Directions
Prepare the sweet potatoes: Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Try to keep the slices as even as possible so they cook at the same rate.
Layer in the slow cooker: Lightly grease the insert of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Arrange the sweet potato rounds in overlapping layers, shingling them slightly like fallen dominos. This helps them cook evenly and catch more of the syrup.
Mix the candied syrup: In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and a pinch of kosher salt if using. Stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy and there are no big clumps of sugar.
Pour over the sweet potatoes: Slowly pour the syrup mixture evenly over the layered sweet potatoes, lifting or separating a few slices with a spoon so the mixture can trickle down between the layers.
Cook until tender: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the sweet potato rounds are very tender when pierced with a fork but still holding their shape. Avoid stirring during cooking so the rounds don’t break apart.
Thicken the syrup (optional): If the syrup seems thinner than you’d like, turn the slow cooker to HIGH, prop the lid open slightly with a wooden spoon, and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes to let some moisture evaporate. Gently spoon the thickened syrup over the top of the sweet potatoes.
Serve: Transfer the sweet potatoes and their syrup to a warm serving dish, keeping the rounds as intact as possible. Spoon extra syrup over the top just before serving.
Variations & Tips
For a deeper, more complex sweetness, swap half of the brown sugar for dark brown sugar or add a tablespoon of molasses to the syrup mixture; the extra hit of molasses leans into the caramel and toffee notes. If you like a bit of spice, add 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg or ginger, or a small pinch of cayenne for a subtle warmth that doesn’t read as spicy but keeps the sweetness in check. Citrus is another lovely direction: stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of finely grated orange zest into the syrup, or replace a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup with fresh orange juice for a brighter, more aromatic finish. To make the dish dairy-free, use coconut oil or a neutral oil instead of butter; coconut oil, in particular, adds a faint tropical note that plays nicely with cinnamon and maple. For added texture, sprinkle chopped toasted pecans or walnuts over the sweet potatoes during the last 15 minutes of cooking so they warm through without getting soggy. If you’re planning ahead for a big meal, you can peel and slice the sweet potatoes a day in advance and store them in cold water in the fridge (drain and pat dry before layering in the slow cooker). Leftovers reheat well in a covered dish in the oven or microwave, and the extra syrup is wonderful drizzled over oatmeal or spooned onto yogurt the next morning.
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