Camote enmielado, also known as Mexican candied sweet potatoes, is a warm and delicious dessert made with sweet potatoes, piloncillo, and comforting spices. The sweet potatoes are infused with a rich and flavorful syrup, making for a mouth-watering side dish or dessert perfect for the fall and winter seasons.
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Camote enmielado, or Mexican Candied Sweet Potatoes, is one of my favorite warm and comforting desserts to make when the weather starts to get cold.
Melt-in-your-mouth sweet potatoes are simmered on the stove in a syrup made from piloncillo, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. It just doesn’t get any better than that!
My mom would always serve me camote in a bowl with a splash of milk. It was really tasty, and when it was mixed with the piloncillo syrup and the sweet potatoes, the flavor and texture were simply the best!
Camotes enmielados is a great side dish or dessert for celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, or it can be simply enjoyed during the fall and winter seasons.
What is Camote Enmielado?
Camote enmielado, also known as camote en dulce, is a traditional Mexican dessert made from sweet potatoes cooked in a cinnamon-spiced piloncillo syrup.
The dish is known for its rich, sweet flavor and is often served as comfort food during colder months or as part of festive celebrations.
The process involves slowly simmering the sweet potatoes in the syrup until they become tender and are thoroughly infused with the sweet, spiced flavors that often include cinnamon, cloves, and star anise.
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: Their sweet flavor only gets better as they’re dressed with warm spices and sugary syrup. I like cooking them with their skin on, though you don’t have to. If you do, make sure to scrub and rinse them really well.
- Piloncillo: Piloncillo is a completely unprocessed form of pure cane sugar. The cane sugar is melted down until it reaches a caramel-like consistency, then it’s poured into a cone or disc mold. It’s a staple in Mexican baking that’s readily available in most Hispanic grocery stores. You can also find it online.
- Cinnamon stick: I recommend using Ceylo cinnamon if you can. It’s the type of cinnamon that’s used in Mexican cooking and it has a stronger, more complex flavor than Cassia cinnamon. You can identify the sticks because they’re often wider, longer, softer, and more brittle than the typical cinnamon found in most supermarkets. Ceylon cinnamon is readily available in most Hispanic grocery stores. You can also find it online.
- Star anise: These star-shaped pods will infuse an amazing flavor into the syrup. It tastes warm and sweet, which pairs so well with the sweet potatoes. If you can’t find it in stores, you can find it online.
- Whole clove: Cloves add deep flavors to sweet desserts and side dishes. A staple in holiday recipes, it pairs perfectly with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
How to make Camote Enmielado
Boil and simmer: Add the sweet potatoes, piloncillo, cinnamon stick, star anise pod, clove, and water to a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes.
Uncover: Give the camote a stir and check that the piloncillo is completely melted. Continue simmering uncovered for around 20 minutes.
Cool and serve: Remove the pot from heat so the camotes can cool down and the syrup can thicken. Transfer each potato into a bowl and serve with some piloncillo syrup on top.
Tip
It’s up to you whether to leave the potatoes peeled or unpeeled and whole or cut into chunks or slices. No matter how they’re prepared, the potatoes will cook the exact same in the syrup.
Substitutions
- If you can’t find piloncillo, replace it with 1 cup of dark brown sugar.
- Don’t have cinnamon sticks? Use 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead.
- Even though star anise adds an amazing flavor to the syrup, it can be left out of the recipe if you can’t find it.
- Want to try it without the sweet potatoes? Use chunks of pumpkin or butternut squash.
Serving suggestions
- If you’re only serving a small crowd, feel free to leave the camotes whole. Just slice them down the middle (like a stuffed potato) and pour the syrup inside. This is how I grew up eating it!
- Serving a large crowd for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Cut the cooked sweet potatoes into thin slices or chunks and place them in a serving bowl. Pass them around the table, and don’t forget the extra piloncillo syrup and warm milk on the side!
- If you have any leftover syrup, save it and use it on pancakes and waffles for breakfast or as a tasty topping on banana nut bread or pumpkin bread.
Recommended Tools
Dutch oven. One of my favorite cooking vessels for soups, stews, braising meats, and making camote!
Glass jars. Great for storing things like dressings, sauces, and any leftover piloncillo syrup.
Storing and reheating
To store the camotes, place them in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat the sweet potatoes either in the microwave for 1 or 2 minutes or in a 400ºF oven until heated through.
To store the leftover syrup, add it to a glass jar and keep it in the fridge. It should last for a few weeks and can be served chilled or warmed on the stove.
More Recipes
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed (or 6 small-medium)
- 8 ounces piloncillo (or 1 cup dark brown sugar)
- 1 cinnamon stick (Ceylon cinnamon preferred)
- 1 star anise pod
- 1 whole clove
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the sweet potatoes, piloncillo, cinnamon stick, star anise pod, clove, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes.
- Uncover and give the liquid a quick stir. The piloncillo should be completely melted by this point.
- Leave uncovered and continue simmering on low for another 15-20 minutes to reduce the syrup.
- Remove from heat and let the camotes sit for 10 minutes to cool down. The syrup will also thicken slightly.
- Transfer a sweet potato to a bowl, pour some piloncillo syrup on top, and dig in!
Isabel’s Tips:
- Piloncillo: If you don’t have piloncillo, you can use 1 cup of dark brown sugar instead.
- Cinnamon: I recommend using Ceylon cinnamon sticks, also sometimes referred to as Mexican cinnamon. If you can’t find it, you can use the more widely found Cassia cinnamon sticks instead.
- Star anise: Even though it adds an amazing flavor to the syrup, star anise can be left out of the recipe if you can’t find it.
Nutrition Information
Glad everyone enjoyed it
The sauce did not thicken even though I removed the skin, it was very watery. But the flavor is on point.
Me encantan las recetas
4 cups of water doesn’t cover the potatoes – is it supposed to?
Hi Becca! It should cover about 1/2 inch to an inch above the potatoes depending on their size. 4 cups is just a suggestion, but if you need to use more it will still turn out well!
I enjoy your recipes. Made several. Keep sending them. Thank you
I wanted a different way to fix sweet potatoes and this is going to be it. I live in a little town with strong Mexican influence so pilioncello is readily available. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving
My grandma used to make these every Thanksgiving…love them! I can’t wait to try your recipe. Can you make these the day before and reheat?
Hi Debbie! Yes, you can!
Would this benefit from a bit of citrus rind? :-/ I want to try this in the early spring (it’s still cold and snowing up here in late March/early April).
Hi! Great question. I think that could add a really interesting flavor! I’ve never tried it, but I think a little orange zest or rind could be delicious. Let us know if you try it!
Orange zest is great in candied sweet potatoes.
I also use it in orange carrots which even kids like.
6 small or 4 medium carrots, sliced in 6-8 slivers each.
2 ripe med or 1 lg orange, zested with micro planer, then cut in half.
Medium-low heat, add avocado oil, stir for 2-3 min, add butter, cook until almost soft. Add juice of orange and zest, stir, cover.
Turn off heat and let rest for 2-5 min. Serve.
I use heavy anodized cookware so your cooking times may vary.
Delicious recipe. Thank you, Isabel! =)
thank you, I already love sweet potatoes but have never tried this dish, sweet potatoes made sweeter! very nice
Thank you Isabel😊
Among the super-delicious foods l always enjoy.