Yes, you can use sweet potatoes labeled as jewel or garnet yams in this recipe. As we covered in the section above, true yams aren't commonly available here, so you don't have to worry about mixing them up. We don't suggest using white sweet potatoes in this recipe, which don't have quite the same sweetness or softness as other sweet potato varieties. If you want to go for a more colorful route, however, you can use purple sweet potatoes in this recipe. (They're beautiful in desserts, too!)