I try to make everything a little healthier; candied yams are no exception. Most candied yam recipes call for butter and brown sugar or dark corn syrup. I keep the butter, but swap out the less healthy sweeteners for a combination of orange juice and maple syrup. I doused the mix with real vanilla beans to add flavor complexity. I top everything with natural vanilla marshmallows from a local bakery. The result is something decadent, something healthy, and completely delicious. I like to bake the candied yams in my toaster oven while my main course is in my big oven. This way everything is hot and ready at the same time.

Ingredients

4 large jewel or garnet yams (any yams will do, but these have the most beautiful colors)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (Valencia oranges work well in this recipe)

1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup (Grade B maple syrup costs less and tastes better than Grade A)

1 stick (4 ounces) butter

1 vanilla pod

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground mace (you can substitute ground nutmeg if you can’t find mace, but lower it to 1/8 teaspoon)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

12 ounces of natural vanilla marshmallows

Addresses

Heat your toaster oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the yams. Cut yams into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a shallow baking dish. Combine the butter, orange juice, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, mace, and sea salt in a saucepan. Carefully split the vanilla bean lengthwise and use the back end of the knife blade to remove the seeds. Put the pod and seeds in the saucepan. Simmer for 30 minutes, try to avoid boiling or simmering during this time. Remove the vanilla bean and pour the sauce over the diced yams. Gently toss to coat all cubes. Bake until yams are completely soft; this should take about 45 minutes. Remove from toaster oven and evenly spread vanilla marshmallows on top. Return yams to toaster oven and raise temperature to 475 degrees F. Bake until marshmallows are lightly browned; this should take about 8 minutes. This is one area where a toaster oven comes in handy. The proximity of the heating elements leads to fast and uniform browning.

You may have trouble finding natural marshmallows and the ingredients in regular store-bought ones are far from natural. Here’s my suggestion: go to a local bakery and ask if they’d be willing to make them for you. Chances are someone in the bakery also took a few baking and candy making classes while in culinary school. Most locally owned small businesses are more than willing to provide their customers with whatever they are looking for. The bakery around the corner does mine as long as I give them 48 hours notice.

Visit Toaster Oven Reviews to find the best toaster oven for candied yams and much more. You’ll find thousands of reviews, as well as a handy buying guide to help you along the way. You’ll also find more recipes perfect for your toaster oven.