A sweet and decadent side dish, this really is the BEST Sweet Potato Casserole. It is perfect for the holidays!
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This is a must at our holiday table! Some other favorites are Snickers Salad, Scalloped Corn and Broccoli, or check out any of my other side dish recipes!
I love trying new recipes. But when it comes to the holidays, I will admit that there are a few recipes that have to be on my table for it to feel like a holiday. For Thanksgiving, that includes pumpkin pie, Cranberry Salad, and this sweet potato casserole recipe. I first made this recipe back in 2007 and I think there has only been one Thanksgiving since then that I haven’t had this sweet potato recipe. And I have vowed to never let that happen again.
I love, love, love sweet potatoes. I love a good dish of Mashed Sweet Potatoes. And don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t even pass up the sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows.
But really, nothing tops this sweet potato casserole!
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need about 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, which is usually 4 small to medium or 2 large. Mine in the photo were quite large.
Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is what goes in the filling.
Milk: I use 2%, but whole or even 1% should be fine. I even have a commenter that likes to use evaporated milk, which is also a great alternate.
Eggs: I use large eggs. Don’t skip the eggs, because they are what holds everything together!
Vanilla: I like to use real vanilla extract.
Salt: To balance the flavors.
Brown Sugar: The brown sugar is for the topping. You’ll be making a streusel-type topping.
Flour: All-purpose works best here.
Butter: I like to use unsalted, but you could use salted in this recipe. Make sure your butter is cold and cut into small cubes.
Pecans: For more flavor, toast your pecans before chopping them.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
- Start by roasting your potatoes. If they are small/medium potatoes, this should take about 30-45 minutes. If the potatoes are bigger, it will take longer to roast them. You’ll know that they are done when you can pierce them easily with a fork.
- Once roasted, scoop the flesh from the potatoes into a bowl, discarding the skins.
- To the potato, add the sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla and salt.
- Mash this all together. It doesn’t need to be smooth – some lumps are ok.
- Pour the mixture into a baking dish. I use a 3-quart dish.
How to Make the Brown Sugar Topping
- In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and butter.
- Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir the pecans into the mixture.
- Top the potatoes with an even layer of the brown sugar topping.
From here, all you need to do is bake the sweet potato casserole until it is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Make this Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe ahead of time?
Yes! If you are making it ahead of time, keep the crumble topping separate and add that just before baking. Just cover and refrigerate both the casserole and the topping until you are ready to bake. I would let the sweet potato casserole sit out for a bit before baking as well, just to bring it back to room temperature. Then add the topping and bake as you normally would. If baking straight from the refrigerator, you will need to add on some extra time.
Can you cut back on the sugar?
Yes, it is a lot of sugar. Yes, the casserole is sweet. But it really is so good just how it is. If you are worried about it being too sweet, there have been some commenters that have cut back on the sugar and still loved it!
Can you use gluten free flour?
I haven’t personally tested it, but others have substituted 1:1 with success.
Tips and Tricks
- I love the crunch from the pecans, but if you don’t like them or have an allergy, feel free to leave them out.
- Yams or sweet potatoes? White sweet potatoes or orange? Many times here in the US, sweet potatoes are labeled as yams. But 99% of the time, they will just be sweet potatoes. Yams are actually pretty rare to see in your grocery store. So you’d be pretty safe to use either what is labeled as yams or sweet potatoes. As far as the color, both white or orange will work here, but I find that the orange are better simply for appearance.
- I prefer to roast my potatoes, but feel free to boil them or cook them in a slow cooker if that is easiest for you.
- The filling will sometimes look runny before it it baked, but will firm up some after cooking in the oven. I have made this recipe dozens of times, and it is different every time. The water content of the potatoes will differ, so sometimes it is runnier than others. But it will set up once cooked.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Sweet Potato Casserole Video
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
My Favorite Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Baked Mac and Cheese
Corn
Casserole
Glazed Carrots
Snickers Salad
Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries
Dinner Roll Recipe
Description
A sweet and decadent side dish, this really is the BEST Sweet Potato Casserole. It is perfect for the holidays!
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 4 small/medium or 2 large)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes and pierce generously with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender, 30-45 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large bowl.
- Raise the oven temperature to 400ºF.
- To the bowl with the sweet potatoes, add the sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla and salt. Mash until combined. The mixture does not need to be completely smooth – lumps are ok. Pour the potatoes into a large baking dish. (I use a 3 quart baking dish.)
- In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and butter. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top of the potatoes.
- Bake in the oven until golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Let the casserole sit for a few minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes:
source: The Pioneer Woman via Serious Eats
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 of recipe
- Calories: 399
- Sugar: 29 g
- Sodium: 359 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
Keywords: sweet potato casserole, sweet potato casserole recipe