Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes (Baked With Orange Juice)

It’s that time of year when sweet potatoes get their moment in the spotlight, and these orange glazed sweet potatoes with brown sugar are a delicious way to dress them up for the holiday table. Fresh sweet potatoes are cut into chunks, covered with a buttery orange juice glaze, and baked in the oven until fork-tender. The sauce takes just a few minutes to prepare, making this a lovely side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a cozy winter dinner.

I love using wholesome ingredients, but sometimes serving them just as they are can be a bit flat. That’s why I love this simple orange glaze. The combination of orange juice, zest, brown sugar, and butter adds a sweet, citrusy flavor that pairs beautifully with the sweet potatoes. And frankly, the hardest part of this recipe is peeling those often bumpy vegetables! Once they’re prepared and the sauce is poured over, the oven does the rest of the work.

If you’re planning your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, you’ll find more seasonal recipes in my Harvest Season collection, including plenty of ideas for making the most of fall ingredients.

Why You’ll Love These Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Simple preparation: The buttery orange glaze takes just a few minutes to make. Once you’ve peeled and chopped the sweet potatoes, pour the sauce over them, cover, and let the oven do most of the work. That leaves you free to prepare the rest of your holiday dinner.

Make-ahead friendly: Prepare the orange sauce the day before and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to cook, peel and cut the sweet potatoes, add the glaze, and bake. It’s one less thing to worry about on a busy Thanksgiving or Christmas morning.

Everyday ingredients, holiday flavor: Orange juice, brown sugar, butter, and a little orange zest turn ordinary sweet potatoes into a sweet, citrusy side dish. There’s no need for marshmallows or a long list of specialty ingredients to make something delicious. If you’re planning a traditional holiday dinner, my Turnip Puff Recipe With Rutabaga is another inexpensive side dish worth considering. It’s a lovely way to serve a different root vegetable alongside your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal.

Let’s Get Started Making These Orange Sauced Sweet Potatoes.

First things first, when shopping for your ingredients at the store, it’s essential to look for sweet potatoes that are easy to work with. Purchasing large sweet potatoes can be cumbersome when peeling, so I look for those with smoother flesh in a size I can easily handle with my hands. 

Preheat the oven to 350F

You’re ready to begin; start by washing the fresh sweet potatoes’ exterior and then peeling them. You can slice, dice, or chop the hard vegetable for this side dish. I like to straight cut up in chunks because it’s simpler. Slice thick rounds of the vegetable and then cut those up smaller. Add to the casserole dish you will be cooking these in. You can make this either a large or a smaller batch. There is enough of the orange sauce to easily cover six good-sized sweet potatoes. 

Once the potatoes are ready in the dish, you can get the orange zest for the sauce. Be sure to wash the exterior of the fruit well to eliminate as many chemicals as possible. 

Then, add one tablespoon of cornstarch to a small saucepan that is heating on medium-high. At the same time two-thirds cup of brown sugar and one teaspoon of salt. Using your whisk, stir until the sugar melts with the cornstarch. Then, slowly pour in the cup of orange juice and continue to stir while the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Lastly stir in the butter and let melt completely.

Remove your orange sauce from the heat and pour it directly over the sweet potatoes in the baking dish. Cover the entire dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for one hour. Test the sweet potatoes for doneness before serving; they should be fork-tender. 

Note: If you went with sweet potato slices or cut them into smaller pieces, they may take less time to cook. Be sure to test after 30-45 minutes to be done. 

Serve in a nice serving dish as part of your holiday meal. 

Ingredients

These orange glazed sweet potatoes use just a handful of everyday ingredients. The combination of orange juice, brown sugar, and butter creates a sweet, citrusy glaze that thickens before being poured over the sweet potatoes for baking.

Sweet Potatoes: Choose medium-sized sweet potatoes with relatively smooth skins to make peeling easier. Their natural sweetness pairs beautifully with the orange glaze. I cut mine into chunks, but thick slices work too.

Cornstarch: Thickens the orange juice and brown sugar mixture into a glossy sauce that coats the sweet potatoes rather than running straight to the bottom of the baking dish.

Orange Zest: Adds a fresh, concentrated citrus flavor. Zest the orange before cutting it, taking care to avoid the bitter white pith underneath.

Orange Juice: Provides the main citrus flavor for the glaze. I recommend unsweetened orange juice so you can enjoy the orange flavor without adding more sugar than the recipe already calls for.

Butter: Adds richness and helps give the warm orange glaze a smooth, buttery finish. I use regular butter for this recipe.

Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a subtle molasses flavor that complements the orange juice and sweet potatoes.

Salt: Balances the sweetness of the brown sugar and brings out the flavors of the finished dish.

See the recipe card below for the exact ingredient amounts and baking instructions.

​Substitutions and Add-Ins for Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes: Butternut squash is a good alternative if you want to change things up. It has a similar sweetness and works well with the orange glaze, although the baking time may vary. In North American grocery stores, vegetables labeled as yams are often varieties of sweet potatoes and work just as well.

Cornstarch: Arrowroot powder or potato starch can be used to thicken the orange glaze. The finished consistency may vary slightly, so watch the sauce as it heats and thickens.

Orange Juice and Zest: Freshly squeezed or bottled unsweetened orange juice works for this recipe. If you don’t have a fresh orange for zesting, you can leave the zest out, although the finished glaze won’t have quite as much citrus flavor.

Butter: A dairy-free butter alternative can replace regular butter if needed. Choose one suitable for cooking, since the flavor and consistency can vary between brands.

Brown Sugar: Coconut sugar can provide a similar sweetness with a slightly different flavor. You can also experiment with maple syrup for a distinctly Canadian touch, but because it’s liquid, the glaze may need additional cooking or an adjustment to the cornstarch to reach the same thickness.

Salt: Regular table salt works perfectly well. You can reduce the amount slightly if you prefer, although a little salt helps balance the sweetness of the glaze.

Optional Add-Ins: For a little crunch, sprinkle chopped pecans over the finished sweet potatoes. Dried cranberries are another lovely addition, bringing a slightly tart contrast to the orange and brown sugar. I prefer adding them near the end of baking or just before serving so they don’t dry out too much.

​Expert Tips for Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Tip #1: Choose easy-to-peel sweet potatoes. Look for medium-sized sweet potatoes with smooth skins and no soft spots or blemishes. I find these much easier to peel than the really large, bumpy ones.

Tip #2: Cut the pieces evenly. Try to keep your sweet potato chunks roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate. Smaller pieces or thinner slices may be ready in 30–45 minutes, while larger chunks can take approximately one hour.

Tip #3: Watch the orange glaze. Whisk the sauce as it heats so the cornstarch thickens evenly without forming lumps. Once the glaze is smooth and thick enough to coat a spoon, remove it from the heat and pour it over the sweet potatoes.

Tip #4: Keep the baking dish covered. Cover the sweet potatoes tightly with aluminum foil while baking. This traps moisture and helps the uncooked pieces become fork-tender without drying out.

Serving Suggestions

These orange glazed sweet potatoes make a lovely Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish, bringing a little citrusy sweetness and bright color to the holiday table. They’re particularly delicious served alongside my Sprinkled With Spice Whole Roast Turkey, where the savory roasted turkey balances the sweet orange and brown sugar glaze.

They’re just as delicious throughout the fall and winter months, especially alongside roasted pork, chicken, or a traditional Sunday roast. I like serving them with something savory to balance the sweetness of the orange juice and brown sugar glaze.

If you enjoy bringing citrus flavors to your holiday table, my Easy Cranberry Orange Chutney is another delicious addition. Its tart cranberry flavor pairs beautifully with roasted meats and gives you another make-ahead option for a busy holiday dinner.

Make-Ahead Instructions

For a little less work on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, prepare the orange glaze up to one day ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container.

When you’re ready to cook, peel and cut the fresh sweet potatoes, arrange them in your baking dish, and pour the glaze over them. If the refrigerated glaze has become too thick to pour, warm it gently while stirring.

Making the orange glaze ahead of time leaves you with one less job on Thanksgiving morning. If you’re putting together a full turkey dinner, my Bread Stuffing for Roast Turkey is another traditional family recipe you can add to the menu.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

You can also assemble the dish up to one day ahead and refrigerate it covered, as in my original method. Because the dish starts cold, it may need a little additional baking time.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Refrigerating: Transfer leftover orange glazed sweet potatoes to an airtight container and refrigerate promptly for up to 3–4 days.

Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave or place the sweet potatoes in a covered oven-safe dish at 350°F (175°C) until heated throughout. Add a small splash of orange juice or water if the glaze has become too thick.

Freezing: Although cooked sweet potatoes can be frozen, the texture may soften after thawing and the cornstarch-thickened glaze may change consistency. For this particular recipe, I prefer making it fresh or preparing the glaze ahead rather than freezing the finished dish.

Did you try this easy recipe for orange-sauced sweet potatoes? I would love to hear how your family enjoyed it. Please rate and comment below, and as always, Happy Cooking!

Meet Amber

I’m the home cook and recipe creator behind A Cents For Cookery. I learned to cook growing up off-grid in Northern Ontario, where meals were made on a woodstove and preserving, baking, and making ingredients stretch were part of everyday life. Here I share practical family recipes, homemade baking, vintage-inspired cooking, and the kitchen knowledge I’ve picked up over the years to help you make the most of the food you have.

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