Sweet Potato Casserole
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Take your sweet potato casserole up a notch by replacing the traditional marshmallow topping with a crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel.
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, I think most of us would say, “Don’t get fancy on me, just make the standards really special.” That’s why this down-home sweet potato casserole is always a big hit. It’s an old Southern specialty that graces almost every holiday table. Instead of the traditional marshmallow topping (yes, a classic, but let’s be honest, a gourmet dish marshmallows do not make), I cover the sweet potatoes with a crunchy brown sugar-pecan streusel. It absolutely makes the dish. Like many Thanksgiving sweet potato sides, it’s almost sweet enough to be dessert. In my house, it’s “that dish”— the one everyone reaches their fork into long after the meal is done.
“My mom and I used your recipe for Thanksgiving and loved it so much that we are making it again for Christmas. Thank you for such an easy, delicious dish that we will enjoy for years to come!”
What you’ll need to make A sweet potato casserole
Heads up: most grocery stores use the names “sweet potato” and “yam” interchangeably. This can be confusing since yams aren’t sweet potatoes at all, but rather thick white tubers with dark brown skin. Chances are you won’t find real yams at the supermarket, so if you see “yams,” you’re probably looking at sweet potatoes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and cook until soft and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and let cool.
In the meantime, make the topping: Melt the butter in a medium bowl the microwave. (Alternatively, melt the butter in a small pan or over low heat and transfer to a medium bowl.)
Add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
Mix until well combined. It should look a little clumpy.
Add the chopped nuts, and stir to combine.
Place the cooked and drained sweet potatoes in a large bowl.
Mash with a potato masher or large fork until very smooth.
Add the melted butter, salt, and brown sugar and nutmeg.
Mix well, then add the eggs.
Stir to combine. It’s okay if it is not completely smooth.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake for about 40 minutes, uncovered, or until the topping is nicely browned. Let cool slightly before serving.
If you’d like to break up the preparation of this dish a bit, feel free to make and refrigerate the streusel a few days ahead. Or, if you really want to get a head start, assemble and refrigerate the whole casserole up to two days ahead of time. Bake right before serving for best results.
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Sweet Potato Casserole
Take your sweet potato casserole up a notch by replacing the traditional marshmallow topping with a crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel.
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potato Mixture
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
For the Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (no need to salt). Add the sweet potatoes and cook until soft and very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- Meanwhile, make the topping: Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. (Alternatively, melt it in a small pan over low heat and transfer to a medium bowl.) Add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon and mix until well combined. It should look a little clumpy. Stir in the chopped nuts and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the cooked and drained sweet potatoes with a potato masher or large fork until very smooth. Add the melted butter, salt, sugar, and nutmeg and mix well. Mix in the eggs. It's okay if there are some lumps. Set aside.
- Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture and bake, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until the topping is nicely browned. Let cool slightly before serving.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The assembled casserole can be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, allow a few extra minutes in the oven to bake.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 489
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Sugar: 35 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 348 mg
- Cholesterol: 77 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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My son INSISTS I make this side dish every Thanksgiving, and who am I to argue? ;-). They’re like a dessert…decadent and delicious. This year he did the supermarket run and brought back three ginormous sweet potatoes – not quite the 3 lbs the recipe calls for (more like 2 lbs. 11 oz.), but I didn’t adjust anything and it still came out great. So easy to prep, and the crunchy sweet pecan topping is downright addictive. So good with leftovers.
Made these last year for Christmas and plan to make them for Thanksgiving. My go to for sweet potatoes! Easy to make and delicious! Everyone asks for the recipe. I have one fan who always wants more pecans and brown sugar so I have extra for him.
Thank you for the quick response to doubling this recipe. I’m making this along with your herb stuffing. I follow a couple of food bloggers and many don’t respond to questions. That can be quite frustrating so thanks again! Karen
I’m going to double the recipe. Anything I need to do differently with ingredients or just double them? I’m going to put them in a 9 by 13 pan so what about time?
Thanks so much. I have your pumpkin bread in the oven now. A real family favorite!
Glad you like the pumpkin bread! To double it, just multiply the ingredients by 2. If you use a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, it may take just a few minutes longer in the oven so keep an eye on it. Enjoy!
Hello! I was wondering if I could bake the sweet potatoes the same way you do in the “easy make ahead mashed potatoes” recipe?? I love how convenient that method is.
Hi Brooke, I think you could bake them but they may be just a bit drier than if they were cooked on the stove. When you combine all the ingredients for the sweet potato mixture, use your judgment; if they seem a bit dry, just add a touch of milk. Hope you enjoy!
I made this recipe and added a 1/4 Cup Grand Marnier. Awesome!
This was fantastic! Used about half the sugar as others suggested. Everyone asked for the recipe. Thanks very much Jenn.
This was delicious! Made it for Christmas, everyone loved it! I’ll use this recipe for all the holiday feasts!
Can I cook this in an 8×8 2 quart baking dish??
Hi Rae, Yes, that’s the right size.
Hi Jenn, I’ve made this recipe before and it’s delicious! Like a dessert. For prepping in advance, the recipe says that you can freeze it after baking the sweet potato mixture, but some of the comments seem to imply that you can put the topping on it as well and then freeze it. Which is correct?
Hi Valerie, Glad you like this! I know the freezer-friendly instructions indicate that you should freeze just the sweet potato mixture, but I honestly think you could go either way (with or without the topping before freezing). Hope that helps!
Thank you Jenn for responding! So you think I could fully assemble the casserole and freeze it before baking it? Then defrost it and pop it in the oven?
Yes, Valerie, I think that will work. 🙂
Made this the day before our Thanksgiving dinner. Easy to prepare, and oh-so-delicious.
It was a big hit, and everyone loved it. (Looking forward to leftovers!)
Thanks Jenn, for another incredible recipe!
Hi-
Cooking this recipe for Thanksgiving this year! I’ll need to double the amounts- will that change the length of cooking time?
Thanks!
It may add a few minutes onto the baking time (and I’d suggest baking them in two separate baking dishes). Hope you enjoy!
Can you double the ingredients and use a 9 x 13 pan
Yep – hope you enjoy!
We love this recipe and I’m taking it to a family Thanksgiving, however this year there will be a little one there who has nut allergies so I need to make it without. Would you suggest I just omit the nuts, or is there something I could replace them with, like oats? (or celery or water chestnuts? I wouldn’t normally consider them for a sweet topping, but I’m just thinking about replacing the crunch of nuts). Thanks!
Hi Kay, Glad you like this! You can just omit the nuts here or use oats instead. Hope everyone enjoys!
I grew up with marshmallow sweet potato casserole. I love this and won’t ever use marshmallows again.
Hi. Can I prepare this casserole a day ahead of time, and pop in the oven the day of serving?
Yup – hope you enjoy!
Just made this for thanksgiving and it was AMAZING. For those trying to time all that needs to be cooked in just one oven…I assembled the night before, baked the next day about 5 hours before dinner was to be served and then reheated at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. I’m very particular about food being fresh from the oven, but Jenn is right with this one, it reheats perfectly! It was the star on the table. I did cut the sugar by about 1/3 and it was still very sweet. Thank you Jenn for your recipes that NEVER fail!
I am making your sweet potato casserole tomorrow. My question is do you actually weigh your potatoes? Or do you just use 3 large? I weighed mine & it’s waaay more than 3. (& the potatoes are not small)
Thanks.
Hi Laura, I know that there can be a lot of variation in potato size so I’d stick with the weight for this. Hope you enjoy!
Have not made this yet, but planning on it. I would like to know if you know how many mashed cups of sweet potatoes would be the equivalent of 3 pounds. Thanks.
I don’t Laura — I’m sorry!
Wow delicious! I can see how this could be eaten as a dessert. I made it with almond flour so a gluten-free guest could enjoy it as well (turned out great). Could probably safely cut the quantity of sugar, or just enjoy it in its decadent glory!
I have been making this dish for years!! Every year at Thanksgiving I end up doubling or tripling the recipe because it’s the first dish to empty. The only thing I do differently is I bake my sweet potatoes and instead of flour in the streusel I use crushed corn flakes.
My family loved it!
What a great side to add to my repertoire for holiday feasts. I followed the recipe as is and it turned out wonderful. The topping mixture is substantial so you could probably spread it over a larger sized pan. I served it with the beef tenderloin; which is also excellent. Serving it with the brisket this weekend!! Jenn, I asked Santa for your cookbook. I’m very hopeful!!
I am going to bring this to our family Christmas dinner. I have never made it, so I wanted to do a practice this week. Any suggestions of a good main dish to pair it with for a week night dinner?
Hi Heather, how about this Turkey Meatloaf or these short ribs?
Good idea, thank you!
Good Morning Jenn
One week before Christmas and I am getting my menu and grocery lists prepared. This is going to be a truly Jenn Segal Christmas dinner. I have never made this dish before but know it will be delicious. My question is, if I pre-make my sides Christmas eve – this dish, the make ahead creamy potatoes, the easy sausage stuffing, the roasted brussel sprouts, can they all be reheated at the same temp and for the same length of time while the turkey rests? The make ahead gravy and the cranberry sauce will be in the wings waiting to go! The ginger cookies and pecan squares are done, as is a big container of chili and all in the freezer!! You have no idea how much you have helped me plan my Christmas dinner. Also, thank you for the book plates, such a fun addition to the cookbook:)
Hi Kathy, Yes they can all be reheated together. So glad the recipes came in handy! ☺️
I took a gamble on this at and the last minute decided to stray from our usual Thanksgiving sweet potato recipe which we love… So glad we did as this is amazing! Even my kids – who only tried a taste to be polite 🙂 – actually went back for thirds!
Amazing, I made it today for a work party and everyone loved it. It’s incredibly easy to make and it’s the best sweet potato casserole I’ve ever eaten. This will definitely be added to my favorite recipes.
It’s 2 days before Thanksgiving – Option #1 should I bake (with topping) and freeze OR
Option #2 just freeze mashed sweet potatoes and then assemble on Thanksgiving and cook?
If option #1, will the top get mushy by freezing?
Thanks!
Hi Shelley, I would assemble the whole thing today and refrigerate, then bake on Thursday (no need to freeze). Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
Can I go ahead and make the topping now, assemble the whole thing and then freeze it uncooked?
Sure, Sarah. Enjoy!
The picture for this recipe looks different than before. Are the instructions different? In the previous picture, the toppings on top looked smaller to me.
Hi Heather, I just re-shot the picture last week as I didn’t love the old pic. I’ve made some minor tweaks to the wording of the recipe, but nothing significant. (Hope that clarifies!)
Ok thanks!
This looks great, and I would love to try at Thanksgiving! Do you recommend baking this dish the day before and reheating on Thanksgiving or assembling the day prior and waiting to bake the day of? Overall, trying to figure out whether to bake ahead of time or just assemble ahead of time.
Thank you very much!
Hi Rachel, You could honestly go either way – this dish reheats well – so whatever is most convenient for you.
Hi Jenn, I have made this receipe and I totally love it. I plan to make it again this year for Thanksgiving. Although my guest list have some people who are gluten allergic. I was wondering of I could omit the flour used for the topping. Would it make any difference. Also if I can substitute brown sugar with marshmallows for the topping. Pls advise.
Glad you like this Richa! If you want to use the pecan topping, you could use gluten-free flour. If you’d prefer not to do that, you could just do a marshmallow topping – I would just omit the remaining ingredients for the pecan topping as it won’t cook properly with the marshmallows on top. Hope that helps!
Hi Jen
I doubled this recipie but I forgot to double the eggs. The dish is for tomorrow evening so I put it in the fridge uncooked but fully assembled in the hopes you could advise if I should scoop off the topping and add 2 more eggs. I’m not sure if the dish will be ruined without the proper amount of eggs.
Your cookbook is wonderful!
Thanks in advance!
Nicole
Hi Nicole, Honestly, I’d leave it alone – it will still be delish!
Thank you very much for rescuing me; the dish was fabulous without doubling the eggs! So many of my guests asked for the recipe, a sure sign of something more than “just good”!
Nicole
Is it possible to reheat this dish in a microwave? Or simply oven only?
Thanks!
Hi Jessica, If you want to reheat it in the microwave, that would be fine – I’d just suggest popping it in the oven for a few minutes after that to crisp up the topping.
Made this for the first time for Thanksgiving. I did a marshmallow topping instead of your topping due to a nut allergy and it was delicious. Your recipe uses a lot less sugar than the recipe I had used for years. I am happily converted!
Made the sweet potato pecan crisp for thanksgiving, wow, my family and guests absolutely loved this dish!!!
Thank you once again for a wonderful dish, your site is now my go to site first for all of recipe searches, cant wait to see your new cookbook!!
Made this sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. Everyone loved the flavors. I left out the cinnamon in the topping because we had a guest allergic to cinnamon. It was delicious and will be a new staple to our Thanksgiving meal every year. Thanks for a great recipe Jen!
This has become our go-to holiday sweet potato recipe. It is absolutely delicious, plus it can be made ahead of time which is an enormous plus. I initially thought it sounded as if it would be too sweet, but the ratio of topping to sweet potatoes is actually perfect. The topping does of course add some sweetness, but not in an overwhelming or cloying way, and the contrasting texture is really wonderful. I’ve also discovered a quick out-of-the-fridge spoonful at midnight is the most decadent snack!
Whenever I make this sweet potato pecan crisp, there’s always 1 person that’s asks me if I ordered this pan of goodness from Ruth Chris Steakhouse. It’s just that good.
There are two things that I modify with his recipie:
1. I bake (no boil) my potatos. When you poke holes in the potatoes and bake them, they cook up perfectly without losing any of the nutrients and sweetness in a pot of boiling water. You don’t have to worry about peeling a baked potato either. Just split it open and scoop. Then I always taste my potato’s before adding the sugar. If you’re lucky enough to find Alabama Red Sweets (which are grown in red clay) you can cut back on the amount of sugar you add. This type of potato is naturally super sweet.
2. Sweeet potatos have strings. Some have more than others, but they all have strings. I personally can’t stand a stringy sweet potato dish or pie. I’ve been reading online about how cooks whip the potatoes in the food processor to deal with strings, but that does not eliminate the strings, that only splits them up and blends them in the potato’s . The only way to eliminate all sweet potato strings is to use a Food Mill. Not a single string will make it past a quick run through an old fashioned food mill. There is no substitute!
We’ve made the ubiquitous Reba McEntire sweet potato casserole for years and loved it. We saw this one, and decided that it was worth a try.
Well, it’s the same as the Reba–in the same sense that Sizzler is the same as Peter Luger’s, or a Yugo is the same as a Ferrari!
It’s fresher-tasting, not as sickly sweet, and the topping is crispier. In fact, two days later (we made it the day before Thanksgiving to be sure we would like it), it’s just as fresh and the topping is still crispy. The Reba tended to turn to mush after a day or so.
If you like the Reba, try this one instead!
My only variation from Jen’s recipe was to use a ricer instead of mashing by hand. This saved some time (and my hands), and we liked the perfectly smooth texture.
Doubled the recipe for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! I added cinnamon to the base and also a spoonful of apple butter for extra depth of flavor, along with marshmallows over the topping (per family tradition). Very yummy and the crumb topping makes the dish.
Can I make this recipe the day ahead or does it get mushy?
Hi Joni, It’s perfectly fine to make it a day ahead; just reheat it until crisp on top before serving. Enjoy!
I have some home-grown Japanese purple sweet potatoes. Can I use those in your recipe? It looks totally delicious, btw!
thanks
Kirk
Hi Kirk, I can’t guarantee it will work since purple sweet potatoes are denser and drier than sweet potatoes. Sorry!
Jenn, Sorry if you have already answered this question, but could I bake the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them? I make something very similar to this every Thanksgiving & it is always a hit. I can’t wait to try this version! Thanks.
Hi Stephanie, I think you could bake them. The baked potatoes may be just a bit drier than if they were cooked on the stove. When you combine all the ingredients for the sweet potato mixture, use your judgment; if they seem a tiny bit dry, just add a splash of milk. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you! This was my question this morning. So happy to find the answer already posted.
Can you make this ahead of time? Pit in fridge and then add 10 more minutes to the bake time?
Sure, Ally – this reheats well.
I made this today for our early Thanksgiving tomorrow. What are your suggestions for temperature and time to reheat this dish? I doubled the recipe. Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, Place the casserole, covered, in a 350°F oven until warmed through, about 30 minutes. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Is it possible to bake the sweet potatoes for this recipe? Love all your recipes!!!
Glad you like the recipes, Sherri! I’ve never baked the potatoes for this, but I suspect it should work. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
This is listed under the gluten-free section. Just FYI 🙂
Thank you, Laura — and sorry about that! It has been corrected.
Delicious, classic sweet potato casserole. I usually reduce the sugar, especially if the sweet potatoes are really sweet.
I have a recipe that uses canned sweet potatoes, but it can not compare to this recipe. I accidentally cooked it at 400, and the top got too brown, and my husband still went back for seconds. I did cut back on the sugar in the topping to a generous 1/2 cup. That is strictly a matter of taste. I have thrown out all my other similar recipes, and wrote ‘divine’ on this recipe.
I love this recipe. It is almost like a dessert and I could eat it instead of pumpkin pie any day! Great hit for Thanksgiving!
Hello! How should I adjust the recipe for a 9×13 baking dish? It looks fantastic and I can’t wait to make it! Thank you!
Hi Greta, I would multiply the recipe by 1.5. Enjoy!