My Best Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is a scrumptiously perfect comfort food classic, you’ll be asked to make over and over again.
The creamy, buttery sweet potatoes are topped with a crunchy pecan streusel and baked in a casserole dish.
We love serving Sweet Potato Casserole with ham, turkey or even as the side for pot roast, pork loin or chicken. It is simply the perfect complement to any protein.
Most of us think of Sweet Potato Casserole as a Thanksgiving or Christmas side, but it’s lovely at any special Fall or Winter meal. And it’s even a fantastic dish for Easter.
Vegetables never tasted so good! You’re going to be the hero of your kitchen with this best Sweet Potato Casserole recipe!
The Ingredients
Sweet potatoes and pecans are staples in my pantry, but even if they’re not in yours, they’re likely the only two ingredients you will need to add to the shopping list for this elegant holiday and Fall gathering side dish.
For the Casserole:
- Fresh Sweet Potatoes
- Eggs
- Milk
- Sugar (Both granulated and brown sugar work equally well. Choose your favorite.)
- Butter
- Homemade Vanilla Extract
Bake the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and clean-up is a breeze. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slide them out of their skins. Gather the parchment up by the corners with the skins inside and toss in the trash. Super simple!
For the Streusel Topping:
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Flour
- Cinnamon
- Pecans
FAQs
I prefer fresh for their flavor and texture. However, frozen sweet potatoes can be a quick and easy option.
Frozen sweet potatoes come already peeled and usually in small cubes. Some can even be steamed right in the bag.
They can also be cooked on the stove top or even in the oven. Frozen sweet potatoes also bake quickly on a sheet tray with parchment paper. Just be sure to keep an eye on them and pull the sweet potato cubes out as soon as they are soft. Don’t wait until they have browned or caramelized on the outside as they won’t mash as smoothly.
I do not recommend canned sweet potatoes in this recipe. They are packed in sweet syrup which will alter the flavor and texture of your sweet potato casserole recipe.
Yes. Eggs add structure to your recipe and bind all the ingredients together. If you have a vegan egg substitute you are confident in as a binder, then you might be able to substitute that. Just be sure your sweet potatoes are cooled enough before adding the eggs so they don’t cook and curdle when you add them.
I personally have not tried this. However, vegan milk and that don’t contain oats should bake up without any difficulty. Try almond milk, cashew milk or coconut milk. Vegan butter substitutes should also be fine. Just choose your favorite. However, the vegan egg substitutes will need to be something you are already confident works as a binder in baking. I don’t have experience with this, so I can’t recommend brands or guarantee they will work in this recipe.
Making Sweet Potato Casserole Ahead and Freezing
To freeze Sweet Potato Casserole for use at a future date, simply stop after Step 5, in the recipe. Be sure your casserole is 100% cool before covering. Cover and seal the pan tightly with heavy duty foil. (If you only have regular foil, use a double layer to prevent freezer burn. Freeze the casserole for up to 3 months. How awesome is that?
Being able to prepare parts of big meals ahead of time is a huge time saver. Plus, savvy cooks double recipes when they make them. It takes no more time to mix up a double batch, than a single. Bake one sweet potato casserole and put the other in the freezer for a potluck or gathering, later. You are so smart!
Freeze just the casserole portion of your sweet potato casserole recipe. (Add the streusel just before baking.) Spread it in the baking pan or casserole dish and cover it tightly with plastic wrap and then with a layer of foil.
When you take the sweet potato casserole out of the freezer to bake, be sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight.
It should be completely thawed before you start to bake. Then top with the Streusel Topping and bake just as steps 6-8, of the recipe, instruct.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
- You’ll need to bake the sweet potatoes, before you start mixing up this recipe. The passive baking time is something you should plan ahead for, since they’ll need an hour to an hour and a half to bake, depending on their size. Lightly grease a casserole dish and preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Then, remove the skins and mash the sweet potatoes. I actually mash them right in the measuring cup I am using to measure them for the recipe. It only requires a fork.
- Mixing up the sweet potato mixture is a five-minute task. Put the sweet potato pulp in a mixing bowl with the sugar, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla.
- Everything in one bowl. I doubled it this time, so mine is super full. Also, I had vanilla bean powder in the pantry, so used that instead of liquid vanilla, today. Both work beautifully!
- Whisk them to combine all the ingredients and pour the sweet potato mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. (You could also fill individual *ramekins, depending on how you plan to serve the casserole. See image, below.)
- Seeing a few streaks or flecks of butter through your mixture is normal and nothing to be concerned with. Choose the baking containers that make the most sense for your gathering.
- Cover the mashed sweet potatoes mixture with the Brown Sugar Streusel Pecan Topping and bake for thirty minutes.
Divine! Sweet Potato Casserole will be a celebration hit on your holiday menu. It’s an easy side dish with wide appeal.
If you need a savory sweet potato side dish check out Luci’s Wild Rice Pilaf with Sweet Potatoes over at Luci’s Morsels.
And if you love veggie casseroles, you’re gonna swoon for Sara’s Broccoli Casserole over on Real Balanced. Yum!
Sweet Potato Casserole is actually delicious any time of year and a perfect side dish to complement delicious Fall mains like my friend, Sarah’s, slow cooker pork loin. Enjoy!
The Recipe
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Sweet Potato Casserole
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12–15 servings 1x
Description
Sweet Potato Casserole is a creamy buttery sweet potato side dish with a Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel on top. It’s beloved by kids and adults alike and makes a gorgeous comfort food side for any special meal.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups mashed sweet potatoes, (2 very large sweet potatoes or 3-4 medium)
- 2/3 cup sugar (Granulated or brown sugar, or even a combination of both works fine.)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Bake 2 – 3 sweet potatoes in a 350° oven for 60 – 90 minutes. Place the washed sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined *baking sheet. Pierce the skins to prevent bursting. A fork will slide into them easily and they will be tender, when done.
- Cool potatoes 20-30 minutes until they are not too hot for you to handle.
- Remove sweet potato skins and mash the sweet potatoes pulp. I actually use a fork and mash them right in the measuring cup, I’m working with. You will need 3 1/2 to 4 cups of mashed pulp. Anything within that range will definitely work.
- Beat mashed sweet potatoes, sugar (granulated or brown sugar), butter, eggs, vanilla and milk until fully combined. Mixture will be smooth with a few small sweet potato lumps. (You could use a mixer to get it perfectly smooth, but I just use a spoon or whisk and it comes together beautifully in less than a minute.)-
- Pour the sweet potato mixture into a *9×13 baking dish or casserole dish (or individual ramekins).
- To make the Streusel Pecan Topping, combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans in a small bowl. Stir to be sure everything is combined and evenly distributed. Mixture will be crumbly.
- Evenly distribute the streusel topping over the sweet potato mixture.
- Bake at 350 for 30 – 35 minutes minutes.
Notes
Frozen sweet potatoes can be substituted for the fresh. Cook enough to make 3 1/2 to 4 cups of plain mashed sweet potato.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Side Dish, Vegetable
- Cuisine: American
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
This was such a hit at our house. All three kids loved it! Thanks again for the amazing recipe.
Anytime kids love a vegetable, count it as a win, right? lol So glad to hear you all enjoyed it, Wendy! Thanks for stopping by to let me know.
I loooove this dish and I’m so excited to share it with my family for Thanksgiving!
I’m excited for you, too, Jennifer! It’s fun to serve food you know people will love!
Thanks for a great recipe. This is similar to what my mother used to make and I had to try it. The casserole is super easy to make and went with our grilled pork chops. Loved the topping.
Ooooh! I’ll bet it was perfect with grilled pork chops! That sounds delicious, Jere. So glad you’re enjoying the recipe.
We thought this recipe was delish. I loved there weer just a few ingredients and it came together easily.
Thank you, Paula! I’m happy it was a hit!
The pecan topping on these sweet potatoes made me not want to share haha! It came out as such a delicious side dish, all the kiddos wanted to lick the serving spoon!
I can relate, Shelby! They have good taste. lol Glad you’re enjoying the recipe!
This is so easy to make and so delicious! Thanks for sharing this!
My pleasure, Cam! I’m happy you’re enjoying it!
We really enjoyed this casserole as a side to our chicken! It was the first time we had Sweet Potato Casserole without turkey and we loved it! The pecan topping was perfect.
Heidi, I’m excited to hear that you enjoyed it! It’s such a comforting fall and winter side dish!
This was the perfect sweet potato casserole! The sweetness was spot-on. Will definitely make again over the holidays! 🙂
I’m happy that the recipe is what you were looking for, Kris! I hope it serves you for years to come.
This topping is so delicious! I can’t wait to make this again when I have family visiting.
Thank you, Genevieve! And, oh yes, I love it, too!
This was so good! Thanks
You’re so welcome, Paula!
I will definitely try this!
Camille, it will be your Thanksgiving hit! Everyone will want the recipe. Enjoy!
I never used sweet potatoes to make a casserole. Sounds delicious. So buttery and sweet. I must give this a try.
Natalie, it was a first for me, too. Everyone raved and I have handed out the recipe more times than I can count.
These look amazing! My family will love this one.
Thank you! Enjoy!
Thank you, Lacy! I’m excited to make it for him, again, this year!
This stuff is the bomb! Eric’s favorite part of Thanksgiving!