The Best Korean Candied Sweet Potatoes (Goguma Mattang)

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Sweet and caramelized on the outside, fluffy and tender on the inside, these Korean candied sweet potatoes have that ultra combination of sweet and salty, with a touch of spice.

And they are SO YUMMY. I am just so in love with these caramelized Korean sweet potatoes. Candied sweet potatoes are roasted until crisped on the outside, tossed in a mixture of honey, sugar and gochujang, and baked until perfectly caramelized and crisp on the outside.

The sweet from the honey and coconut sugar, the spicy, salty umami flavor of the gochujang paired together is just plain heaven, not too different than these Baked Sweet Potato Slices (they have  honey harissa glaze that is incredible).

In the authentic version of these Korean sweet potato side dish (also known as goguma mattang), the potatoes are deep fried to get a crispy skin, then coated with caramelized sugar.

This version adds a touch of spice from the gochujang, and also cooks the potatoes in the oven instead of deep frying. It's less messy and I think this delicious snack comes out incredible.

Jump to:

• What are Candied Sweet Potatoes?
• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients
• What is a Korean Sweet Potato?
• Step By Step Instructions
• Expert Tips
• Serving Options
• Storage and Reheating Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

What are Candied Sweet Potatoes?

Korean caramelized sweet potatoes are Korean sweet potatoes cooked until soft (often fried, but we roast them in this recipe) then coated in a hard candy shell of caramelized sugar.

We have tweaked the recipe a bit to make it easy and less messy to cook, as well as add a touch of spice to it.

Why This Recipe Works

• The sweet potatoes are roasted until tender, then tossed in a glaze to caramelize. This prevents any burning of the glaze and allows the potatoes to get nice and tender on the inside.
• You can easily roast the potatoes ahead of time, then toss them in the glaze and roast again later to caramelized when you're ready to serve them.
• The addition of gochujang in this sweet potato recipe adds a umami spice level to the potatoes that makes them extra delicious!

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

What is a Korean Sweet Potato?

There are many different varieties of Korean sweet potatoes (also known as goguma in Korean) so we'll just talk about them in general. They are often eaten as a snack and served up by many street vendors in Korea.

Like American sweet potatoes, they have slightly sweet flesh, but the purple skin color is much more pale and the golden yellow flesh is a lot drier than the orange flesh of an American sweet potato. You can use them the same way you would use American sweet potatoes.

You can buy Korean sweet potatoes (also called a Korean yam) if you can find them at Asian markets or Korean grocery stores (or even Whole foods), but any sweet potato will work in this recipe. If you look for the Korean version, stores may also be calling them Japanese sweet potatoes, Asian sweet potatoes or even Korean yams.

Coconut sugar and honey are what gives the potatoes that perfect caramelization on the outside.

Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste that has sweet, savory and spicy flavors. The spice level ranges from pretty mild to extremely spicy, depending on your preference.

Coconut oil is used to coat the sweet potatoes while roasting so they get nice and crisp on the outside. You can substitute avocado oil if you prefer a flavorless oil.

Step By Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F .

Cut the peeled sweet potatoes into 1 ½ inch pieces (see photos below).

Toss the potatoes in the coconut oil (or other high smoke point oil of your choice) and place in a single layer on a parchment paper line baking sheet.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden brown and caramelized on the outside and can be pierced with a fork.

While the potatoes are roasting, combine the honey, coconut sugar and gochujang in a small bowl and heat in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds, until the ingredients can be stirred together. DO NOT OVERHEAT OR THE SUGAR WILL BURN.

Place the roasted sweet potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the honey mixture.

Place them back on the baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, or until bubbling and caramelized on the outside.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with black sesame seeds (optional) and a pinch of salt. Serve right away!

You can also use this sous vide sweet potato recipe to make these Korean sweet potatoes sous vide! Just roast the Korean potatoes at the end to get the caramelized edges.

Expert Tips

1. When tossing the potatoes in coconut oil, be sure to fully coat each potato piece for the best result.
2. You can substitute avocado oil, vegetable oil or any high smoke point oil for the coconut oil.
3. You can leave the skin on if you prefer - just wash the potatoes well and dry thoroughly so they roast evenly.
4. Make sure the potatoes are in a single layer and not touching so they roast - if they are crowded together, they will steam instead of roast.
5. If you prefer less spicy, use a mild gochujang or reduce the amount used. You can also eliminate the gochujang all together if you prefer just sweet, caramelized potatoes.
6. If the potatoes aren't crisp around the edges when roasting, roast for an additional 5-10 minutes until they are.
7. Watch the potatoes when you put them back in the oven with the glaze as they can burn easily. Check them every couple of minutes.

Serving Options

• Serve them with this Korean purple rice to subdue the heat a bit :-).
• Serve alongside other Korean dessert recipes like this hotteok (we LOVE Korean sweets around here).
• Serve as Korean banchan potatoes alongside a main course like this bulgogi, spicy tofu soup or gochujang chicken.
• Or make it a whole Korean snack meal and serve them with tteokbokki, rabokki, and/or pork bulgogi tacos to get a whole range of Korean cuisine.
• You can also drizzle them with a touch of sesame oil (just a small amount) for a nutty flavor.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in a skillet or a 350°F oven for the best result. They can also be microwaved, but the texture will get slightly mushy.

While these caramelized potatoes can be frozen, the texture will become mushy and slightly watery, so it's not recommended for the best results. If you do freeze, just thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat per the above instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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