Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (2024)

HomeRecipe ListSide DishesSweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Posted by Aimee 186 comments
Published: Oct 14, 2023 Last Updated: Oct 14, 2023

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

In my family, the Best Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is one that’s served up sweet and salty with a delicious, crunchy streusel topping! You’ll love this mashed sweet potato recipe and the nutty brown sugar crunch on top!

For more holiday side dishes, don’t forget the Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole, and of course Pistachio Salad!

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (1)

Why this Recipe is Best

Every family has traditions, and in most cases, you can’t shake things up. Ever.

For instance, Thanksgiving. You are either a plain sweet potato or a mini marshmallows topped sweet potato family. There is no middle ground. (of course you could also love candied sweet potatoes)

For years, my family was divided. Depending on who hosted Thanksgiving dinner, we either were served gooey, sweet marshmallow sweet potato casserole….or a sweet potato casserole with a little butter and brown sugar.

Those were the only choices. Until now.

Now I host Thanksgiving myself, and it’s my turn to determine how I want to serve my sweet potatoes. And while I love marshmallow topped, and brown sugar…today’s streusel topped sweet potato casserole are hands down, my favorite.

If you’ve ever been to a Ruth’s Chris restaurant you’ll recognize these potatoes!

  • Sweet and creamy mashed sweet potatoes.
  • Topped with a brown sugar crumble with a crunch for salty pecans.
  • One of the best things about these sweet potatoes is that you can have them prepped ahead of time so that you only need to bake them on Thanksgiving.

Ingredient Notes

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (2)
  • Sweet Potatoes. Choose fresh sweet potatoes that have no root growing off of them.
  • Sugars. You’ll want sugar for the mashed sweet potato and brown sugar for the pecan topping.
  • Vanilla extract. These candied potatoes are almost like a dessert. Using real vanilla extract (or try my homemade vanilla extract) gives even more flavor.
  • Eggs. Helps the casserole fluff up to a delicious texture.
  • Unsalted butter. If using salted butter, omit the extra kosher salt in the recipe.

Easy Instructions

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (3)

Start by cooking your sweet potatoes.

  • Bake. You can bake them in the oven (my preferred method), at 400 degrees F for an hour.
  • Stove Top. Or you can peel and boil potatoes in a large pot of water (for about half an hour).
  • Microwave. The third way would be to poke them with a fork and microwave the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes.
  • Instant Pot. OR you can pop them in the Instant Pot! Cook them tender by using my Instant Pot Sweet Potato recipe!

Mash the sweet potatoes.

Once your potatoes are cooked, combine them in a large bowl with the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, and melted butter. Using a mixer, beat them for about 4-5 minutes until fluffy and smooth.

Bake. Pour this into a 2 qt casserole dish and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes.

Make the topping. While the potatoes are baking, make your streusel topping. Combine brown sugar with flour, chopped pecans, and melted butter. Stir together with a fork and set aside.

Once your sweet potatoes have cooked, top with streusel (and extra pecans on top if desired) and return to the oven to bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Making ahead of time

There is nothing worse than trying to figure out what goes in the oven, and when. Fortunately, this sweet potato casserole gets it’s “BEST” rating because of the flexibility.

Here are THREE options on how to make today’s sweet potato casserole recipe:

  1. First, you could bake as written above, if oven space is not an issue.
  2. Or, you could bake the 25 minutes, top with the streusel and refrigerate until the next day. Then you would only need to pop it back into the oven for about 20 minutes.
  3. You could also bake it as directed for entirety and allow to sit on the table for about 30 minutes (covered with foil to keep hot). This gives you time and space to warm up some dinner rolls and get the rest of your food heated and ready.

Thanksgiving Dessert recipes

While you’re here, how about we take a peek into my dessert archives? I’ve got some of the best Thanksgiving treats you could ever want!

  • Delicious layers of homemade Spice Cake with a Pecan Pie filling. ThisPecan Pie cakeis topped with a creamy Brown Sugar frosting! Drooling yet?
  • Smooth and decadent,French Silk Pieis a chocolate lovers dream! You’ll love the flaky pie crust, topped with smooth and silky chocolate!
  • Easy to assembleTurkey Rice Krispie Treatsdecorated forThanksgiving! Loved by kids and adults!
  • Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake: two layers of deliciouspumpkin cakewith acreamy cheesecakecenter. Frosted withcream cheese frosting!
  • Look at those beautiful layers in thisPumpkin Magic Cake! This is a must make recipe for the holidays!
  • Apple Crumble. The comfort of home in an easy, no pie crust recipe!
  • The best (and easiest)Pumpkin Pie recipeyou’ll need this holiday season. Make Thanksgiving dessert in no time at all with this delicious pie recipe!
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (4)

Serving Suggestions

So many dinner ideas pair nicely with these sweet potatoes. Here are a few of my favorites!

  • Baked Pork Chop Recipe
  • Meatloaf Recipe
  • Peach Pork Chops
  • Meatball Subs
  • Instant Pot French Dip Recipe
  • Mississippi Pot Roast
  • Instant Pot Turkey Breast

Favorite Side Dishes

See all Side Dishes recipes

Soups and Stews

Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe

Appetizers

Deviled Eggs Recipe

Desserts

Mandarin Orange Pretzel Salad

Side Dishes

Seven Layer Salad Recipe

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

4.70 from 322 votes

By: Aimee

In my family, theBest Sweet Potato Casserole recipeis one that’s served up sweet and salty with a delicious, crunchy streusel topping!You’ll love this mashed sweet potato recipe and the nutty brown sugar crunch on top!

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

  • 4 large sweet potatoes
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted

For the streusel topping:

  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted

Instructions

  • Cook sweet potatoes in desired manner, until soft. See notes.

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 2 qt baking dish with nonstick spray (I use coconut oil spray). Set aside.

  • In a large bowl, combine cooked sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and melted butter. Beat with an electric mixer for about 4-5 minutes, until fluffy and smooth.

  • Pour into prepared dish. Bake for 25 minutes.

  • While baking, prepare streusel topping by combining brown sugar, flour, pecans, and melted butter in a small bowl. Mix with a fork and set aside.

  • Sprinkle the baked sweet potato mixture with streusel and return to oven for about 10-15 minutes until crumble is lightly browned. Serve immediately or cover with foil and serve in 30 minutes.

Notes

  • For the sweet potatoes you can cook them your favorite way. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for one hour. Or pierce with fork and microwave for 15 minutes (or more depending on size). Or peel and boil them for 30 minutes.
  • Butter– for a traditional Ruths Chris topping, you’ll want to melt the butter. If you prefer more of a crumble, just use softened butter instead.

Make it in Advance: Here are THREE options on how to make today’s sweet potato casserole recipe:

  1. First, you could bake as written above, if oven space is not an issue.
  2. Or, you could bake the 25 minutes, top with the streusel and refrigerate until the next day. Then you would only need to pop it back into the oven for about 20 minutes.
  3. You could also bake it as directed for entirety and allow to sit on the table for about 30 minutes (covered with foil to keep hot). This gives you time and space to warm up some dinner rolls and get the rest of your food heated and ready.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 226mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 26g

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (10)
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep sweet potato casserole from being runny? ›

Eggs and cream help stabilize the dish and prevent it from becoming too runny (a common complaint with many sweet potato casserole recipes). Make it as smooth or chunky as you like!

How do you thicken a sweet potato casserole? ›

The casserole needs at least 15-20 minutes to cool before serving. The casserole sets up as it cools. However, if you prefer a really thick sweet potato casserole, you can add about 2-3 tablespoons of flour to your sweet potato batter and this will help the mixture to thicken.

Should I rinse canned sweet potatoes? ›

Rinsing sweet potatoes of any leftover sugary film will uphold their integrity, giving you the most authentic sweet potato taste and texture. Most sweet potato recipes value the natural taste and texture of the yam first and foremost, adding sugar or seasonings separately instead of incorporating the canning liquid.

Can I substitute canned sweet potatoes for fresh sweet potatoes? ›

Canned or frozen sweet potatoes may be substituted for the fresh form in any recipe calling for cooked sweet potatoes as the starting point. Canned sweet potatoes are generally smaller in diameter because of their better canning qualities.

Why do you add eggs to sweet potato casserole? ›

The egg is the all-important binder in a sweet potato casserole: it enriches and stiffens the mixture without making it heavy. Make sure to cool the mash slightly before adding the egg so it doesn't scramble, and to stir well so there are no streaks of cooked egg white in the finished dish.

What is the liquid coming out of my baked sweet potato? ›

The ooze is actually referred to as "sap." It is made up of sugar and starch combined with the moisture found in the vegetable, and it escapes out of the damage made from the knife. The sap really equals the sweetness. If it's pouring out of your potato, that means it's a sweet and delicious vegetable.

How to tell when sweet potato casserole is done? ›

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture, then pop it into the oven and let it bake for 40 to 45 minutes. You will know it's done when the topping is lightly browned and the center of your casserole is set and firm.

How do you make a casserole less runny? ›

Thicken a meat casserole the most popular way with flour.

Add some flour to your pan after you've browned the meat and before adding any liquid. This way, the flour will soak up the juices and fat in the pan. Add about one teaspoon of flour at a time until you get the right thickness.

Is sweet potato casserole supposed to be jiggly? ›

Bake the casserole for 35 to 45 minutes, until the filling is hot, does not jiggle when you shake the dish, and the topping has browned.

Why do you need to soak sweet potatoes before cooking? ›

Some recipes for homemade sweet potato fries ask you to soak the fries before cooking. The theory is that soaking draws out starch from inside the potatoes, helping them crisp up.

Are canned sweet potatoes already cooked? ›

One 15-ounce can of sweet potatoes equals one cup of fresh sweet potatoes. Canned sweet potatoes are precooked, so add them at the end of a recipe.

Which is better canned or fresh sweet potatoes? ›

There were significantly lower amounts of copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, and zinc in canned sweet potatoes than in fresh sweet potatoes and no significant differences in cal- cium, chloride, iron, manganese, and sodium between the fresh and canned samples.

Are yams and sweet potatoes the same? ›

Yams and sweet potatoes differ in flavor and appearance, and they are not related. Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family, while yams belong to the lily family. Yams aren't as sweet as sweet potatoes, and they are starchier and drier. Their texture and flavor are more similar to potatoes or yuca.

What is mistaken for sweet potatoes? ›

If you still aren't sure, an easy trick to tell the difference between sweet potatoes and yams is to look for eyes on the skin. Yams develop eyes or buds just like a regular potato, but a sweet potato does not. Instead, sweet potatoes may have fine roots on their skin, just like beets or carrots.

Are Bruce's canned yams really sweet potatoes? ›

Bruce's Yams Cut Sweet Potatoes in Syrup are carefully made from only the most tender part of the sweet potato called the sweetheart. For easy preparation that delivers goodness on the fly, simply heat and eat these canned vegetables.

How do you keep sweet potato mash from getting watery? ›

Try draining the potatoes better next time And don't over beat/ blend but if you want to thicken them up Try some Wondra quick mix flour, corn starch Or some breadcrumbs . Actually sweet potatoes can be mashed without using marjorine or butter. Mashing without the use of butter or marjorine will make it thicker.

How to make sweet potatoes less watery? ›

I was never a huge fan of mashed sweet potatoes until I discovered a technique from Cook's Illustrated. They simmer the potatoes right in the cream rather than boiling them in water. This is a complete game changer to say the least! Instead of a watery mash, you end up with an ultra creamy texture guaranteed to please.

What do I do if my potato bake is too runny? ›

Try letting the dish rest for 10 minutes or so to let the water get absorbed and let the sauce thicken. Try cooking your recipe longer.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Tuan Roob DDS

Last Updated:

Views: 6464

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Tuan Roob DDS

Birthday: 1999-11-20

Address: Suite 592 642 Pfannerstill Island, South Keila, LA 74970-3076

Phone: +9617721773649

Job: Marketing Producer

Hobby: Skydiving, Flag Football, Knitting, Running, Lego building, Hunting, Juggling

Introduction: My name is Tuan Roob DDS, I am a friendly, good, energetic, faithful, fantastic, gentle, enchanting person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.