Sweet Potato Casserole is a classic holiday side dish made with creamy mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and a brown sugar pecan topping. It bakes in a 9×13 pan until the top is lightly golden and the inside is smooth, sweet, and delicious.
We love serving this for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, potlucks, and Sunday dinners because it feels special but is still simple to make. The sweet potato base is soft and creamy, while the pecan topping adds just the right amount of crunch.
Complete your holiday meal with favorites like Roasted Turkey Breast, Turkey Gravy, Homemade Rolls, Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, and Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes for a dinner everyone will remember.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Perfect for a Crowd: A 9×13-inch pan makes enough to feed family gatherings and holiday dinners.
- Make Ahead Friendly: Prepare it in advance so there’s less to do on the big day.
- Crunchy Topping: The buttery brown sugar pecan topping adds just the right amount of crisp texture.
- Holiday Classic: This Sweet Potato Casserole is a traditional side dish that belongs on every Thanksgiving and Christmas table.
Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes (4 cups cubed): Creates the creamy base of the casserole with their naturally sweet flavor. Fresh sweet potatoes give the best texture.
- Sugar (½ cup): Sweetens the filling and enhances the natural sweetness of the potatoes.
- Eggs (2, beaten): Helps bind the filling together so it bakes up light and creamy.
- Salt (½ teaspoon): Balances the sweetness and brings out all of the flavors.
- Butter (4 tablespoons, softened): Adds richness and creates a smooth, creamy filling. We like using real butter for the best flavor.
- Milk (½ cup): Helps create a soft, fluffy texture. Whole milk makes the filling extra creamy.
- Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon): Adds warm flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweet potatoes.
- Brown sugar (½ cup): Sweetens the topping while adding a rich caramel flavor.
- All-purpose flour (1½ cups): Forms the base of the buttery crumble topping and gives it a crisp texture.
- Butter (3 tablespoons, softened): Combines with the flour and brown sugar to create a crumbly topping.
- Chopped pecans (½ cup): Adds crunch and a delicious nutty flavor. Toasted pecans provide even more flavor if you have the extra few minutes.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
PREP. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
SWEET POTATOES. In a medium pot, cover sweet potatoes in water and cook over medium-high heat until tender; drain and mash.
In a large bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour into a greased 9×13″ casserole dish.
CRUMBLE. Mix the brown sugar and flour in a medium bowl and cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in pecans, and sprinkle the mixture over your sweet potato mixture.
BAKE. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Cook the sweet potatoes until they’re fork tender so they mash smoothly.
- Mash the potatoes while they’re still warm for the creamiest filling.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole so every bite has a buttery crunch.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving so it sets up nicely.
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed sweet potatoes
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoon butter, softened
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a medium pot, cover sweet potatoes in water and cook over medium-high heat until tender; drain and mash.
- In a large bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla extract, until smooth. Poor in a greased 9×13" baking dish.
- Mix the brown sugar and flour in a medium bowl and cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in pecans, and sprinkle the mixture over your sweet potato mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly brown. ENJOY!
Notes
- Cook the sweet potatoes until they’re fork tender so they mash smoothly.
- Mash the potatoes while they’re still warm for the creamiest filling.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole so every bite has a buttery crunch.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving so it sets up nicely.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Prepare the streusel topping, but refrigerate separately in a Ziploc bag. The prepared potato filling can be kept, covered, in the fridge for 2-3 days. When ready to make, add the topping and bake as directed.
Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat in the microwave.
More Like This
Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
1 hr 5 mins
Candied Sweet Potatoes
18 mins
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
1 hr 25 mins
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
55 mins
Collections
This recipe was first shared October, 2017.
Will this recipe work with canned sweet potatoes?
You can use canned sweet potatoes for this recipe. Just be sure to drain them well and reduce the added water or milk slightly to avoid a runny casserole
I’m very interested in this recipe, but CANNOT use the pecans (or any nuts – dietary restrictions) in the streusel topping. Could ai substitute rolled oats? Would any additional modifications need to be made if I do? TIA
Absolutely! You can substitute rolled oats for the pecans. While I haven’t tired it with this specific recipe this is how I would mix the topping- Use ¾ cup oats in place of the nuts, mix with ¼ cup melted butter plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar.
Made this last year and was a huge hit. One of the only items where there were zero leftovers. Can’t wait to make again this year.