Baked Cranberry Caramel Apple Yams are amazing! Canned yams are mashed, topped with cranberries, apples & pecans, then drizzled with caramel.
Looking for an amazing side dish that is delicious enough to serve for the holidays? Or are you looking for a side dish recipe that goes well with a chicken, beef or pork dinner, any time of year?
Guess what? I think you will LOVE this recipe for cranberry caramel apple yams! This recipe will make 8 small servings or 6 slightly larger servings.
This is an easy to prepare layered side dish that tastes wonderful! The bottom layer is creamy mashed yams (with brown sugar), the middle layer is cranberries, apples, walnuts or pecans, and the top is drizzled with caramel sauce!
This recipe uses canned yams, which makes it convenient, practically effortless to make, and saves a lot of preparation time, too!
Put those layers of goodness together and you have a colorful, lip-smackin’ delicious side dish! The recipe for cranberry caramel apple yams originated in an old cookbook I had, and now I can’t wait to share it with you. Here’s how to make this dish.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Prepare The Yams (Layer #1)
Before beginning, preheat your oven to 350°F., and lightly spray or grease the bottom and sides of a 2 quart baking dish.
Drain the liquid from a large can of yams, then place them in a mixing bowl, along with packed brown sugar and salt. Use an electric mixer to combine these ingredients until thoroughly “mashed” and smooth in texture.
Spread the mashed yam mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Set the dish aside while you prepare the cranberry apple layer.
Cook The Cranberry Apple Mixture (Layer #2)
Place fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries, chopped apple, granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan.
Cook the fruit mixture on Medium heat for about 7-10 minutes, stirring often, until most of the cranberries have popped and burst open. As the cranberries “pop”, this fruit mixture will thicken slightly.
Remove the saucepan from the heat source and stir in chopped walnuts or pecans (whichever you prefer or have available).
Spoon the cranberry/apple mixture over the top of the yams in the baking dish, covering as much of the surface as possible.
Make The Simple Caramel Topping (Layer #3)
Now it’s time to make a simple caramel sauce to drizzle over the top of this dish! It’s EASY! Stir brown sugar, butter and 1 Tablespoon water together in a small saucepan. Bring this mixture to a boil on medium-low heat.
Continue to let the sauce boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly while it cooks. After it has boiled for two minutes, remove the pan from the heat. IMMEDIATELY drizzle the caramel sauce evenly over the top of the cranberry/apple layer. Now the cranberry caramel apple yams are ready to bake!
Time To Enjoy The Cranberry Caramel Apple Yams
Bake the yams (uncovered) at 350°F. for 15-17 minutes. They are done when fully heated through! Serve the cranberry caramel apple yams while hot, and enjoy the creamy yams, tangy and sweet fruit, crunchy nuts, and sweet caramel sauce on top.
This dish goes GREAT with chicken, beef and pork, and would be a great addition to any holiday feast! The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, and is truly a delicious yet simple dish to prepare.
YUM! I even enjoy grabbing a spoonful of the leftovers at room temperature. This dish is so good I can’t help myself. We enjoyed the yams this time, served alongside Classic Turkey Croquettes!
I really hope you’ll give these cranberry caramel apple yams a try, and am confident you’ll enjoy them as much we do! We love the colors, flavors, and textures of this wonderful side dish!
Thanks so much for stopping by, and please come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a GREAT day!
Looking For More YAM OR SWEET POTATO Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful yam and sweet potato recipes for you to choose from, including:
Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!
I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.
Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks
Original recipe source: Gooseberry Patch “Big Book Of Holiday Cooking”, page 245, published in 2012 by Time Home Entertainment, Inc.
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Baked Cranberry Caramel Apple Yams are amazing! Canned yams are mashed, topped with cranberries, apples & pecans, then drizzled with caramel.
- 29 ounces canned yams drained
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ large apple (any variety) cored/peeled/chopped
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅛ cup water
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray/grease bottom/sides of a 2 qt. baking dish.
Drain liquid from canned yams, then place yams in a large bowl, with packed brown sugar and salt. Use electric mixer to combine, until mashed/smooth in texture. Spread yams evenly in baking dish. Set aside.
Place cranberries, apple, granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Cook on Medium heat 7-10 minutes, stirring often, until most cranberries have popped/burst open. As it cooks, fruit mixture will thicken slightly. Remove pan from heat; stir in chopped walnuts or pecans. Spoon cranberry/apple mixture evenly over yams in baking dish. Set aside.
Combine brown sugar, butter and 1 T. water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-low heat. Continue to let sauce boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from the heat. IMMEDIATELY drizzle caramel evenly over cranberry/apple layer.
Bake (uncovered) at 350°F. for 15-17 minutes. The yams are done when fully heated through. Serve hot, and enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!