Published November 10, 2023.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious sweet potato casserole recipe is the perfect side dish, topped with a pecan and marshmallow streusel. You will love the fantastic flavor combination in this casserole.
Sweet potato casserole is one of my all-time favorite side dishes to serve up and eat for Thanksgiving or Christmas.If you love it like I do, you must try my Potatoes au Gratin or Parmesan Garlic Potatoes.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potato casserole is a baked dish with mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar and butter served with a crumb topping. My version comes with a pecan streusel tossed with mini marshmallows, making it a sweet, salty, and savory side dish.
I believe sweet potato casserole can be whatever you want, a dessert or a side dish.I prefer it as a side dish because, with all of the salty, savory dishes served over the holidays, this is a great sweet side dish additive to your dinner table spread.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes – You can use any breed of sweet potatoes for this recipe. You can also use yams.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking to control the sodium content and not a butter company.
- Sugar – This sweet potato casserole will need some light brown sugar. You can substitute it with dark brown sugar or regular granulated sugar.
- Spices – I use ground cinnamon with the mashed sweet potatoes. You can also add a 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg if desired.
- Eggs – Large eggs that are chilled or at room temperature are perfect.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is used for the pecan streusel.
- Nuts – I used pecans in the topping, but walnuts will also work well.
- Marshmallows – There are some mini marshmallows mixed in with the streusel topping. You can make this optional, with it still being exceptionally delicious.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Rinse the sweet potatoes using a colander.
Place them on a cookie sheet tray with parchment paper or foil and bake in the oven at 375° for 60 minutes.The parchment paper or foil will make clean-up easy because the sweet potatoes secrete their sticky insides.
Remove them and pull the outside peelings off, discard them, and place the insides of the sweet potatoes into a large bowl. I suggest using gloves or a towel because the sweet potatoes will be hot.
Using a hand masher, mash the sweet potatoes with salt, pepper, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and eggs until thoroughly mixed and mashed.
Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to a non-stick sprayed 13×9 casserole dish. In a large bowl, cut some unsalted butter with a pastry knife or fork into brown sugar, flour, and roughly chopped pecans until the butter is about the size of rice.
Next, add the mini marshmallows, fold them into the mix until they are incorporated, and set them aside until they are ready to use on top of the sweet potato casserole.
Evenly sprinkle on the pecan and marshmallow streusel, completely covering the mashed sweet potatoes.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the streusel is cooked and the marshmallows are browned. Serve immediately!
Make Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead – You can make these up to 2 days ahead by following these instructions. Bake, peel, and mash them in a bowl with eggs, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to a casserole dish, top off with the streusel, then chill it in the refrigerator. For the day the sweet potato casserole is served, pull it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and then bake at 375° for 30 to 35 minutes.
Storing and Freezing: The casserole can be stored in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen and covered for up to 2 months. Thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before cooking and serving.
How to Reheat: To reheat the sweet potato casserole, add your desired portion to a casserole dish or pan, cover it, and heat it in the oven at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until hot. In addition, you can add them to the microwave and heat them until hot.
CHEF NOTES + TIPS
- I used a smaller 10×5 casserole dish because I wanted the layer of sweet potatoes to be thicker.
- This dish will hold for up to 1 hour, covered in foil, and kept in the oven at low temperatures (200°>).
- When making the streusel, you could do it in a food processor if you want to save some time or don’t have a pastry knife.
- This sweet potato casserole is sweet enough to be a dessert, so you may want to try it or make my sweet potato pie recipe.
More Potato Recipes
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Smashed Potatoes
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
Save
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
5 from 25 votes
This delicious sweet potato casserole recipe is the perfect side dish, topped with a pecan and marshmallow streusel.
Servings: 10
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 6 medium to large-size sweet potatoes
- 2 large eggs
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Streusel :
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Add the potatoes to a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper or foil and bake in the oven at 375° for 60-70 minutes or until tender.
Remove the potatoes pull the skin off and discard. Add the cooked insides to a large bowl.
Add the eggs, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mash with a hand masher or electric hand beater until smooth.
Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to a 13×9 casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, cut together the flour, brown sugar, pecans, and butter until the butter is the size of rice.
Fold in the marshmallows and then evenly sprinkle the streusel over the mashed sweet potatoes, completely covering them.
Bake in the oven at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until the marshmallows are browned. Serve.
Notes
Make-Ahead – You can make these up to 2 days ahead by following these instructions. Bake, peel, and mash them in a bowl with eggs, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to a casserole dish, top off with the streusel, then chill it in the refrigerator. For the day the sweet potato casserole is served, pull it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and then bake at 375° for 30 to 35 minutes.
Storing and Freezing: The casserole can be stored in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen and covered for up to 2 months. Thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before cooking and serving.
How to Reheat: To reheat the sweet potato casserole, add your desired portion to a casserole dish or pan, cover it, and heat it in the oven at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until hot. In addition, you can add them to the microwave and heat them until hot.
I used a smaller 10×5 casserole dish because I wanted the layer of sweet potatoes to be thicker.
This dish will hold for up to 1 hour, covered in foil, and kept in the oven at low temperatures (200°>).
When making the streusel, you could do it in a food processor if you want to save some time or don’t have a pastry knife.
This sweet potato casserole is sweet enough to be a dessert, so you may want to try it or make my sweet potato pie recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 64mgPotassium: 329mgFiber: 3gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 11113IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 1mg
Course: american
Cuisine: side dish
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
Elevate Your Every Day Cooking
Get Chef Billy’s go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant” plus weekly newsletter!
Add a comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
43 comments
- Becky Grissom
I make this every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s the best !!!! Everyone loves it!!!
- Reply
- Donna Krumm
It was a hit at our Thanksgiving dinner and requested for Christmas. Definitely a keeper. 👍👍👍👍👍
- Reply
- Char
I have made this twice nd it was a hit each time. Easily explained recipe and perfect every time. Thanks Chef!
- Reply
- Amy
The best Sweet Potato Recipe and so easy to make. I made mine a day ahead, didn’t add the marshmallows until the last ten minutes. My daughter said “yum” after every bite and my southern son-in-law said it was perfection!! I’ll be making this for every holiday.
- Reply
- Tommy
You saved the day. I’ve always loved this dish but didn’t think my wife would. I sent her this recipe and she made it for Christmas dinner. We both really enjoyed it. The topping is what knocked it out of the park. I added some more marshmallows just as a personal preference to my serving.
- Reply
- Jessica Casteel
I make this every year now for Thanksgiving, and whenever I’m in the mood. Always a hit. So delicious and foolproof!
- Reply
- Kathy Boyd
I made this for Thanksgiving. It was a smash with the sweet potato lovers. Just the right amount of sweetness. This is my new holiday sweet potato dish.
- Reply
- Kathy Boyd
I made this for Thanksgiving. It was a big hit. Just the right amount of sweetness. This is my new holiday sweet potato dish.
- Reply
- Bob
Made it for Thanksgiving huge hit. Easy to follow recipe.
- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Evelyn DeMartini
I made this sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving although I left off the marshmallows. They were delicious. The topping adds sweetness and crunch that takes them over the top. I have found the perfect sweet potato casserole recipe!! Thank you Billy
- Reply
- Llli
Form now ón this Will be my family side dish every christmas dinner. Everybody liked very much. Thanks
- Reply
- Kara Raynaud
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving! It’s a keeper for sure. It’s pairs perfect with the mashed potatoes!
- Reply
- sue
Thank you CHEF BILLY tasty reciepy 😊😋🤩👏👋
- Reply
- Jean
Used the streusel topping for my baked orangey yams. WOW!! Going to make a sweet potato pie with the topping.
- Reply
- Karen
Want to try this. What do the eggs do? Is this a nessasary step for this recipe? I always used cubed potatoes but similar to what you top it with.
- Reply
- sue 😁
Thank you ChefBilly wonderful recipe 👋😁😋🤩
- Reply
- Charlene P
If you don’t have a pastry knife, use 2 butter knives.
- Reply
- Donna A Pollock
WOW!! This looks delicious…. I have never made my Sweet Potatoes like this before.
can’t wait to try this recipe…- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
appreciate you trying this!
- Reply
- Anna
This is the recipe I have been looking for.
I had one similar but lost it.
Thank you so much for posting it so I will have it in time for next week’s Thanksgiving dinner.
I love all of your recipe’s!- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
appreciate you trying this!
- Reply
- Susan
Didn’t make it yet, but it is on my list to make for thanksgiving!
It looks amazing……definitely a step up from mine.- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
thank you!
- Reply
- Lydia Lentner
Seriously AMAZING! I was asked to bring a sweet potato casserole this past thanksgiving (this and all recipes are my favorite go to cooking sites) so I was excited when I found it on here. while I was never been too huge on sweet potato casserole growing up I had to try it again and it did absolutely not disappoint! I got multiple compliments and I enjoyed it as well, the only disappointment is that there were no leftovers for later😂
- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Lyn
I tried this with 2 medium butternut squash and it turned out scrumptious.
- Reply
- Crystal
This is so delicious!! My uncle makes this recipe every Thanksgiving and I LOVE it. I wasn’t going to eat Thanksgiving with him this year but I wasn’t about to miss out on this dish so he gave me this recipe. The recipe was easy to follow and I plan on making this even when it’s not Thanksgiving!
- Reply
- Shadrack
This is going to be one of my favorite recipe
- Reply
It’s really good.
- Reply
- Ann Janus
It was so nice to meet you and your family this summer, Billy. I look forward to trying your wonderful recipes.
- Reply
- Anna
This is my favorite Thanksgiving side dish! Absolute perfection!
- Reply
- Kristyn
One of the best at the holidays!! This has become a favorite of mine. It’s creamy & crunchy & so, so good!
- Reply
Seriously so good!
- Reply
- Lauren Kelly
I am drooling over here. This looks just like my grandma’s! YUM!
- Reply
Thank you for the kind words!
- Reply
- Toni
This is such an amazing addition to our Thanksgiving menu!
- Reply
So good!
- Reply
- Erin
My mom used to make this with canned yams as a kid – this version is SOOO much better!
- Reply
Fresh is the way to go!
- Reply
- Joanie
Your version of a sweet potato casserole has quickly become my new favorite. The streusel topping is a fantastic addition. It will be on my Thanksgiving menu and I can see it being a recipe I make throughout the year too.
- Reply
Thank you!!
- Reply
