This homemade sweet potato casserole is the ideal side dish for all of my sweet potato lovers! Roasted sweet potatoes, rich brown sugar, cozy spices, and a hint of fragrance abound. This classic side dish that is a Christmas favorite is made even more delicious with the addition of a pecan streusel topping for texture and crunch.
The sweet potato is the greatest potato on the earth. That’s my personal view, anyhow. This website is devoted to my favorite potato and has a ton of recipes that are inspired by sweet potatoes. I’m happy to offer my go-to recipe for sweet potato casserole, which is a desired Christmas favorite.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Yes, all of you. This casserole dish made with mashed sweet potatoes is bursting with flavor and sweetness—it’s the ideal combination of richness and sweetness. A hint of cinnamon adds coziness, while the flavors of maple and vanilla provide a beautiful fragrance. The pecan topping adds the most delicious crunch! You’ll love this homemade sweet potato casserole since it’s so swoon-worthy and so simple to create!
This sweet potato casserole, in contrast to candied yams, is made entirely with baked sweet potatoes that have been mashed and mixed with a few other ingredients to give it more taste and depth. It resembles mashed potatoes but with more sweetness and richness! Sweet potato casserole is another favorite American South classic, much like candied yams. While sweet potatoes taste well in savory meals, they really shine when utilized in dessert preparations! 👌🏽
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Highlights
- EASY & SIMPLE: That’s true, all you need to make this famous side dish is a few ingredients. It’s also quite simple to make. Three key steps are as follows: Toasted everything by baking the sweet potatoes, combining all the ingredients, and baking again. Easily of the simplest sides ever.
- BEST CHOICE FOR HOLIDAYS & VERSATILE: It is well knowledge that sweet potato casserole is a staple dish served during Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Indeed, although it’s a well-known treat to savor during these particular festivals, this dish is also delicious for Sunday supper. These holiday-specific dishes may also be prepared and consumed on any ordinary day, which always makes me chuckle, ha.
- AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS: This rich and sugary sweet potato dish is just right without being too sweet. This meal has a pleasant richness and depth of taste. Everyone will like the warmth and soothing sweetness it provides!
Ingredients Needed For This Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe:
- Sweet potatoes: The boss of the group! I use around five pounds of candy p!
- Brown sugar: Nothing compares to its deep molasses flavor.
- Butter: Brings on some taste and richness, get your butter ready 😈
- Cinnamon: This recipe’s warmth and spice are so delicious, mmmm.
- Heavy cream: A tiny bit of chef’s kiss for richness and texture.
- Vanilla extract: Known for its wonderful scent properties.
- Taste/extract of maple: I adore the additional maple note for added depth; it’s quite pleasant.
- & for the pecan topping: flour, rolled oats, butter, brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamonThis meal is finished with the ideal bite and crunch provided by the delicious pecan topping!
How To Make This Recipe- Part I:
- Turn the oven on to 425°F. Place all of the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and cover them securely with foil.
- Sweet potatoes should be baked for one hour, or until they are soft. After that, take the potatoes out of the oven (do not turn off the oven) and lay them aside to cool completely. The oven should be heated to 350°F.
- When the potatoes are cooked, remove the skin and throw it away. To mix with a handheld electric mixer, place the flesh in a big bowl, the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or the body of a food processor. Don’t overprocess or overmix the sweet potatoes; simply process them until they are slightly mashed. To ensure that the roasted sweet potatoes are free of any stringy fibers, this step is a wise precaution.
- Empty the mashed sweet potatoes into a big bowl if using a food processor. Next, mix in the cream, cinnamon, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and maple flavor or essence. Once the ingredients are fully blended and silky smooth, fold them into the mashed sweet potatoes with a rubber spatula, or stir them again. Put away.
How To Make This Recipe- Part II:
- Coat a sizable baking dish that is safe to use in the oven with cooking spray. After pouring the sweet potato filling into the baking dish, spread it out with a spoon until it fills the dish from edge to edge.
- To make the pecan topping, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, rolled oats, flour, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. To thoroughly mix the pecan topping, use a fork or your fingers. Next, distribute the topping equally over the filling of sweet potatoes.
- For about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden and gently toasted with bubbling edges, bake the sweet potato casserole.
- Serve this dish of sweet potatoes with your preferred main course. Have fun!
Why Bake Sweet Potatoes Instead Of Boil?
Superb query! Sweet potatoes can acquire additional flavor when cooking by baking or roasting them. The sweet potato flesh becomes even richer as the sugars dissolve and caramelize. For this mashed sweet potato dish, you guys should definitely roast your sweet potatoes in the oven! 😮💨
Can I Add Marshmallows To This?
True, hehe! You are welcome to add marshmallows on the top of the dish if you enjoy marshmallows on your mashed sweet potato casserole. The micro marshmallows should be sprinkled on top after step 7 in the recipe card below, and they should be roasted for 30 to 1 minute, or until they are gently toasted. As an alternative, you may top the dish with the little marshmallows and softly toast them with a portable torch after baking. Haha! Which side are you on—team yeah yes marshmallows on your sweet potatoes 👍🏾 or team no marshmallows 🚫? Ha, it’s such a trending issue. LOL!
Make-Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole
It’s true that cooking days dedicated to particular holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter, may be rather busy. This dish is perfect for preparing or creating ahead of time, saving a ton of time and valuable oven space! Just adhere to steps 1-6 on the recipe card. After completing step 6, place a tight foil lid over the sweet potato casserole dish. It keeps for up to two days if you put it in the refrigerator. To bring the casserole to room temperature, leave it out on the counter. Then, to complete the dish as instructed, proceed with steps 7-8.
Storing Leftover Sweet Potato Casserole
Make sure the leftovers have cooled to room temperature before putting them in the refrigerator. The remaining amount may be refrigerated for up to 4-5 days by transferring it into an airtight container. Reheat the dish in the microwave until it is thoroughly heated.
Freezing unbaked casserole: Prepare the sweet potato casserole according to the recipe (except for the topping); do not bake it. Prepare the pecan topping and place it in a different container so that the two components freeze in isolation. You may store the casserole in the freezer for up to two months if you cover it securely with foil (I’d even stack it twice for safety). After letting it thaw in the refrigerator for at least two hours, remove from the fridge and allow it come to room temperature. Then combine and bake according to the recipe until well heated.
More Delicious Recipes You Might Like
- Decadent Beef Shank Osso Buco
- Lemon Chicken Meatball Soup
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Bacon and Thyme
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast Beef Stroganoff
Southern Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Ingredients
For the sweet potato filling:
- 5 lbs sweet potatoes about 6 medium-sized potatoes
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup 1 stick salted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon maple flavor/extract
For the pecan topping:
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup 1 stick butter, melted
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place all of the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and cover them securely with foil.
- Sweet potatoes should be baked for one hour, or until they are soft. After that, take the potatoes out of the oven (do not turn off the oven) and lay them aside to cool completely. The oven should be heated to 350°F.
- When the potatoes are cooked, remove the skin and throw it away. To mix with a handheld electric mixer, place the flesh in a big bowl, the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or the body of a food processor. Don’t overprocess or overmix the sweet potatoes; simply process them until they are slightly mashed. To ensure that the roasted sweet potatoes are free of any stringy fibers, this step is a wise precaution.
- Empty the mashed sweet potatoes into a big bowl if using a food processor. Next, mix in the cream, cinnamon, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and maple flavor or essence. Once the ingredients are fully blended and silky smooth, fold them into the mashed sweet potatoes with a rubber spatula, or stir them again. Put away.
- Coat a sizable baking dish that is safe to use in the oven with cooking spray. After pouring the sweet potato filling into the baking dish, spread it out with a spoon until it fills the dish from edge to edge.
- To make the pecan topping, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, rolled oats, flour, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Using a fork or your fingers (with disposable gloves on, if preferred), thoroughly mix the pecan topping. Next, distribute the topping equally over the filling of sweet potatoes.
- For about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden and gently toasted with bubbling edges, bake the sweet potato casserole.
- Serve this casserole with your preferred main course; it tastes great with heavy mains like roasted chicken, glazed ham, or smothered turkey wings. Have fun!
Notes
- Needs to avoid gluten? Replace the all-purpose flour with any gluten-free flour in a 1:1 ratio (Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour is our favorite!).
- Could I top this with marshmallows? True, hehe! You certainly can add marshmallows to the meal if you’re a fan of marshmallows on mashed sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the micro marshmallows on top after following step 7 on the recipe card, and broil for 30 to 1 minute, or until the marshmallows are gently browned. As an alternative, you may top the dish with the little marshmallows and softly toast them with a portable torch after baking. Haha!
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.