A holiday spread wouldn't be complete without a classic homemade sweet potato casserole. Our festive sweet potato casserole with pecans is a tender and creamy dish topped with a sweet and salty, buttery, crunchy streusel.
This decadent side dish will convert any sweet potato casserole, marshmallow traditionalist, as it's just as sweet with this delicious candied topping.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mash
- 4 large sweet potatoes
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pecan Streusel Topping
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Sweet Potato Mash
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 inch or 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Add the cubed sweet potatoes to a large pot of salted water. Bring the sweet potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes. Drain and transfer the sweet potatoes to a large bowl.
In the large bowl with the sweet potatoes, add the eggs, butter, milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the sweet potato mixture until well blended.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture to the prepared baking dish. Spread the mixture out with a spatula. Set aside and prepare the streusel topping.
Pecan Streusel Topping
Finely chop the pecans into small bite-size pieces. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the melted butter, flour, brown sugar, and salt. A crumb-like mixture will form. Next, mix in the pecans.
Sprinkle the streusel mixture on top of the sweet potatoes in an even layer. Bake until set and golden on top, about 30-40 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Supplies
Sweet Potato Casserole
- 8x8 inch or 2-quart baking dish
- cooking spray
- large pot
- large bowl
- handheld electric mixer
- spatula
- medium bowl
Recipe Notes
To fill a 9x13 inch baking dish, simply double this sweet potato casserole recipe.
Feel free to prepare this sweet potato casserole in advance. Cover with tin foil and store in the refrigerator up to 24 hours before baking. Note that baking times may be increased if the dish is baked from a cold state.
Sweet Potato Casserole Toppings
Sweet potato casserole is a holiday side dish, notorious for having a sweet flavor. Sweet potatoes are elevated with eggs, butter, sugar, and warm spices to create a creamy, rich filling. Sweet potato casserole toppings vary, from traditional marshmallow toppings to oatmeal streusel to a combination of both pecan and marshmallow.
- To make a sweet potato casserole with marshmallow, follow the recipe for sweet potato mash above. Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven. Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with miniature marshmallows. Place the sweet potatoes back in the oven until the marshmallows are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- To make a sweet potato casserole with an oatmeal streusel, in a medium bowl, combine 1/3 cup melted butter, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 2/3 cup oats, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Crumble over sweet potatoes.