Easy Sweet Potato Casserole - classic Thanksgiving holiday side dish made easy! The praline topping is irresistible!
This dish is perfect served with my Oven Roasted Turkey Breast and Hashbrown Casserole.
Sweet Potato Casserole is my favorite Thanksgiving ( and holiday in general, because I make it for Christmas too ) side dish. It's sweet, delicious and the praline pecan topping is amazing! For my marshmallow loving kids, I cover the top of this casserole with mini marshmallows and bake just until they are toasted. We never have leftovers from this dish!
This recipe makes the best and easiest Sweet Potato Casserole with the perfect texture and topping. It has been a family favorite for years!
Instructions:
The best sweet potato casserole has to have the right texture. It needs to melt in your mouth, be smooth and not watery or soggy. This dish cuts really easy and won't run all over your plate. Cut peeled sweet potatoes into large chunks and place in a large pot. Cover with water and cook until done. Drain really well. You can also cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot ( which is my favorite method ), just like I did in this recipe. Next, mash potatoes really well, until the texture is smooth. Let the potatoes cool for a little bit before adding the rest of the ingredients. Hot potatoes with scramble the eggs. Add butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs and mix well. Spread mixture in a buttered casserole dish, prepare the topping and sprinkle on top. Bake the dish and if desired, top with mini marshmallows and place under broiler or back into the hot oven to toast them.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Cook potatoes till soft, cool completely, then mix with remaining ingredients. Spread mixture in buttered dish and cover the dish with saran wrap. Store in the fridge. Wait to top it with the pecan brown sugar topping just before baking, for best results. You can store the topping mixture in a ziploc bag. After you take the casserole out of the fridge, let it sit in a room temperature for 30 minutes. If you take it from a cold fridge to a hot oven, the dish may shatter.
Preparing the potatoes:
The most common way to cook sweet potatoes for a casserole is to peel them, chop them and cook on a stovetop in a pot. Since I had my Instant Pot, I let it do the work and I have the stovetop free to make gravy or the cranberry sauce. You can also cook sweet potatoes baked style, scoop the flesh and mash for the casserole.
Reheating:
To reheat a sweet potato casserole, preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, to prevent the brown sugar pecan topping from burning, and bake for about 15 minutes.
Other Thanksgiving side dish recipes:
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Green Bean Casserole
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted cooled
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Butter 2 quart casserole dish. Set aside.
- Peel and dice sweet potatoes. Cook in a pot with water until soft.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Once potatoes are cooked, drain and mash. Add butter, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs. Mix well. Using a whisk helps. Spread potato mixture in prepared casserole dish. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, mix together sugar, flour, salt and nuts. Add melted butter and stir with a fork, until it forms crumbly dough.
- Sprinkle the topping over the mashed potatoes.
- Bake casserole for 25 minutes. If desired, add mini marshmallows. Place dish back in the oven and bake until the marshmallows are toasted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Cool before serving.
Dianne says
I have made it twice now and it is a real hit 👍 I think it will be a traditional casserole like mashed potatoes at our house😊 thank you for sharing 😊👍
Anna says
I am so glad the casserole was a hit! Thank you so much, Dianne!
Cece, L.A., CA says
Made this for Thanksgiving potluck and it was a smash. My cousin wants me to make it for Christmas potluck because she didn't have any leftovers and was sad. I bought pre cut sweet potatos at Trader Joe's which made it so much easier. It was delicious and easy to make especially with my instant pot. Thank you for the recipe.
Lea says
Can I make it 4 days ahead
Deb Hendrix says
This was excellent, our family devoured it in no time at all. Will definitely make this every year !!!!
Anna says
Perfect! Thank you so much, Deb!
Heather stenger says
I make this ever year and it’s the most popular item - everyone loves it!
Anna says
That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Heather!
Silvia says
OMG!! Thank you so much for this recipe! I have been using it for the past 4 years and every time is comes perfect!!! And of course I will make it for this Thanksgiving! 😊
I made it even in Italy, from where I am originally from, and EVERYBODY in my family loved it, even tho we do not have this type of dish in our traditional cuisine!
Thank you so so so much!!!
Anna says
Hi Silvia! Yay! That's absolutely wonderful! I am so glad the casserole is such a hit. Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing it!
Frank E says
To be clear - since the recipe could be misread- the brown sugar is used twice. In basic potato mix and again in the topping.
Mikayla says
If I make the recipe ahead and store in the fridge until the day I serve it, how long will it be good for?
Anna says
Hi Mikayla! You can prepare the casserole and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. I hope this helps!
Tina says
Question - I don't use my instapot much so how long do you cook the potatoes in it?
Thanks so much
Elaine says
I made this for a Christmas Party yesterday. There were 25 people so I used 10 pounds of sweet potatoes. That’s the recipe by 5 times.
Normally, I get annoyed when someone tries a recipe and then changes everything around. However, when reaching for the brown sugar, I realized I was out and didn’t have time to go to the store. That called for a 2 1/2 cups of brown sugar. Yikes! I panicked! Looked for a substitute. I ended up using 1 cup of dark corn syrup, 1 cup of sugar, and 1/2 cup of honey. Did not use the topping because the hostess is allergic to nuts.
I put everything in a 9x13 pan, but had to leave some out because the pan would have overflowed. Even with the changes, everyone loved it, and there was nothing left. Several have asked for the recipe. I’ll have to give them your version, and then my bastardized version. Thanks from everyone who was at the party!
Penny Moore says
This recipe sound amazing. My question is that I would like to use canned yams instead. How many cans of yams would equal 2 pounds of sweet potatoes? Thank you, Penny and happy holidays.
Joanna Ross says
Hi do you use 1 cup splitting into half of brown sugar or is it 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 regular sugar?
Anna says
Hi Joanna! You will need 1 cup of brown sugar total. Half for the potato mixture and the second half for the topping. I hope this helps!
Alicia says
I found this recipe a few years ago and tried it at Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! Every year I get asked to make this same dish and I have to double it now because its usually one of the first to get eaten all up and leaving my family wanting more! Thank you so much for sharing the best sweet potato casserole I've ever had!
Anna says
Best news! Thank you so much, Alicia! I am so glad you and your family enjoy this dish!
Erin says
If I wanted to double up and freeze a second batch, how well do you think it would keep and would you recommend cooking before freezing?
Lea Poirier says
How many cups of mashed sweet potatoes equal 2 pds
Kallo says
The recipe calls for 1/2 c brown sugar twice. Do I put half in and put the other half on top it doesn’t specify in the recipe.
Vicki says
That’s what I want to know too! Same with the butter. How much goes in the potatoes and hot much gets melted for the topping?
Beth says
The ingredients list for recipe should be broken down a bit better but for a seasoned cook, you use all ingredients down to vanilla with the sweet potato and the topping is the remaining ingredients.
Elena says
If I double or triple the recipe do I have the double the cooking time?
Anna says
Hi Elena! Cooking time stays the same.
Tammy50 says
When this was made in huge amounts in a nursing home, we always boiled the potatoes whole with skins on.
After removing from hot water, we’d put ice over the potatoes to cool.
Then we would peel the potatoes with our hands!
Sweet potatoes are very difficult to peel raw.
My sister makes this ALL the time! She bakes her potatoes in the microwave and then peels them!
Her casserole is EXPECTED at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners!
Hope this helps !!
Nicole says
If I’m cooking the sweet potatoes and adding the ingredients the day before would I put it in the fridge or freezer?
Anna says
Hi Nicole! I store it in the fridge. Hope this helps!
Britt Brewer says
SOOO yummy! Just made it for Christmas.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! Thank you so much, Britt!
Dawn M Fogle says
I made this for Christmas dinner, but omitted the topping. My family loved it!!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
That's awesome! Thank you so much, Dawn!
Alba Henao says
I made this sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving and everybody got crazy about it. now for Christmas my friends and family want it again,
Awesome!!!!!
Lawanda says
can I make ahead and freeze it and then just take out of the freeze and reheat it when I need to?
sue says
yes i do
Jocelyn says
That praline topping on this sweet potato casserole is amazing!!
Jennifer says
So yummy! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kimberly says
Sweet potato casserole perfection, SO good!
Aimee Shugarman says
This is our favorite sweet potato recipe!
Lori says
Perfect, easy sweet potato casserole recipe!
Pamela says
First time making a sweet potato recipe wow this was great, so easy and turned out perfectly Newbies need to have the as a staple
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! That's fantastic! Thank you so much, Pamela!
Elizabeth says
Love this recipe I make it in advance and put it in oven just before serving
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Perfect! Thank you so much, Elizabeth!
Lisa says
Fantastic! Family loved it at Thanksgiving! It’s a keeper!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
I am so happy that you love it! Thanks, Lisa!
Valerie H. says
I did it for thanksgiving and this was just perfect! Easy, tasty and crunchy with nuts !
Leslie says
I making this dish every Thanksgiving and Christmas and it’s a hit! It has become a new tradition in our household and is great to prepare the night before.
Kathy says
Looks Amazing! Will give this a go next week. Thank you!!
Jackie says
Hi there, this looks delicious and simple yet I feel like there’s steps missing! There’s no temp for initial baking. Or what goes into mixing for the topping. Is there a list I’m not seeing? Thank you!!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Jackie! Please, click the red button "Jump to Recipe" for printable full version of the recipe. Thank you!
Melissa says
Does 1/2 tsp of salt go in the mixture and the topping? Or is it slit 1/4 in each?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Melissa! Yes, it should be divided and 1/4 teaspoon added to potatoes and 1/4 tsp to the topping mixture. I will specify that. Thank you!
Julene says
Can I bake it ahead and add toppings the day I serve it or should I wait and bake it all the day of?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Julene! It should be fine but I would still recommend keeping the ready topping separate and sprinkling it over the potato mixture just before baking. I hope this helps!
Sylvia M. says
Has this dish been tried using yams instead of sweet potatoes? (Also, is the brown sugar added to the mashed potatoes or mixed with the flour/nut mixture)?
Barb Tomaro says
Sylvia, I was thinking the same thing about the yams ( canned).
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Sylvia! You need to add 1/2 cup of brown sugar to the potatoes and 1/2 cup of brown sugar to the topping mixture. Sorry if that was not clear. I did not test this recipe using yams. If you are using canned, they will already be sweet and that might cancel out the addition of brown sugar. Let me know what you decide! Thank you!
Theresa says
I made this aand it was great, everyone loved it
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! Thank you, Theresa!
Amy says
Can I make ahead and refrigerate then do the initial 350f bake with topping day of?
Janie says
I always make it ahead putting the potato mixture in the casserole dish & the topping ready in a ziplock bag. I have also frozen with great success.
Andrea says
I absolutely love pecan topping on sweet potato casserole! Trying this soon!