Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon and Maple

A luxurious side dish of roasted sweet potatoes glazed with a rich bourbon-maple sauce and topped with crunchy almonds. The potatoes are perfectly caramelized and paired with a complex coffee-infused maple bourbon reduction.

8 servings

1 hr 32 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•1½ cups strong hot coffee
•9 tablespoons pure maple syrup
•3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
•½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
•⅓ cup bourbon
•9 tablespoons unsalted butter
•to taste kosher salt and black pepper
•5 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes
•3 tablespoons olive oil
•½ cup chopped smoked almonds

Cooking Instructions

1.
Stir coffee, maple syrup, sugar, and espresso powder in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil; cook until thickened and reduced by half, 6-7 minutes.
7 min
2.
Remove syrup from heat; add bourbon and 2 tablespoons butter. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is reduced to about 3/4 cup, 40-45 minutes (mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon, but not sticky, and will thicken as it cools). Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before serving.
45 min
3.
Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°F.1 Melt remaining 7 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan; pour into a large bowl. Add sweet potatoes and oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide potato mixture between 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast, turning potatoes often and rotating sheets halfway through, until potatoes are tender and start to turn golden brown and crisp around the edges, 30-35 minutes. DO AHEAD: Potatoes can be roasted 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm before continuing.
35 min
4.
Transfer potatoes to a serving platter. Drizzle some warm sauce over and sprinkle with almonds; serve remaining sauce alongside for those who want more.
5 min

Ingredients

•1½ cups strong hot coffee

•9 tablespoons pure maple syrup

•3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

•½ teaspoons instant espresso powder

•⅓ cup bourbon

•9 tablespoons unsalted butter

•to taste kosher salt and black pepper

•5 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes

•3 tablespoons olive oil

•½ cup chopped smoked almonds

Cooking Instructions

Stir coffee, maple syrup, sugar, and espresso powder in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil; cook until thickened and reduced by half, 6-7 minutes.

7 min

Remove syrup from heat; add bourbon and 2 tablespoons butter. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is reduced to about 3/4 cup, 40-45 minutes (mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon, but not sticky, and will thicken as it cools). Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before serving.

45 min

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°F.1 Melt remaining 7 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan; pour into a large bowl. Add sweet potatoes and oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide potato mixture between 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast, turning potatoes often and rotating sheets halfway through, until potatoes are tender and start to turn golden brown and crisp around the edges, 30-35 minutes. DO AHEAD: Potatoes can be roasted 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm before continuing.

35 min

Transfer potatoes to a serving platter. Drizzle some warm sauce over and sprinkle with almonds; serve remaining sauce alongside for those who want more.

5 min