & tastiest side dishes to create for a Thanksgiving or holiday dinner or anytime! It looks beautiful, smells amazing and tastes simply fantastic.

      Reply
    2. Cindy Traisi

      November 25, 2020 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      I have fixed this 3 times so far. We love it!

      Reply
      • Connie Edwards McGaughy

        November 25, 2020 at 4:47 pm

        5 stars
        Cindy - I'm so happy the maple cran yams are a hit at your house too! 🍁💚🥕

        Reply

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