This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping recipe will be a great addition to your Thanksgiving table! It is also the perfect side dish to any meal, any time of the year.
Original post: June 2018 | Updated: November 2020
Why This Recipe Works
Sweet Potato Casserole is one of those classic dishes that originates in the Midwest but is enjoyed by people in every region. It is SO easy to make and it is SO delicious.
This dish is typically made for Thanksgiving dinner, but goes great with any holiday or any-day meal. How can you go wrong with buttery, sugary sweet potatoes topped with crunchy pecans and gooey marshmallows?
It’s a sweet potato lover’s dream come true! The prep for this recipe is minimal, cook time is short and you can easily prep it ahead of time and bake just before serving.
How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Step 1
Boil 5 peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large saucepan for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Drain the cooked sweet potatoes and mash them using a potato masher or hand mixer.
If you use a hand mixer, be sure not to over-mix or the potatoes will become gluey. Add the eggs, 1/4 cup butter, milk, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar.
Mix well and spread the mixture in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
Step 3
Combine pecans, butter, flour and brown sugar in a large bowl and mix well.
Spread the pecan topping over the sweet potato layer.
STEP 4
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
Add mini marshmallows in an even layer 5 minutes before time is up.
Recipe Notes
- This sweet potato casserole with marshmallows recipe calls for 1 cup of brown sugar total, but replace some or all of it with maple syrup, honey or agave nectar, if desired.
- To make this recipe nut-free, replace the pecans with crushed pretzels! Or just go with a crumble topping, including the brown sugar flour mixture and topping with the butter.
- Some of my readers are not fans of the marshmallows on top (it might be a Minnesota thing?), so feel free to omit, if desired.
- Replace the fresh sweet potatoes with canned, if desired, but fresh is always best!
What To Serve With Sweet Potatoes
In need of ideas about what to serve alongside this tasty orange food? Check out this roundup of 20 delicious ideas: what to serve with sweet potatoes.
Can I Make This Dish In Advance
Yes! That is one of the things I love about this recipe. Prep Sweet Potato Casserole up to 2 days before baking, but leave the marshmallows off when you get to that part in the baking process.
This will save you 30 minutes, which is valuable time, especially if you are making this side dish on a holiday!
How To Freeze Sweet Potato Casserole
You can absolutely freeze sweet potato casserole! Layer the baking dish as directed, minus marshmallows. Seal tightly and store in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
When ready to bake, allow to thaw completely (preferably overnight in the fridge) and bake as directed.
Sweet Potatoes vs Yams
I was confused for so many years after cutting into a sweet potato only to find white flesh. Was it really a sweet potato or was it a yam? It is rare to find an actual yam in a U.S. grocery store. What you are seeing when you go to the store are two varieties of sweet potatoes. Crazy, right?!
“Yams” at the store are actually sweet potatoes with brown skin and dark orange flesh. “Sweet potatoes” at the store are sweet potatoes with lighter skin and also lighter flesh.
This variety is more firm in texture and not as fluffy when cooked. When you purchase sweet potatoes for this dish, you will want to purchase the “yam” variety! No more potato confusion, phew!
FAQ About Sweet Potatoes
You can tell when sweet potatoes are past their prime when they are mushy when squeezed. Blotchy patches may appear on the skin, as well as wrinkles.
Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients and vitamins. They are high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C and magnesium. They are also low in calories and can contribute to having a healthy gut!
Sweet potatoes do not contain gluten, making them a safe food to eat on a gluten-free diet.
Cooked sweet potatoes are actually very gentle on digestive systems and they contain a lot of nutrients, making them safe for your pups to consume.
For best results, either partly or fully cook sweet potatoes before freezing. They will last in the freezer for up to 12 months when package well.
There are approximately 25 g of carbohydrates in a 5-inch long sweet potato, making them about 10 g less than a regular potato of the same size.
There are approximately 110 calories in a 5-inch long sweet potato, making them about 50 calories less than a regular potato of the same size.
Sweet Potato Recipes
If you can’t get enough of the tuberous root vegetable, check out these delicious recipes:
- Perfect Baked Potatoes
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Healthy Lunch Bowl with Sweet Potatoes
- Baked Potato Chips
Mac and Cheese Recipes for Thanksgiving – 13 Delicious Ideas!
Mac and cheese is a Thanksgiving staple! Read on for some scrumptious mac and cheese recipes for Thanksgiving that you can make this year! You’ll find a ton of options to choose from in this roundup.
Thanksgiving Recipes
- My Mom’s Mashed Potatoes recipe is the BEST and goes great with any main dish, any time of year. You’ll never need another mashed potato recipe again!
- Done in just 30 minutes with a delicious glaze that everyone will love, Instant Pot ham recipe makes dinner or your next holiday meal easy!
- This is the best hash brown casserole recipe and it only requires 4 ingredients, 1 dish and 1 hour in the oven. Great for breakfast or a dinner side!
- Caramel Pecan Bars are a delicious replacement for pecan pie. These bars are packed with caramel and pecans and are easier than pie to make so you can get to enjoying them quicker!
- This Crockpot Mac and Cheese recipe is creamy and cheesy and just plain DELICIOUS. This comfort food comes together quickly and easily.
- Tater Tot Hotdish is the perfect holiday comfort food. Whether it’s the main dish or a side, everyone at the table will be satisfied.
- If you want to have low carb options available, try this Cauliflower Stuffing recipe! It’s an easy, healthy side dish for your next holiday meal and it is low carb, gluten free and delicious!
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Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping Recipe
Ingredients
Filling
- 5 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter melted (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 5 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
Make The Filling
- Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add sweet potato chunks and boil for 20 minutes, or until a fork easily goes through the centers of the potatoes. Drain and mash. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9×13 pan with cooking spray; set aside.
- Add the eggs, 1/2 cup butter, milk, 1/2 cup brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice to the mashed potatoes. Mix well and pour into prepared baking dish, spreading into an even layer.
Make The Topping
- In a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 cup brown sugar, flour, pecans and 1/4 cup melted butter. Mix and pour evenly over sweet potatoes. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, adding the marshmallows for the last five minutes of baking. Serve warm!
Notes
- This sweet potato casserole with marshmallows recipe calls for 1 cup of brown sugar total, but replace some or all of it with maple syrup, honey or agave nectar, if desired.
- To make this recipe nut-free, replace the pecans with crushed pretzels! Or just go with a crumble topping, including the brown sugar flour mixture and topping with the butter.
- Some of my readers are not fans of the marshmallows on top (it might be a Minnesota thing?), so feel free to omit, if desired.
- Replace the fresh sweet potatoes with canned, if desired, but fresh is always best!
Amazing, love the nuts on this one.
I love this recipe and the whole family loves it. I make this every holiday and never have left overs. Thanks for sharing this recipe it is our tradition to make this every holiday for the past few years
So glad to hear it’s been enjoyed!
If I am making this the day before, do I actually cook it in the over, minus the marshmallows? Or do I boil them, mash them, add the ingredients till the topping part put in fridge and then add topping cook in oven and then add marshmallows.
Also if I am reheating it tomorrow how long does that take?
Hi Kristen,
I have prepped this dish up to two days in advance and then seal it tightly in the fridge. Pull it out and add your marshmallows to the top, then bake. You’ll follow the baking instructions as printed – oven at 350 for 25 minutes.
OMG! I had never had sweet potato pie/casserole before this year. I hate sweet potatoes, but it was made by a friend for thanksgiving, so I thought I should try it. This is sooooo good!! It will be a staple at thanksgiving every year now. Thank you!!
Yes! This casserole is different from your other basic sweet potato recipes so I’m glad you gave it a try. Thanks for sharing!
This was absolutely delicious! I didn’t have any problems with the recipe. I used canned yams (5), and used walnuts since I didn’t have pecans. I also put marshmallows on top. Because I am a diabetic, I used Splenda brown sugar and it tasted sooo good. I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone.
Those sound like excellent tweaks to the recipe and that’s why I love cooking/baking. Thank you for sharing!