The Best Canned Yams, Yes Ma’am!

The best canned yams (aka canned sweet potatoes) are sweet, tender, and taste as good as fresh yams when you use them to make candied yams or a sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving. I shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the good stuff in the can and the fresh yams in the homemade candied yams my mom makes.

I honestly wasn’t expecting this taste test to be as delicious as it was. I didn’t think much about canned sweet potatoes, but now I think about them every day. We found three cans of the sweet orange veggies that were so good we wanted to eat them weekly and not just on Thanksgiving.

Oh, and if you’re reading this and jonesing to leave a comment about how I used the words “yam” and “sweet potato” interchangeably, don’t! I’m just going off how the canned root vegetable market does it. Many canned yams are actually sweet potatoes!


best canned yams

Best Budget

Kroger Canned Cut Yams

Like many canned yams, Kroger canned yams come in syrup, so they are very sweet. These are really giving that candied sweet potato vibe (the can says “canned yams” but clarifies that they are actually sweet potatoes). The texture is firm yet creamy. They’re also affordable and readily available at so many grocery stores. They’re the best canned yams if you like your canned sweet potatoes sweet. Buy these ASAP. You will love them.

Credit: Merc / Ralphs

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

canned sweet potatoes

Best No Sugar Added

Princella No Sugar Added Cut Sweet Potatoes

You don’t even miss the sugar with these No Sugar Added Princella canned sweet potatoes. They are so naturally sweet. They’re also ultra creamy, which we obviously loved. These are the best canned yam stand-in for someone who doesn’t like their sweet potatoes too sweet (me). I want to put butter, salt, and lots of black pepper on these and enjoy them as a dinner side. I would also mash these up and use them to top a cottage or shepherd’s pie for a little twist on a classic.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

best canned yams

Best of the Best

Happy Harvest Yams

We freaked out when we tasted these. They are so incredibly delicious. This is exactly what you’re looking for when you buy canned yams. They’re sweet without being too sweet. These would be perfect mashed up with butter or made into a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows for Thanksgiving or eaten on their own next to a rotisserie chicken and some green beans. I wish I could give these higher score than a 10/10.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other Products We Tried: Bruce’s Yams, Simple Truth Organic Yams, First Street Cut Golden Yams


About the Author

Jordan Myrick

Jordan is an L.A.-based writer and comedian who believes all food should come with extra sauce. When they're not writing for Sporked, Jordan is at the movies or sharing an order of french fries with their elderly chihuahua.