Sweet Potato Casserole is a classic holiday side dish made with buttery brown sugar and topped with pecan streusel. Perfect for Thanksgiving!
From Candied Sweet Potatoes to Sweet Potato Souffle, to this easy casserole, what holiday table is complete without a delicious sweet potato Side Dish? Check out my Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole if you need to free up your oven for your main dish!
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
This simple, classic casserole dish is the perfect recipe to add to your fall meals! It has a buttery creamy base, similar to sweet potato souffle, packed with that delicious earthy sweet flavor of sweet potatoes. A crunchy pecan topping adds a little extra layer of sweetness. Plus it only needs 30 minutes to bake so it’s a great dish for busy weeknights or if you need an easy side for a potluck.
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need to peel and chop 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, or about 4 cups of sweet potatoes. You can use canned potatoes to save time, but make sure they are plain and not packed in syrup or seasonings.
- Brown Sugar: This recipe used brown sugar in the potato mixture and the streusel topping. Brown sugar brings out the potatoes’ naturally rich and sweet flavors, and adds a slight caramel flavor.
- Butter: A stick of butter gives the creamy potatoes a rich flavor that balances some of the sweetness.
- Eggs: Mixing eggs into the Sweet Potato Casserole gives it more of a souffle-like texture versus mashed potatoes.
- Vanilla Extract: It might seem odd to put vanilla extract in a potato dish, but it helps brings out the warmth.
- Salt: Salt is key to keeping both the topping and the base from being overly sweet.
- Crunchy Topping: To give the potatoes a brown sugar crunch, all you need is flour, brown sugar, butter, and kosher salt. Those ingredients combine into a simple streusel topping, and then you just mix in the chopped pecans to finish it.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Food Processor: A food processor makes blending the potatoes quick and easy, but you could also use a hand masher.
- Baking Dish: I made this casserole in a 9×13-inch baking dish. You could also use two 8×8-inch baking dishes.
How to Make
Time needed: 1 hour.
- Prep Sweet Potatoes
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep your casserole dish with cooking spray to ensure the potato mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom. Peel and chop the fresh sweet potatoes. Add the potatoes to a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Then cook for 12-15 minutes at medium-high heat. You want them to be fork-tender.
- Blend Mixture
Strain the potatoes and add them to a large food processor with brown sugar, butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Then, pulse until the mixture is mostly smooth, with some chunks remaining for texture.
- Transfer Potatoes
Once it’s blended to the consistency you like, add the sweet potato mixture to your prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer.
- Make Streusel
Clean out your food processor bowl and dry it well. Add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, unsalted butter, and salt the clean food processor. Pulse until combined and clumpy.
- Add Pecans
Transfer the streusel to a mixing bowl and fold in the pecans until they are well mixed.
- Assemble
Sprinkle the pecan mixture evenly over the top.
- Bake
Pop the Sweet Potato Casserole in the preheated oven to bake for 28-30 minutes.
(I garnished my dish with fried sage leaves)
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes:
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes , peeled and chopped
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Streusel:
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup pecans , chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, add the sweet potatoes to a pot of boiling water, and cook for 12-15 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Strain and add the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt to a large food processor or blender and process until mostly smooth with just a small amount of chunks for texture.
- Add the sweet potatoes to a 9×13 baking dish and spread into an even layer.
- Clean and dry the food processor bowl.
- Add the flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt to a food processor and pulse until crumbly and no more than pea-sized.
- In a mixing bowl, stir the pecans into the crumb mixture until just evenly combined.
- Top the sweet potato mixture with pecan streusel. Bake for 28-30 minutes.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note: Sweet Potatoes Are Versatile!
I love cooking with sweet potatoes! The blend of earthy sweet flavors makes comforting dishes that can be savory, sweet or a bit of both. Their high starch content and natural moisture can make baked goods pillowy soft. The bright orange color always makes dishes look better too. You may know them for fall dishes or as a regular potato swap, but they can be so much more! Here are a few of my recipes for sweet potatoes:
- Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
- Melting Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Creamy Spicy Sweet Potato Salad
- Sweet Potatoes Au Gratin
- Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes
Can this be made ahead of time?
To prepare ahead, make the casserole a day or two in advance. Prepare the casserole as directed, but don’t add the topping. Cover and refrigerate. Bake on the day you plan to serve, adding the topping before popping it in the oven as usual. You may need to bake it a bit longer if it’s been refrigerated.
Nutritional Facts
How to Store
- Store: After baking, don’t leave Sweet Potato Casserole at room temperature for over 2 hours. If you have leftovers, let them cool completely. Then, you can cover the pan in foil or transfer the potatoes to an airtight container to store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: You can eat them cold or reheat them slowly in the oven at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes, depending on how much you have left.
- Freeze: You can also freeze the casserole for up to one month. For best results, cover the dish in plastic wrap and wrap aluminum foil around it. You can reheat it from frozen.
Frequent Questions
Yes, you can use canned sweet potatoes. Just make sure to drain and mash them thoroughly before using. Canned sweet potatoes are convenient but may have added sugar, so it will be a bit sweeter.
Yes, you can substitute eggs with alternatives like mashed bananas, applesauce, or a commercial egg replacer. The eggs help bind the casserole and provide structure, so the texture might be slightly different with substitutes.
The casserole is done when it is set and the topping is golden brown. You can also check the center with a knife; if it comes out clean, it’s ready. The internal temperature should reach at least 160 degrees.
Sweet Potato Casserole is traditionally a sweet dish, especially with the addition of marshmallows or a sweet topping. However, some variations may use less sugar and add savory elements like herbs and spices. This recipe is very sweet and delicious!
Variations
- Seasonings: To add some extra flavor to the sweet potato mixture, you can add your favorite spices. A teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice are all classic holiday ingredients that would taste amazing in Sweet Potato Casserole.
- Marshmallow Topping: Some people like their sweet potato casseroles with a marshmallow topping instead of pecan streusel. First, bake the casserole without any topping. Then sprinkle miniature marshmallows over the top and pop it back in the oven for about a minute until the marshmallows are golden brown.
- Nuts: You can also add other kinds of nuts to the crunchy pecan topping. Chopped walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts would also taste great over the casserole.
More Delicious Sweet Potato Dishes!
