Sweet Potato Casserole
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Give your holiday sweet potato casserole a major upgrade by swapping the marshmallows for a brown sugar pecan streusel—it’s a game changer!
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 recipe is always a big hit. It’s an old Southern side dish 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.
- 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 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 brown sugar and pecan 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.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Freezing Instructions
The assembled casserole can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If refrigerated, allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. For a frozen casserole, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. In either case, add a few extra minutes to the baking time. For best results, bake just before serving.
For leftovers, cover the casserole with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until warmed through. If you want a crispier topping, remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of reheating. It’s also delicious as a snack cold from the fridge!
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Sweet Potato Casserole
Give your holiday sweet potato casserole a major upgrade by swapping the marshmallows for a brown sugar pecan streusel—it’s a game changer!
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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Jen , I made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. For Passover, do you think I could eliminate the flour in the topping ?
Hi Lauren, Unfortunately, you really need the flour in the topping – sorry!!
Hope you don’t mind the suggestion… Ground oats, oat flour, can be substituted for the processed flour.
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!
This was really excellent and everyone loved at Thanksgiving. I used a mix of nuts as I didnt have enough Pecans. Total keeper. Thanks Jenn!
This recipe was enjoyed so much last year that it is now a holiday regular for us. We have several family members who are eating gluten-free, so we just substituted a 1:1 gluten free flour blend, and you could not tell the difference. Preparing it two days ahead of time was a real stress reducer as well.
The recipe is easy to make and the leftovers store well. The spices are perfect, but I found it to be too sweet as a side dish. Next time I will cut the brown sugar in both the topping and the potatoes.
How many servings is this recipe
Should I double for 5 adults to have leftovers?
Hi Tamara, It serves 6 to 8, so if you’re only serving 5, it’s likely that you’ll have some leftovers without modifying the recipe.
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a HUGE hit! Everyone devoured it. My dear mom loved it so much I’m Making some more to take out to her tmrw for a surprise. I mixed up quantities: used 13 roasted SP; scooped out, mashed and then followed rest of recipe. It was like a “Veggessert”….a veggie side and dessert all in one. YUM. Thank you!
This is the absolute best sweet potato dish I’ve ever made. My family is still raving about it days later!
This dish turned out perfectly. The actual sweet potato mixture was a little sweet, for me, with the combination of the streussel. However, my empty serving dish tells me that I am the only one that felt that way. I may cut the added brown sugar out of the recipe next time, but very good nonetheless.
Delicious and timely. At 7 a.m. Thanksgiving mornin, with 10 coming for dinner, I realized I totally forgot about sweet potatoes. I frantically pulled up my email and Jenn came to the rescue with an easy to make recipe. Everyone, even the picky-eater grandkids LOVED it. Thank you!
I was given task to bring a sweet potato casserole…I tried a couple of recipes and liked this one the best…The spices and the pecan strussel made the difference
Received many compliments.
I had to triple the recipe to accommodate a large quantity of people for Thanksgiving. Should I bake at 350 still but add more time?
Hi Melanie, Yes bake at 350 and bake it a bit longer.