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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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!