How to Make Camote Enmielado (Mexican Candied Sweet Potatoes)

If you’re a fan of calabazas dulces (Mexican candied pumpkin), you’re in for a real treat! Camote enmielado is a much easier version of this recipe, only it’s made with sweet potatoes.

Camote enmielado is a classic Mexican dessert made by simmering sweet potatoes (camotes in Spanish) in a spiced piloncillo syrup until they are fork-tender and full of flavor. The hardest part about this dessert is washing and cutting the sweet potatoes. After this, you simply let them simmer and absorb the flavors of the piloncillo syrup.

You can serve camote enmielado as a side dish or dessert. I even like eating the Mexican candied sweet potatoes and syrup mixed with cottage cheese for breakfast! Once you try this recipe, be sure to check out my Calabazas Dulces and my Flan de Calabaza!

FUN FACT: Camote enmielado’s cousin, the roasted camote, is a popular street food in Mexico City. Vendors cook sweet potatoes in large, mobile ovens that emit a loud whistle when releasing steam, signaling that there are delicious, caramelized camotes ready to be served!

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

The ingredients you’ll need to make this dish are simple: camote (sweet potato), piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar in cone form), canela cinnamon sticks, cloves, and water. PRO TIP: I like to use the smallest organic sweet potatoes that come in a bag at Trader Joe’s.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prep the sweet potatoes and make the syrup

• Prepare the sweet potatoes: Scrub the sweet potatoes, cut off the pointy ends, and then slice each sweet potato into 1-inch rounds. Alternatively, you can cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise.
• PRO TIP: Leave the skin on for a rustic presentation.
• Make the syrup: In a large pot or saucepan, add piloncillo (or brown sugar), cinnamon sticks, cloves, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the piloncillo dissolves completely and forms a syrup. This process should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Simmer sweet potatoes

• Add sweet potato: Place the camote slices into the saucepan. The syrup should cover the bottom of each piece.
• Simmer: Simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Flip and cover: Using tongs, flip sweet potatoes, cover pot, and simmer on low heat for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the camote becomes tender and absorbs the syrup, basting the sliced sweet potato occasionally with the syrup.
• You’ll know it’s ready when the sweet potato is fork tender.

3. Serve and enjoy

• Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold – it’d delicious all three ways! Just remember to add plenty of syrup when serving.

HOW TO SERVE CAMOTES ENMIELADOS

My favorite way to enjoy this delicious dish is straight from the pan (warm or at room temperature) right after cooking, drizzled with a little bit of the syrup. I also like them mixed into cottage cheese or greek yogurt! My brother-in-law serves his camotes with milk, the way you serve milk over cereal (weird, I know, but it works). For the holidays, we’ve also made our version of candied yams by adding the camote enmielado to a small baking dish and topping them with marshmallows, then roasting them in the oven for a few minutes until the marshmallows puff up and turn golden brown.

RECOMMENDED BY LOLA FOR THIS RECIPE

Large Cast-Iron Enameled Skillet with Lid

For this recipe, you’ll need a large diameter pot or pan, with a lid. It doesn’t have to be very deep. It’s just important that each piece of sweet potato touches the syrup so it’s able to absorb the flavors of the syrup. The sweet potato slices should be as close to a single layer as possible. VIEW PRODUCT

HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT

Store this sweet camote dessert in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. To reheat them, gently warm in a saucepan over low heat or microwave on low until heated through.

WHAT TO PAIR WITH CAMOTES ENMIELADOS

If you’re hosting a special occasion or just want to create a memorable Mexican fiesta or Day of the Dead menu, here are a few ideas from appetizers and drinks, to main dishes and salsas. Of course, I’d end it on a sweet note with my calabazas dulces!

• Appetizers: Nopales Asados, Cebollitas Asadas, Chiles Toreados, Jalapeño Deviled Eggs, Totopos
• Main dishes: Easy Breakfast Tostadas, Turkey Picadillo Tostadas, Tacos Dorados, Tacos de Papa, Tacos de Huevos a la Mexicana, Milanesa de Pollo, Mole Negro, Tacos de Barbacoa
• Sides: Ensalada de Lentejas, Ensalada de Nopales, Arroz Rojo, Arroz a la Primavera,  Arroz Verde con Cilantro, Arroz Blanco con Elote, Tijuana Caesar Salad
• Aguas frescas: Agua de Piña, Agua de Papaya, Agua de Naranja, Agua de Tamarindo, Mexican Sparkling Limonada, Agua de Melón, Agua de Piña, Agua de Limón, Agua de Limón con Chía, Agua de Tuna Roja, Agua de Tuna Verde, Agua de Fresa con Chia
• Chocolate: Paletas de Chocolate, Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream, and of course, Mexican Hot Chocolate.

LOOKING FOR MORE SWEET INSPIRATION?

Be sure to check out more of my paletas, sweets and desserts! A few of my other favorite fall and winter postres include:

• How to Make Calabazas Dulces (Mexican Candied Pumpkin)
• How to Make Flan de Calabaza (Pumpkin Flan Recipe)
• Flan Casero (Classic Flan Topped with Fresh Berries)
• Chocolate Flan (Flan de Chocolate)
• How to Make Flan de Café (BEST Coffee Flan Recipe)
• Lola’s Holiday Flan de Rompope (Eggnog and Rum Flan)
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Leche Flan Recipe
• Lola’s Fancy Passion Fruit and Coconut Flan | Flan de Maracuyá y Coco
• Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream to Die For
• Sweet Citrus Salad with Mexican Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup
• Fresas con Crema de Vainilla

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