My easy sweet potato casserole recipe with a sweet pecan topping is a holiday staple and family favorite for a reason! Some debate if sweet potato casserole is a rich side dish or a decadent dessert, but whichever side you take, the vanilla-scented sweet potatoes nestled beneath a crisp pecan crumble are guaranteed to disappear at every gathering!
Depending on your preference and how much time you have, you can boil or roast the sweet potatoes. Boiling cubed sweet potatoes is a much quicker option, but if you want a more intense caramel flavor and have time to spare, you can roast the sweet potatoes whole (instructions are included below!). You can also prepare them in your Instant Pot! For more sweet potato recipes, try my easy roasted sweet potatoes, sweet potato pie, and mashed sweet potatoes.
Ingredients
Sweet potatoes — peel and cube the sweet potatoes before you boil them so they cook faster. Sweet potatoes may be labeled as yams at your local grocery store– you can use either one!
Brown sugar — I use light brown sugar, but you can also use dark brown sugar for a deeper, more caramel-like flavor in your casserole filling or topping.
Butter — use unsalted butter, so you have total control over how salty the casserole turns out. The amount of salt in salted butter can vary wildly among different brands.
Milk — whole milk adds extra creaminess to the sweet potato filling. You can use heavy cream instead for an extra indulgent casserole.
Eggs — eggs give the sweet potatoes a lighter, fluffy texture. They also help the sweet potatoes hold together better once baked.
Vanilla — vanilla extract complements and enhances the flavor of the sweet potatoes.
Crunchy pecan streusel topping — for this variation of a classic brown sugar streusel, you’ll need light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, melted butter, and chopped pecan halves.
How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole
1. Add the peeled, cubed sweet potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. The water should cover the sweet potatoes by about an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until very tender. This will take 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the sweet potato cubes. Drain the boiled sweet potato cubes well using a colander.
2. Return the sweet potatoes to the pot and mash with a potato masher or large fork.
3. Add the brown sugar, butter, and whole milk.
4. Then, add the eggs, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture with an electric hand mixer or stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
5. Scoop the sweet potato mixture into a greased 9×13-inch casserole dish and smooth into an even layer. Set aside while you make the topping.
6. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
7. Stir in the cooled melted butter with a fork until the topping is crumbly. Then, add the chopped pecans.
8. Sprinkle the pecan topping all over the sweet potato layer. Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes until the casserole is slightly puffed and golden brown on top. Let the sweet potato casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Can I Make This With a Marshmallow Topping?
Yes! For a classic casserole topping, you’ll need 2 cups of mini marshmallows as well as ½ cup chopped pecans. Follow the recipe as written through adding the sweet potatoes to the baking dish. Then, instead of making a streusel topping, top the sweet potatoes with the mini marshmallows and pecan pieces. Bake at 375°F for about 25 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffed and golden brown.
Variations
- For a more caramelized sweet potato flavor: Roast them! Use my baked sweet potato recipe to cook 3 pounds of whole sweet potatoes for the filling.
- Cook the sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot. To save hand-ons cooking time, cook them into your Instant Pot instead! Check out my Instant Pot sweet potatoes for exactly how to do this.
- Use browned butter. Add a rich, nutty flavor to the sweet potato casserole filling or topping by using browned butter instead of regular butter. See my quick tutorial for how to brown butter in just a few minutes.
- Add bourbon. It seems like an unlikely pairing, but smoky bourbon adds depth to the mashed sweet potatoes. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of bourbon to the sweet potatoes along with the eggs.
- Use walnuts: Roughly chopped walnuts are a great swap for pecans if you don’t have them on hand.
- Add candied pecans: If you love a sweet potato casserole that leans more on the dessert side, use my recipe for candied pecans and sprinkle those on top. This is an especially good option if you swap the streusel for marshmallows.
How Far in Advance Can I Make this Casserole?
This easy sweet potato casserole is an excellent make-ahead side dish and can be refrigerated for 2-3 days or frozen for up to 3 months in advance!
Storing a whole casserole: To refrigerate an unbaked casserole, prepare the filling, spread it into your prepared baking dish, and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can also prepare the topping. Refrigerate it in a separate airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 1 month.
To freeze a whole unbaked casserole, prepare and assemble the casserole, then wrap it tightly with a couple of layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheating a whole casserole: Remove the casserole from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you want to start baking it. Add the topping if needed and bake as directed in the recipe. You may need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time since the filling won’t be warm at the start.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerating: Allow the baked casserole to cool to room temperature before wrapping the baking dish tightly in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Sweet potato casserole freezes well after baking for up to 3 months. Thaw the frozen casserole in the fridge overnight and set it on the counter for about 30 minutes with all coverings removed before baking as directed. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time as the sweet potatoes will be a bit cold when they go into the oven.
- Reheating: To reheat a baked casserole, set the casserole at room temperature for 30 minutes, remove the plastic wrap, and cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Pop it into an oven heated to 350°F for about 25 minutes or until warmed through.
More Side Dishes to Serve
Looking for more delicious, classic sides for Thanksgiving dinner to serve alongside this sweet potato casserole? I’ve got you covered!
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Opt for small to medium-sized sweet potatoes. They are sweeter and less watery than the very large ones. When mashed, they will be creamy instead of runny.
- For a smoother sweet potato filling: Use a hand mixer instead of a wooden spoon to beat the filling ingredients together. Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes contain much less starch, so you don’t run the same risk of making them gummy by using an electric mixer to mash them.
- Cool the melted butter slightly for the topping. If the melted butter is hot or too warm, it will melt the sugar in the streusel, turning it into a paste instead of a crumbly topping. Once melted, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the filling, you can use maple syrup in place of brown sugar. For the topping, you must use brown sugar to form a crumbly mixture. Maple syrup will not work for the pecan streusel as the mixture will become a paste.
Yes, you can use canned instead of fresh sweet potatoes in this sweet potato casserole recipe. Do not use candied yams or sweet potatoes canned in syrup, as those cause the casserole to be way too sweet. Be sure to drain the canned sweet potatoes or yams well before mashing so the filling does not turn out watery.
No! You can use white or purple sweet potatoes if that’s what you prefer. Keep in mind that those varieties tend to be drier than orange sweet potatoes. To ensure they turn out rich and creamy when mashed, you might need to use more milk in the filling.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this sweet potato casserole recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 2-quart casserole dish
- Potato masher
- Handheld mixer, optional
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cubed (1.35kg)
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (55g)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cubed (56g)
- ¼ cup whole milk (60mL)
- 2 large eggs
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (220g)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled (56g)
- 1 cup pecan halves chopped (90g)
Instructions
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray or butter.
- Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot and fill it with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain well.
- Return the potatoes to the pot and mash with a potato masher or large fork. Add the brown sugar, butter, milk, eggs, salt and vanilla then beat with an electric hand mixer or stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. (A hand mixer will result in a smoother filling.)
- Spread the sweet potato mixture into the greased baking dish and smooth into an even layer. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the topping.
For the Topping:
- In a medium bowl, stir to combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. With a fork, stir in the melted and cooled butter until the topping is crumbly. Stir in the roughly chopped pecans.
- Sprinkle the topping all over the sweet potatoes in the dish.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the casserole is slightly puffed and golden brown on top. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Opt for small to medium-sized sweet potatoes. They are sweeter and less watery than the very large ones. When mashed, they will be creamy instead of runny.
- For a smoother sweet potato filling: Use a hand mixer instead of a wooden spoon to beat the filling ingredients together. Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes contain much less starch, so you don’t run the same risk of making them gummy by using an electric mixer to mash them.
- Cool the melted butter slightly for the topping. If the melted butter is hot or too warm, it will melt the sugar in the streusel, turning it into a paste instead of a crumbly topping. Once melted, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
