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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I know you have said this could be made and reheated the next day but my question is do you cook the crisp, then refrigerate when cool and then warm the next day to serve or you mix it up, put the topping on and refrigerate without cooking and cook it the next day and serve?
Hi David, You can make (and bake) the whole thing ahead of time and just reheat it until crisp on top before serving. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn! I am excited to try this recipe! Can I make it ahead and reheat it? Or will it be better to make it Thursday and bring it to dinner? Also…how did you get the potatoes so smooth–should I put them in the mixer? Thanks so much! Ellyn
Hi Ellyn, It’s perfectly fine to make ahead — it reheats beautifully. And I just mash them up with a fork or potato masher.
Hi Jen,
This recipes looks delicious and I am looking forward to making this for Thanksgiving. If I make just the sweet potato part now and freeze it without the topping, how long should I bake it on Thanksgiving Day when I add the topping? Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Cyndi, If you make and freeze the sweet potato portion, I would make sure it is fully defrosted before baking. If it is, you can bake it for the directed amount of time. If not, I would increase the baking time in 20 minute increments until it’s heated through. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Jen,
It worked out beautifully for Thanksgiving. Thanks! Hope you had a nice holiday!
This recipe is amazing! I followed it to a T and thought it was just the perfect amount of sweet! I wanted to try it out on my biggest, most honest skeptics, my kids, before I made for thanksgiving. All I can say is I turned 2 non-loving sweet potato kids into sweet potato fans! They could not get enough! I will definitely be making for thanksgiving!
Best ever! Received 5 stars from Family & Friends this past Thanksgiving. My own twist: I added an additional 1/2 pound of sweet potatoes and substituted pumpkin pie spice to the sweet potato mixture. For the topping, I used half a cup of brown sugar, half a cup of flour, added a dollop of cream and substituted 1/3 cup of walnuts and pumpkin pie spice. Exceptional results with an aromatic flavourful scent. Easy to prepare and made a day in advance to rave reviews.
Are you aware that if you allow 8 servings, each one is 445.4 calories with 23.4 g fat, 77.6 g cholesterol, 55.6 g sugar?
It sounds delicious, but totally unhealthy!
This is our favorite sweet potato recipe for the holidays and beyond. I love plain sweet potatoes so found the amount of sugar a bit over the top and use about half of what is called for, have also substituted 4 egg whites for eggs. When I am making for a crowd I make a double bottom with one batch of topping. Half the sugar in the bottom. Someone always asks me for the recipe!
Made this for Easter along w/ the Brussels Sprouts/Kale Salad and the Asparagus/Peas dish. This was fantastic and extremely easy. The topping is sooooo good.
[While I’m being honest, I DID warm up a bowl of this later in the evening and ate it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just sayin’. :)]
Lovely dish! Everyone love the sweet potatoes and wanted the recipe! Thank you so much!
Lovely dish! I made it to accompany stuffed turkey breast for Christmas Day dinner and it was a hit. I followed another reader’s advice and halved the topping ingredients and it was plenty, as it’s fairly rich.
Thanks for another nice recipe!