Oven-Baked Japanese Candied Sweet Potatoes
Healthy oven-baked Japanese candied sweet potatoes (daigaku-imo/大学芋)—fluffy when warm, silky when cool. No deep-frying, coated in a glossy sweet-savory glaze.
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- pot
- Spoon and spatula
- Oven and baking sheet
- parchment paper
- paper towel
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 600 g Japanese sweet potatoes choose small ones, about 150g each
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil rice bran oil, light sesame oil, etc.
- Black sesame seeds to taste
Glaze
- 4 tablespoon mirin
- 2⅔ tablespoon sugar see notes
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Optional
- Coconut oil or rice bran oil, light sesame oil to taste
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut: Wash sweet potatoes and cut into 1.5-2cm thick rounds.600 g Japanese sweet potatoes
- Soak: Soak cut pieces in water to prevent discoloration. Drain after 5-10 minutes.
- Dry: Pat surface moisture with paper towels.
- Oil: Line baking sheet with parchment, drizzle the oil on it, and arrange potatoes while coating them by rolling in the oil.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Bake: Bake at 200°C (no preheat) for 15 min, then at 230°C for 10-15 min until golden.
- Make Glaze: Boil glaze ingredients, reduce to low heat when bubbling, cook 1.5 min, remove from heat.4 tablespoon mirin, 2⅔ tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- Adjust: Taste while cooling, adjust with salt or coconut oil.Salt to taste, Coconut oil
- Coat: Add baked potatoes to the glaze in the pot, mix gently to coat them all, sprinkle with black sesame.Black sesame seeds
- Spread: Spread on baking sheet to prevent sticking.
- Serve: Eat immediately for fluffy texture, or wait for moist, tender texture.
Notes
▶︎ Sugar: Using beet sugar here, but coconut sugar or light brown sugar work too. White sugar makes it quite sweet, so taste as you go.
▶︎ Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 days. The texture becomes more moist and tender over time.
▶︎ Sweet Potato Varieties: This recipe works with any sweet potato variety, though sweeter varieties give the best results. I'm using Japanese varieties—Beni Haruka (紅はるか) and Anno-imo (安納芋) (both creamy and naturally sweet). If using less sweet varieties, you might want to add a bit more sugar to the glaze.
▶︎ For a fluffier texture: Choose starchier, less moist varieties like Naruto Kintoki (鳴門金時), Beni Azuma (紅あずま). They give that classic fluffy, chestnut-like texture.