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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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!