An easy sweet potato casserole recipe with a perfectly crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel topping that's undergone many rounds of testing to ensure the flavor and consistency are spot on.
This recipe is loaded with all the tips and information you need to cook up a rich and decadent sweet potato filling and crunchy pecan topping on your first attempt.
Plus, if you've got a few leftover sweet potatoes on hand after rustling up this holiday season favorite you can make 3-ingredient Sweet Potato Gnocchi or Thai Red Curry with Sweet Potato.
The post contains additional information and helpful tips to ensure the recipe turns out great the first time. Please use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end if you are in a hurry!
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4 reasons why you'll love this recipe:
- Made with just 10 everyday ingredients you can find at your local grocery store.
- Perfect side dish for your holiday table.
- Make ahead friendly. Get it prepped and ready for baking on Thanksgiving day.
- Crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel topping. A healthy alternative to marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole yet still sweet, decadent, and indulgent.
🛒 Key ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes: We've tested this recipe with Beauregard sweet potatoes, and they're the perfect choice for a casserole. They bring that sweet, creamy goodness, and you can easily find them at most grocery stores.
- Beaten egg: Binds, adds moisture and a little extra richness.
- Brown sugar: Offers a richer and more caramel sweetness than white sugar.
- Milk: To make the casserole all creamy, moist, and smooth.
- Pecan crumble topping: Made with all-purpose flour, butter, brown sugar and pecans.
Substitutions and variations:
Note that the recipe has not been tested with all the substitutions and variations below, so the results cannot be guaranteed.
- Dairy-free or vegan sweet potato casserole using plant-based milk, butter, and egg.
- Maple. Switch the brown sugar for maple syrup.
- Nut-free with a plain streusel topping.
- Individual casseroles: Made in ramekins.
- Add mini marshmallows to the topping.
- With walnuts instead of pecans.
🧑🍳 Recipe steps
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions! *
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the sweet potatoes until fork tender.
Step 2: In a medium bowl rub the butter and flour together and mix in the sugar and pecans to form the streusel topping.
Step 3: Place cooked sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Mash them using a potato masher or a fork until they are smooth.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, mix the beaten egg, sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla with a spoon or hand mixer.
Step 5: Pour the egg mixture into the mashed potatoes and stir until everything is thoroughly combined.
Step 6: Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a casserole dish, spreading it out into an even layer.
Step 7: Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
Step 8: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the pecans are golden brown and lightly toasted.
🍽️ Serving suggestions
Traditionally, sweet potato casserole is served as a side dish, during holiday meals like Christmas and Thanksgiving Dinner with mains of roast turkey or ham and sides like green bean casserole, macaroni cheese with crispy panko and cornbread.
That said, with the sweetness of the filling and crunchy pecan topping sweet potato casserole also makes a great dessert.
Expert Tips
- Cook the sweet potatoes until fork tender to get perfectly soft mashed potato.
- Get hands-on with the streusel topping – it's a bit messier than using a spoon, but it ensures that all the ingredients are thoroughly blended together.
- Cover the casserole with foil when you bake it to prevent the pecans from burning.
🙋 Recipe FAQs
Cooked sweet potato casserole tastes great the next day and can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated using the oven or microwave. To make ahead the best thing to do is prepare the sweet potato filling and topping and store them separately until you are ready to bake and assemble the casserole.
Eggs are a common ingredient in a classic sweet potato casserole used to add structure and help bind the ingredients.
It is possible to substitute egg with ingredients like yogurt, buttermilk, and egg replacer. That said, I have not tested egg-free variants of the recipe and recommend following a specific egg-free casserole recipe like Jenna Urben's Dairy Free Sweet Potato Casserole.
Canned sweet potatoes are a convenient option, and can be used in this recipe. They can have extra ingredients like syrup and sugar as well as a softer texture so you may need to adjust the ingredients in the filling.
Also, note that the recipe has not been tested with canned sweet potatoes and that the results cannot be guaranteed.
Yes, peeling the sweet potatoes is necessary to get a smooth and creamy texture. The skins are tough and don't blend well.
😋 More sweet potato recipes
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📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Casserole (Without Marshmallows)
Ingredients
- 4 medium (1.4 lb) sweet potatoes (Note 1)
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- salt (taste)
Topping
- ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) butter
- 3 tablespoon (36 g) brown sugar
- ¾ cup pecans (Note 2)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a baking dish. A 9x9 inch (23x23 cm) dish should work well for this recipe.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into even sized pieces, then place them in a large pot. Cover them with water and bring to boil.
- Cook the sweet potatoes for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are fork-tender. Drain and let them cool for a few minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, you can prepare the topping. In a small bowl, rub the butter and flour together with your hands until you get a crumbly but chunky consistency.
- Mix in the sugar and pecans and set aside.
- Place the cooked sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Mash them using a potato masher or a fork until they are smooth.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then add the sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine.
- Pour the egg mixture into the mashed sweet potatoes and stir until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Transfer the sweet potato mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.
- Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potato mixture.
- Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes until the casserole is heated through, and the pecans are lightly toasted.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Sweet potatoes: We've tested this recipe with Beauregard sweet potatoes, and they're the perfect choice for a casserole. They bring that sweet, creamy goodness, and you can easily find them at most grocery stores.
- Pecans: Can be substituted with walnuts.
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