Maple Melting Sweet Potatoes are soft inside and slightly caramelized outside with a savory, sweet and subtly spiced flavor, and a rich sauce to drizzle on top. It’s an easy side dish that’s perfect for fall or winter, and even special meals like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!
To a cast-iron skillet or metal baking dish, add the sweet potatoes, 2 ½ tablespoons melted butter, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat the potatoes. Arrange them in a single layer.
Roast until the potatoes are starting to turn golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes.
Flip the potatoes over and roast until they’re starting to turn golden on the second side, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the remaining 2 ½ tablespoons melted butter, maple syrup, and chicken broth in a medium bowl.
After the potatoes have been roasting for 30 minutes, add the chicken broth mixture, the cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Roast until the liquid is mostly evaporated off and has formed a thick sauce and the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes more (for a total roast time of about 45 minutes).
Serve the potatoes with the pan sauce drizzled on top.
Video
Notes
Do You Need to Peel Sweet Potatoes? You can peel the sweet potatoes or not, it’s totally up to you. If potatoes are very large their skin can sometimes be thicker and tough. My potatoes were on the smaller side, so I left the peel on.
What Baking Dish Should I Use: Use a cast-iron skillet or metal baking dish. Do not use a glass dish at this temperature.
To Thicken the Sauce: If your sauce is on the thinner side once your potatoes are cooked, you can pour the sauce into a saucepan and heat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. This should only take a couple minutes.
If You Don’t Have Whole Cinnamon Sticks and Cloves: You can add ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 pinch ground cloves.
Storage and Reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in an oven-safe dish covered with foil at 400F until warm, about 15 minutes.