When it comes to Luna family gatherings and holidays, we are ALL about the side dishes! Being huge sweet potato lovers, we always include at least a couple of sweet potato side dishes like our Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole or this sweet potato souffle.
Do we include classic potato sides as well? Of course, but we since the love of sweet potatoes runs deep, we LOVE to include them as well (we don’t want them feeling left out, after all). 😉
Fortunately, this dish is one of our favorite ways to enjoy sweet potatoes. They’re both sweet and savory and are quite easy to make. We truly believe they’ll be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dinner or to any dinner you make.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Southern comfort. The sweet nut topping and creamy base are packed with southern charm.
- Simple side. To make this easy side dish, just boil, mix, and bake.
- Make ahead. It’s easy to prep ahead and store the prepared dish in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to bake it!
Sweet Potato Souffle Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes (6, peeled and cubed): The creamy, naturally sweet base that whips up fluffy and flavorful. Or 3 cups mashed canned yams (unsweetened) – Do not boil, simply mash and add to the ingredients in step 2.
- Granulated sugar (1 cup): Enhances the potatoes’ sweetness and helps them caramelize slightly as they bake.
- Milk (½ cup): Loosens the mash so it bakes light and silky.
- Melted butter (½ cup): Adds rich, buttery flavor and a velvety mouthfeel.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): Warms and rounds out the sweet potato flavor. Add extra flavor with ginger, cinnamon, orange zest, maple syrup, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Eggs, beaten (2): Lift and structure; they help the souffle set light and sliceable.
- Salt (½ teaspoon): Balances sweetness and brightens every bite.
Topping
- Dark brown sugar (1 cup): Forms a caramel like crumble with deep molasses notes.
- All purpose flour (⅓ cup): Binds the topping so it bakes into crisp, nubbly bits.
- Melted butter for topping (⅓ cup): Moistens the crumble so it toasts evenly.
- Chopped pecans (1 cup): Add toasty crunch that contrasts the soft souffle.
How to Make Sweet Potato Souffle
PREP. Add sweet potatoes to a large stockpot, covering with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until fork tender. Drain the water and remove the potatoes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
SEASON. In a large mixing bowl, add sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, eggs, and salt. Beat until fluffy. Add sweet potatoes and beat on low until smooth and combined.
Pour into the prepared baking dish.
TOPPING. In a small bowl, make the topping by mixing brown sugar, flour, butter, and pecans.
BAKE. Sprinkle the pecan crumble over the sweet potato mixture and bake in the preheated oven for 36-40 minutes. Serve warm.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Boil just until fork tender, overcooking can make the mash watery.
- Beat potatoes while warm for the smoothest texture, avoid overmixing after eggs go in.
- Mix the crumble right before topping so it stays clumpy and bakes crisp.
- Bake on the center rack until the edges are set and the topping is deeply golden.
- Make ahead and storage, assemble the potato layer up to 2 days early, cover and chill; add topping just before baking; leftovers keep 3 days, reheat covered at 325°F.
Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Add sweet potatoes to a large stockpot, covering them with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until fork tender. Drain the water and remove the potatoes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, eggs, and salt. Beat until fluffy. Add sweet potatoes and beat on low until smooth and combined.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Topping
- Mix the brown sugar, flour, butter, and pecans. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture and bake for 36-40 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
- Canned yams. You can use drained canned yams (In the US, these are sweet potatoes packed in syrup) in this recipe. Simply mash 3 to 3.5 cups; no boiling is needed. You may also wish to reduce any additional white sugar.
- Smooth and creamy. To ensure a smooth, creamy base, cook the raw sweet potatoes until they are so tender they practically fall apart.
- Ramekins. Divide the soufflé batter evenly into ramekins, filling them ¾ of the way full. Evenly add the streusel topping and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Fridge. Assemble up to 24 hours in advance, cool, and store covered in the refrigerator.
Freezer. Wrap the cooled dish with plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw this sweet potato souffle recipe overnight in the fridge before baking.
Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container or freeze for 2-3 months.
Complete the Meal
Main Dishes
Roast Turkey
3 hrs 20 mins
Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
4 hrs 5 mins
Crock Pot Pot Roast
7 hrs 5 mins
Instant Pot Ham
20 mins
More Sweet Potato Sides
Roasted Sweet Potato
30 mins
Candied Sweet Potatoes
18 mins
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
55 mins
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
1 hr 5 mins
Collections
This recipe was originally published September 2024.
This is always my go to recipe for Thanksgiving! AND.it freezes well too!
The best side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter. I have convinced so many people that say they don’t like sweet potatoes to try this, they love it! If I don’t have sweet potatoes, I use baked squash and it tastes just as good!
The best sweet potato recipe! My family loves this. It’s too good to only make at a Thanksgiving time!!
Do you have a suggestion for the topping if you can’t use nuts?
You could just omit the nuts. It would still taste delicious! 🙂