This version barely spikes blood sugar: there is no added sweetener of any kind — no sugar, no monk fruit, nothing. Roasting at high heat caramelizes the sweet potato's own natural sugars, concentrating the sweetness without adding a single carb. The butter is cut by more than half, and orange juice is swapped for zest so no liquid sugar joins the glaze. The remaining 21g of carbs come entirely from the sweet potato itself, and its 4g of fiber slows absorption — a GI around 45 versus 85 for the conventional dish.

Preheat oven to 425°F — the high heat is the secret. Arrange sweet potato rounds in a single layer in a baking dish and roast uncovered 20 minutes so the natural sugars caramelize and the edges turn glossy-brown. Melt butter with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, salt, orange zest, and hot water. Pour over the rounds, cover with foil, and bake 25 more minutes, basting once with the pan juices, until fork-tender and the juices thicken into a glaze. No sugar, no sugar substitute needed — roasting makes the sweet potato sweeter than any sugar bowl. Optional: broil 2-3 minutes for extra caramelized edges, then sprinkle with toasted pecans — no marshmallows needed.

Keeps every bit of the candied-yam experience — glossy caramelized edges, warm spices, tender rounds — with zero added sugar and zero sugar substitutes. High-heat roasting caramelizes the sweet potato's own natural sugars, concentrating the sweetness while cutting a cup-serving from about 58g carbs and 25-30g added sugar down to 21g total carbs and 0g added sugar. The oven does the sweet-talking; the spices, vanilla, and orange zest carry the flavor.