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 sweet potato casserole not runny? ›

Maple syrup, a dash of cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla all make an appearance for an incredible flavor. It's hearty and satisfying. Eggs and cream help stabilize the dish and prevent it from becoming too runny (a common complaint with many sweet potato casserole recipes).

How to know when sweet potato casserole is done? ›

Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potato mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the filling is hot throughout and the topping is golden. Serve immediately or cover with foil and keep warm for up to an hour before serving.

Why do you add eggs to sweet potato casserole? ›

A really good sweet potato casserole filling should be light and moist, not dense. If it's dense, then you may not have added an often overlooked ingredient—an egg. An egg adds lift, structure and volume and makes the filling more custard-like.

How can I thicken my sweet potato casserole? ›

How do you thicken a sweet potato casserole? If you are not adding eggs, you can thicken your sweet potato casserole by adding a bit of flour or cornstarch. You will need about 2-3 tablespoons of flour and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

How to fix watery casserole? ›

10 Tips To Fix Or Prevent Watery Casseroles
  1. Prep Vegetables Ahead Of Time. Vegetables boiling on a stove - Solstock/Getty Images. ...
  2. Add A Starch. ...
  3. Experiment With Pasta Or Grains. ...
  4. Take The Lid Off. ...
  5. Drain Fat From Meat. ...
  6. Choose A Dry Or Low-Fat Cheese. ...
  7. Sprinkle Seeds Into Your Bake. ...
  8. Remove Excess Liquid.
Oct 29, 2023

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.

Why is my sweet potato casserole watery? ›

If your sweet potato casserole turned out “watery”, its usually because you forgot to add eggs; you didn't let your casserole have enough time to set up after baking or you used fresh sweet potatoes and didn't boil them long enough before mashing.

Can you eat sweet potato casserole left out overnight? ›

Cooked sweet potato should be kept in the refrigerator and eaten within 5 to 7 days, says Richard. "Cooked food should not sit at room temperature more than two hours before putting it in the refrigerator or freezer (or one hour when the temperature is above 90°F)," she notes.

Does sweet potato casserole have to be refrigerated after cooking? ›

Cover and refrigerate leftover sweet potato casserole for up to four days. Bring to room temperature, then warm at 325°F until hot throughout before serving.

How do you make a casserole taste better? ›

Add fresh chilli and coriander to a simple casserole to spice it up. Always add hardy, fresh herbs such as bay leaves and rosemary at the beginning of cooking, and throw in lighter herbs, such as parsley and tarragon, at the end so they keep their flavour.

Are candied yams and sweet potato casserole the same thing? ›

No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.

What binds a casserole together? ›

For lots of casseroles, a sauce or egg mixture will be added to the ingredients to keep everything bound together. In Midwestern cuisine, this often takes the form of Cream of Mushroom soup, but béchamel, curry, whipped egg, pasta sauce, or other ingredients are likewise common, depending on the ingredients used.

Can I use canned sweet potatoes instead of fresh? ›

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.

Is sweet potato casserole supposed to be jiggly? ›

Sprinkle the pecan topping mixture over the top of the sweet potato filling. 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.

Is sweet potato casserole supposed to be runny before baking? ›

I prefer to roast my potatoes, but feel free to boil them or cook them in a slow cooker if that is easiest for you. The filling will sometimes look runny before it it baked, but will firm up some after cooking in the oven.

Why is my potato casserole runny? ›

My sauce is watery

If you used a pre-prepped potato from the refrigerator section instead of slicing your own, they can have preservatives that make them a bit watery. If you stored your potatoes in water to prevent discoloring, be sure to drain them well and pat them dry before adding to your casserole.

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.

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