Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (2024)

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

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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)

Table of Contents

  • Why this Recipe is Best
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Easy Instructions
  • Making ahead of time
  • Thanksgiving Dessert recipes
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Recipe

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 make a sweet potato casserole not 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!

Why put egg in 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's the difference between sweet potato pie and sweet potato casserole? ›

The difference is that sweet potato casserole can either have a toasted marshmallow top or a crunchy brown sugar/nut top and is made with brown sugar in the casserole. Sweet potato pie is made with white sugar, has nothing on top, but can be served with whipped topping.

Why is my sweet potato still hard after baking? ›

If the potato is still firm when squeezed, that means it needs to cook more. Baked sweet potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat for 2 minutes in the microwave, at 400°F in the air fryer for 5 minutes, or at 400°F in the oven for 10 minutes.

Why is my sweet potato casserole so watery? ›

Why is my sweet potato casserole watery? If you overcook your sweet potatoes, they may begin to absorb too much liquid, making them watery. It's important to cut your potatoes into equal-sized pieces so that they all cook at the same rate. Make sure to remove them from the steamer as soon as they are fork-tender!

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.

Can I leave eggs out of sweet potato casserole? ›

Eggs (or not!)

– I've made this sweet potato casserole with and without eggs, both ways are delicious. The eggs act as a binder and gives the casserole a light and fluffy texture. Without eggs, the casserole doesn't have as much structure but it still silky smooth and tastes delicious.

Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking? ›

The cold water bath helps rinse the starch off the sweet potatoes so they're a bit more crispy. That said, if you do not have the time, you can still get crispy baked sweet potato fries by using high heat and a little drizzle of olive oil.

How do you know 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.

What variety of sweet potato is best for casserole? ›

Jewel. With copper skin and deep-orange flesh that's moist and tender when cooked, the jewel is a go-to potato for traditional baking and casseroles.

When should you not eat sweet potatoes? ›

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

What are the black spots on the inside of sweet potatoes? ›

Internal necrosis is a physiological disorder, not caused by a pest or pathogen, where the sweetpotatoes develop black spots and patches on the inside of the root. These black patches are only found in the end of the root closest to where the vine was.

What are the black dots on my sweet potatoes? ›

Sweet potatoes in storage are commonly infected with the bread mold fungus, which causes a watery soft rot of part or all of the tuber. The fungus may be seen as a fluffy, white growth, with black dots supported on threads.

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.

Should sweet potato casserole be firm? ›

you should see it firm, but still paste like. Once it bulges and you start to see cracks, it will be overcooked. You don't need anything of those fancy gadgets for casserole! You can grab a potato masher or whisk and mash them up.

How do you keep a casserole moist? ›

Pro Tip: Avoid Dry Casserole.

The best way to prevent it from drying out is to add a little bit of water, around ¼ cup, to the top of it. Allow the water to seep between the food and the sides of the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil to seal in the moisture.

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