My easy sweet potato casserole recipe is a holiday staple and family favorite for a reason! Some debate whether sweet potato casserole is a rich side dish or a decadent dessert. Whichever side you take, the vanilla-scented sweet potatoes nestled beneath a crisp pecan crumble are guaranteed to disappear at every gathering! I have tested this recipe more times than I can count over the years, and often swap up the flavorings and toppings— it’s super adaptable.
Depending on your preference and how much time you have, you can boil, bake, or cook the sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot! Boiling cubed sweet potatoes is a much quicker option and is included in the main recipe, but details for the other methods are included below!
A reader, Daniel, says: “I made this the other day for a family gathering, and it was simply superb. Lots of my family and I fell in love with the dish. The brown sugar topping mixed with the creamy richness of the sweet potatoes was just fabulous.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
These are the main ingredients you need to make the best sweet potato casserole. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Sweet potatoes — they may be labeled as yams at your local grocery store, but as long as the skin is smooth, you can use them. (Check out my candied yams post on how to tell the difference between a true yam and a sweet potato!) I use fresh sweet potatoes because they have a superior flavor to canned sweet potatoes. Frozen cubed sweet potatoes will also work! No need to thaw them first. Drop them in the boiling water and cook them as directed in the recipe.
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 widely among different brands.
Milk — whole milk adds extra creaminess to the sweet potato filling and keeps the filling from drying out as it bakes. 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. I like the crunchy texture this adds to the casserole, but you can do any topping variations you wish! For example, replace the pecans with walnuts or add marshmallows.
Can I Make This With A Marshmallow Topping?
Yes! For a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, you’ll need one (10-ounce) bag of mini marshmallows. Follow the recipe as written, adding the sweet potatoes to the baking dish. Then, instead of making a streusel topping, top the sweet potatoes with the mini marshmallows. Bake at 375°F for about 25 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffed and golden brown.
If you want a marshmallow and pecan topping, use about half the marshmallows, and sprinkle on as well as ½ cup chopped pecans!
How Far In Advance Can I Make This?
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.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
Opt for small to medium-sized sweet potatoes. They are sweeter and less fibrous than the very large ones. When mashed, they will be creamier instead of runny and stringy.
Other sweet potato cooking methods: I boil the potatoes in this recipe to save time, but for a more caramelized sweet potato flavor, you can roast them instead! Use my baked sweet potato recipe to cook 3 pounds of whole sweet potatoes for the filling, then peel off the skins and mash them with the rest of the ingredients. Or, to save hands-on cooking time, make my Instant Pot sweet potatoes.
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! Instead, the added power helps break up the sweet potato fibers better for a smoother casserole.
Cool the melted butter slightly for the topping. If the melted butter is too hot, 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 before stirring it in. This is especially important if you decide to brown the butter first, since it will be very hot when it finishes cooking.
How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making this easy sweet potato casserole. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
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.
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 2-quart casserole dish
- Large Pot
- 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
- Don’t want to boil the sweet potatoes? You can make baked sweet potatoes or Instant Pot sweet potatoes, too! Just be sure you cook 3 pounds of potatoes so you have enough for the filling.
Nutrition
Variations
This simple sweet potato casserole recipe is very easy to adapt in a number of ways!
- 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.
- 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.
- Vegan option: swap the milk for a non-dairy milk and use vegan butter in the filling and topping. You can skip the eggs, noting that the filling will be a bit looser, or you can use an egg substitute.
- Gluten-free option: Use a gluten-free baking flour blend for the topping. The other ingredients are naturally gluten-free!
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: A make-ahead sweet potato casserole freezes well before baking for up to 3 months. (Perfect for getting a jump start on that holiday meal prep!) To serve, 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!
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.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Try one of these other delicious dishes made with sweet potatoes!
My roasted sweet potatoes turn crispy and caramelized in the oven and are so easy to make. Just peel, cube, and toss sweet potatoes with oil and a few seasonings before popping them in the oven.
A southern favorite, sweet potato pie has a creamy filling from pureed sweet potatoes and plenty of warm flavor from spices, vanilla, and sugar.
Mashed sweet potatoes are a super-easy side dish to make for the holidays or just to pair with dinner! Stir in butter, salt, and pepper for a simple side, or flavor them with added herbs and spices.
My creamy sweet potato soup is the perfect lunch or dinner that celebrates this fall root vegetable. It’s creamy, comforting, and super simple to make.
Flaky and buttery, sweet potato biscuits have an added richness and sweetness from mashed sweet potato! Plus, the potatoes add a pretty orange hue to the baked biscuits.
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!
Nora says
John… it was absolutely delicious. I am a huge sweet potato lover- while other people grab the ice cream after a rough day, I grab the sweet potatoes. This recipe did not disappoint and satisfied the sweet potato lover in me. The streusel topping is amazing and pairs beautifully with the mashed potatoes themselves. The brown sugar gives a great festive fall taste and the pecans provide the perfect crunch that I didn´t know the dish was missing. Adding the eggs and whipping up the potatoes made the filling so satisfying and smooth to eat. It had a borderline custard feel that complemented the topping so well. I would give it ten stars if I could. The only thing I did differently was using cassava flour instead of normal flour. I love subbing cassava flour into all your recipes because I am gluten-free and it always works out nicely. Thank you so much for the recipe!