Candied Yams with Pecan Crust (Print Version)

Silky candied yams blend with a nutty pecan crust for a comforting, festive treat.

# What You Need:

→ Pecan Crust

01 - 1.5 cups pecan halves
02 - 0.5 cup old-fashioned oats
03 - 0.33 cup brown sugar
04 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
05 - 0.33 cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Candied Yams Filling

06 - 2 cups cooked, mashed yams
07 - 0.75 cup packed brown sugar
08 - 0.5 cup evaporated milk
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 0.25 cup unsalted butter, melted
11 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
14 - 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
15 - 0.25 teaspoon ground ginger
16 - 0.25 teaspoon salt

→ Topping

17 - 0.5 cup pecan halves
18 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F
02 - In a food processor, pulse pecans, oats, brown sugar, and salt until finely ground. Add melted butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand.
03 - Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly.
04 - In a large bowl, combine mashed yams, brown sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, melted butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Mix until smooth and well-blended.
05 - Pour filling into the pre-baked pecan crust and smooth the top surface.
06 - Toss pecan halves with brown sugar and arrange over the filling, if desired.
07 - Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the center is set and a knife inserted comes out clean. Cover the crust edges with foil if needed to prevent over-browning.
08 - Cool completely before slicing. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pecan crust is addictively crispy: It's buttery and nutty enough to stand on its own, which means every bite tastes intentional, not just structural filler.
  • The filling is silky without being heavy: Evaporated milk and maple syrup work together to make it feel luxurious but not cloyingly sweet.
  • It actually gets better a day later: The flavors meld and deepen, so you can bake it ahead and reheat gently before serving.
02 -
  • Roasting your yams instead of boiling them is the single biggest flavor upgrade: Boiling makes them watery and dilutes their sweetness, but roasting concentrates everything that makes yams delicious into creamy, caramel-tinged flesh.
  • Don't skip the pre-baking of the crust: A soggy bottom crust ruins everything; those 10 minutes of pre-baking dry out the bottom layer and keep it from absorbing moisture from the filling.
  • Watch the center, not the timer: Every oven is different, and filling thickness varies, so rely on the jiggle test instead of assuming 65 minutes is correct.
03 -
  • If the crust edges are browning too fast, cover them with foil halfway through baking: This is the single most helpful thing to know because even slight over-browning makes the crust bitter.
  • Use evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk: This mistake happens more often than you'd think, and sweetened condensed milk makes the filling cloyingly sweet instead of balanced and rich.
  • Bring the pie to room temperature before serving if it's been chilled: Cold filling masks flavors; 30 minutes on the counter brings back all the complexity of the spices.
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