Air fryer candied yams with marshmallows are a sweet, buttery, and comforting holiday side dish made easier with a modern cooking method. This recipe keeps the classic flavor people love: tender yams coated in brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little reserved syrup, then finished with soft, toasted marshmallows on top. The air fryer helps warm the yams quickly and gives the marshmallows that golden, gooey finish without taking up valuable oven space.
This version uses canned yams, which makes the recipe especially convenient for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Sunday dinner, or any meal where you want a sweet side dish without a lot of prep. The reserved juice from the can is mixed with butter, brown sugar, warm spices, and salt to create a rich glaze that coats the yams beautifully. Once the sauce melts together and starts to bubble, it is poured over the yams before they go into the air fryer or oven.
The result is a simple, reliable candied yams recipe that tastes nostalgic but fits easily into a busy kitchen. If your oven is already full with turkey, ham, dressing, or casseroles, the air fryer is a great way to prepare this dish on the side. If you do not have an air fryer, the oven directions are included as well, so you can make the same sweet and gooey yams either way.
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Air Fryer Candied Yams with Marshmallows
These air fried candied yams are best served hot, while the marshmallows are still soft, melted, and lightly browned. The brown sugar glaze gives the yams a deep sweetness, while cinnamon and nutmeg add the warm flavor that makes this dish feel like a holiday classic. A small amount of salt helps balance the sweetness and keeps the sauce from tasting flat.
A Classic Dish, Modernized
Candied yams with marshmallows have been a favorite holiday side dish for generations. This air fryer version keeps the traditional ingredients but shortens the cooking time and frees up oven space. Because the yams are already cooked in the can, the main goal is to heat them through, coat them in the buttery glaze, and toast the marshmallows until they are golden on top.
The air fryer is especially useful for smaller portions. It heats quickly, cooks efficiently, and gives the marshmallows a lightly toasted finish in just a few minutes. You still get the sweet, syrupy yams and the familiar marshmallow topping, but the process is easier and faster than a long oven bake.
Yams or Sweet Potatoes?
In many American recipes, the word “yams” often refers to sweet potatoes, especially when canned yams are used. True yams are different, but canned yams are the familiar ingredient used in many holiday candied yam recipes. For this dish, the canned version works well because the pieces are tender, sweet, and ready to absorb the brown sugar and butter glaze.
Using canned yams also makes the recipe beginner-friendly. There is no peeling, slicing, boiling, or roasting required before assembling the dish. Simply drain the can, reserve a few tablespoons of the juice, place the yams in a heat-safe dish, and prepare the glaze.
Enjoying Your Air Fried Candied Yams
Serve these candied yams straight from the air fryer or oven while the topping is still warm. They pair well with classic holiday mains and sides, especially roasted meats, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, and dinner rolls. The dish is sweet enough to feel almost like dessert, but it still belongs right on the dinner table with the rest of the holiday spread.
If you are making this recipe ahead of time, prepare the glazed yams first and wait to add the marshmallows until just before serving. Marshmallows are at their best when freshly toasted, so adding them at the end keeps the topping light, gooey, and golden instead of melting completely into the sauce.
How to make Candied Yams with Marshmallows
Open the can of yams and drain them, making sure to reserve some of the liquid. If you are using the oven, preheat it to 350°F. Place the drained yams in an oven-safe container. If you are using an air fryer, make sure the dish fits comfortably inside the air fryer basket.
Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and reserved yam juice to a pan. Warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves into a smooth glaze.
When the mixture begins to bubble and becomes fully liquid, remove it from the heat. Pour the warm glaze evenly over the yams so every piece gets coated.
For the air fryer, cook the yams for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are heated through. If you are using the oven, bake them for 30 to 40 minutes.
Once the yams are hot, top them with marshmallows. Increase the air fryer temperature to 400°F and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, just until the marshmallows are browned and gooey.
If you are using the oven, return the dish to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, or only until the marshmallows are lightly browned.
Candied Yams with Marshmallows
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Pan
- Oven Safe Dish
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can of Bruce’s Yams
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons juice from the yams
- 16 large marshmallows
Instructions
- Open the can of yams and drain them, reserving the liquid.
- If using the oven, preheat it to 350°F.
- Place the yams in an oven-safe dish. If using an air fryer, make sure the dish fits inside the basket.
- In a pan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and reserved yam juice.
- When the mixture bubbles and becomes liquid, remove it from the heat and pour it over the yams.
- Air fry for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the yams are heated through. For the oven method, bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Top the hot yams with marshmallows. Increase the air fryer to 400°F and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, just until browned. If using the oven, bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are browned.
Video
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Serve it hot and enjoy the sweet, buttery yams with golden marshmallows.You know what goes great with these?
A holiday meal often feels complete with cranberry sauce on the table. Its tart flavor balances the sweetness of candied yams and marshmallows, making both dishes stand out even more.
Did you know Dad is on YouTube?
Cooking videos can be helpful when you want to see the texture of the glaze, the size of the dish, and the color of the marshmallows as they toast. Watching the steps can make this easy holiday side dish even simpler to prepare.
Dad Got This YouTube Channel
Serve these air fryer candied yams with marshmallows as a warm, sweet side dish for your next holiday dinner, family gathering, or comfort food meal.