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 Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sweet potatoes – Note that most supermarkets 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 grocery store, so if you see “yams,” you’re probably looking at sweet potatoes.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness and flavor to both the sweet potato base and the streusel topping.
- Salt – Enhances the flavor of the sweet potatoes and balances the sweetness.
- Light brown sugar – Sweetens the base and adds a warm, molasses flavor to both the sweet potatoes and the crunchy streusel topping.
- Ground nutmeg – Adds a hint of warmth and spice to the sweet potatoes, complementing their natural flavor.
- Eggs – Help bind the sweet potato mixture and give the casserole structure.
- Flour – The base of the streusel topping together, creating a crumbly texture.
- Ground cinnamon – Adds a warm, spiced flavor to the streusel topping.
- Pecans – Incorporated in the streusel topping to lend a crunchy, nutty contrast to the soft, sweet potato base.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
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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These were quickly gobbled up at our thanksgiving table this year. The sweet potato texture was out of this world! The crispy topping was perfection. I have tried several of your recipes and have never been disappointed!
Made these for Thansgiving. They were delicious. Next time, I’m going to cut back on the topping by half. It was a little too much for our taste. The spices & creamy potatoes were perfect though.
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a great hit! I made it vegan by leaving out the eggs and using Earth Balance instead of butter and had people asking for the recipe. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
OK this is the third dish I made for Thanksgiving this year from your website. I have made a version of this for years but your is even better! Everyone loved it. Another go to recipe for Thanksgivings to come. Thanks for your great recipes and website. I tell everyone about them.
Hi Jenn – Is there anyway to do this recipe with marshmallows instead of or in additional to the pecans? This is the first time I am hosting the holiday and my family loves the sweet potatoes with marshmallows one them. Thanks so much!
Hi Karen, Yes, you can do a marshmallow topping over the mashed sweet potatoes. I would just omit the pecan topping; it won’t cook properly if you top it with marshmallows. Happy Thanksgiving!
Would I need to double recipe or 1.5x’s recipe to cook it in a 13X9 pan?
Hi Debbie, I would double it 🙂
This sweet potato recipe calls for two large eggs, but I don’t see them mentioned in the preparation directions.
Hi Gloria, They are mentioned where it says “add the remaining sweet potato mixture ingredients.” Hope that helps!
Did you use sweet potatoes or Yams?
Hi Linda, I use sweet potatoes. For some reason, most grocers use the words “sweet potato” and “yam” interchangeably. This is 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.
Are your sweet potatoes the orange ones or white ones (inside)? Our grocer calls the white ones sweet potatoes.
Hi Maryanne, They are orange.
I’m having a vegan guest for Thanksgiving. I can substitute Earth Balance for the butter, but would it hurt this recipe to leave out the eggs? Or can you recommend a substitute for the eggs?
Hi Becky. You can leave out the eggs; just won’t be quite as light and fluffy 🙂
Have made this type of dish for years. I use i large can of crushed pineapple with its own juice. Use half in sweet potatoes and half dotted over top instead of so much sugar & butter. I prefer to bake my sweet potatoes after running in microwave for 6+ minutes I then coat with olive oil spray and bake at 375 on foil until the potatoes start to ooze (20 min.). This makes them sweeter; learned this trick from a restaurant that serves sweet potatoes every night. My family is split on pecan topping vs marshmallows so I put half with pecan topping and bake then add the mini marshmallows on the other half and run under broiler so all are happy.