Orange glazed sweet potatoes with maple syrup deliver tender, caramelized slices in under 40 minutes using just eight simple ingredients you likely have in your pantry right now. This vintage recipe skips complicated steps and delivers foolproof results every single time, whether you're serving six for Sunday dinner or need an elegant holiday side dish. I've tested this 1970s gem multiple times to perfect the glaze consistency with modern stovetop heat, and the buttery orange syrup never fails to steal the show.
The sweet potatoes simmer until just tender before getting bathed in a glossy mixture of brown sugar, fresh orange juice, and real maple syrup. You'll catch the scent of citrus and caramel as the glaze bubbles and thickens.
Sweet Potatoes in the 1970s Kitchen
Sweet potatoes held court at every holiday table in the 1970s, right alongside the green bean casserole and Jell-O salad molds. This was the decade when convenience met creativity, and home cooks across America transformed humble root vegetables into showstopping side dishes using ingredients they already had.
The average family could pick up a bag of sweet potatoes for less than 30 cents per pound in 1970. Most households kept maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter stocked year-round, making this recipe both economical and impressive. Orange juice wasn't just for breakfast anymore; it became a secret weapon in glazes and marinades as citrus flavors swept through American cooking.
Television cooking shows like "The Galloping Gourmet" made fancy-looking dishes feel accessible to home cooks, while community cookbooks swapped at church gatherings meant every neighborhood had its own version of the classics. Sweet potato dishes ranged from simple to spectacular, but the ones that lasted were the recipes that tasted incredible without requiring specialty ingredients or complicated techniques.
What Makes Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes Special
1970 Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Tender sweet potato chunks bathed in a buttery citrus glaze with maple syrup and brown sugar create this showstopping 1970s vintage side dish. The bite-sized pieces soak up every drop of that glossy orange glaze, making each forkful perfectly caramelized and bursting with warm, nostalgic flavor. Ready in just 40 minutes.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet potatoes
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1/2 tablespoon grated orange peel (orange zest)
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 3/4 cup light or dark maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 or 4 orange slices, cut in half
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Try to keep the pieces fairly uniform in size so they cook evenly.
- Place the sweet potato chunks in a large skillet with the boiling water and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Cover the skillet and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain off the liquid, leaving 1/4 cup in the skillet.
- Dot the cooked sweet potatoes with butter. Combine the grated orange peel, orange juice, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a small bowl, then pour over the potatoes.
- Cook uncovered over low heat until the glaze becomes thick and glossy, basting the potatoes frequently and turning them once, about 15 minutes.
- Arrange the halved orange slices over the top of the glazed sweet potatoes. Serve warm directly from the skillet or transfer to a serving dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 28g
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 2g
How to Make Perfect Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Recipe Variations
Frequently Asked Questions
True yams are rarely found in American grocery stores; what we call "yams" are actually orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. Both orange and white sweet potato varieties work, though orange ones are sweeter and creamier.
You can adapt this to bake at 350°F. Parboil the sweet potatoes, arrange in a baking dish, pour the glaze over them, and bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes, basting every 5 minutes.
This happens when sugar crystallizes, usually because the pan got too hot or there wasn't enough liquid. Make sure to leave that 1/4 cup of cooking water in the pan and keep the heat low during glazing.
Absolutely, just use a larger skillet or two separate skillets. You may need to increase the glazing time slightly to reduce the extra liquid. This recipe scales beautifully for holiday gatherings.
Honey, light corn syrup, or additional brown sugar all work. Each creates a slightly different flavor profile, with honey adding floral notes and corn syrup creating a clearer glaze.
A fork or knife should slide in easily with just slight resistance. They shouldn't be falling apart or mushy since they'll continue cooking during the glazing step.
It's best to make the glaze fresh since it needs to reduce and thicken around the potatoes. However, you can measure out all your glaze ingredients ahead and combine them quickly when ready to cook.
The orange slices are decorative and add fresh citrus flavor, but they become bitter if cooked too long. Adding them at the end keeps them tender and vibrant.
A 12-inch skillet with a lid works best to give the potato halves room to sit in a single layer. If your skillet is smaller, you may need to cook the potatoes in batches.
Which holiday memory does this recipe bring back for you? Was it a grandmother's Thanksgiving table, a church potluck spread, or your own first attempt at hosting? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments below. If you make these orange glazed sweet potatoes, please leave a rating and review to help other cooks find this vintage gem!
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