This easy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is topped with a brown sugar pecan toppings, and always steals the show on Thanksgiving. Best part is you can be prepared in advance for an easy make-ahead holiday side dish.
Want more Thanksgiving recipes? Try my Easy, No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey, the Best Homemade Rolls, Thanksgiving Stuffing, or our Perfect Pie Crust!
Why I love this casserole:
- The Topping – The topping on this casserole is made with butter, pecans, flour, and brown sugar. It’s so much better than the marshmallow topping on sweet potato casserole (in my opinion!).
- Make-Ahead – Want a stress-free Thanksgiving day? This whole casserole (as well as more of my Thanksgiving recipes) can be made a day or two in advance. Check out my Make Ahead Instructions at the end of the post for details!
- Crowd Pleaser – This is a HIT with family and friends every single year. The potatoes are creamy, and the topping adds the perfect crunchy texture. It will become a new staple on your Thanksgiving table!
How to make Sweet Potato Casserole:
Cook Sweet Potatoes: Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to the pot to cover the potatoes a little more than half way. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until fork tender. Drain, and place on a cutting board to cool. Once they are warm enough to handle, remove the skins and place them in a large mixing bowl.
Make Filling: Add eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla, sugar, salt, and butter and mash everything together until smooth. I start with a potato masher, and then use an electric mixer on low speed, for about 45 seconds, to get the mixture smooth (without over-mixing). Smooth into casserole dish.
Add Pecan Topping: Combine the topping ingredients– butter, chopped pecans, flour, and brown sugar–and sprinkle all over the top of your mashed sweet potato mixture.
Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve this sweet potato casserole with pecans alongside your favorite Thanksgiving recipes!
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows:
To add a marshmallow topping instead, simply top the casserole with a layer of miniature marshmallows and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the marshmallows are puffy and browned. You could also prepare this dish half and half with half pecan crumble mixture and half marshmallows. For this method, cook with half of the crumble for about 15 minutes first, then remove from the oven, cover the other half of the casserole with marshmallows and continue baking.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing Instructions:
To Make-Ahead: You can prepare this easy sweet potato casserole recipe 1-2 days in advance. First make the filling and smooth into your baking dish. Make the topping, but store seperatly. Add topping before baking. Here are some other great Make-Ahead Thanksgiving recipes.
To Store: Store sweet potato casserole covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
To Freeze: Prepare the sweet potato casserole completely, but don’t bake it. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes on the counter before baking.
More Thanksgiving Staples:
- Best Homemade Rolls
- Easy, No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey
- Broccoli Casserole
- Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- Sausage Cranberry Pecan Stuffing
- Sweet Potato Souffle
- Cranberry Fluff Salad
- Apple Cranberry Fruit Salad
- Triple Berry Pie
- Other pie recipes
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Recipe
Sweet Potato Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4-5 large sweet potatoes
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk , or substitute cream, or half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter , melted
For the topping:*
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup pecans , chopped
Instructions
- Cook Potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot. Add enough water to the pot to cover the potatoes a little more than half way. (You will need at least 3-4 inches of water but the water will not completely cover the potatoes!) Bring the water to a boil and then turn the heat to a medium simmer. Cover and simmer until they feel tender when poked with a fork. It may take 20-40 minutes to cook your sweet potatoes depending on the size of the potatoes, but you don't want them to be mushy.
- Peel Potatoes: Drain water and place sweet potatoes on a plate or cutting board to cool down. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin from the potatoes and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix: Add eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla, sugar, salt, and butter and mash everything together until smooth. I start with a potato masher, and then use an electric mixer on low speed, for about 45 seconds, to get the mixture smooth.
- Pour mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish. Anything around the size of an 8×11'' , 9×13'' or even a deep dish 10'' pie pan will work.
- Make Topping: Add flour, brown sugar and pecans to a mixing bowl. Add butter and cut in with a fork or pastry blender until well combined. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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I originally shared this recipe October 2017. Updated November 2019 and November 2023.
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Delicious! I was wondering if the butter for the topping should be melted or softened before adding to the flour, sugar & pecans. Thanks!
This recipe is delicious! It was a favorite at Thanksgiving this year. Now it’s going to become part of our holiday tradition! Thank you!
Recommend cutting down or eliminating the sugar in the sweet potatoes. Not needed with the topping. Would also be cautious of the amount of eggs and liquid being added to sweet potatoes – made this and it was fairly wet/runny. IMO dont really need the eggs. However this had decent flavor overall but many comments from guests about how overwhelmingly sweet this was.
I sprinkled some cinnamon in and did 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar. I also opted for the marshmallows for the topping instead. I threw the mixture into a crockpot and turned it on low in the car for the 3 hour drive to my cousin’s house. Put the marshmallows on and threw it in the oven to melt a little and get toasty on the top before we ate. Big hit! Had 2 people ask me for the recipe. Thank you!
Made this yesterday and it was so delicious.It was like having dessert. Definitely keeping this recipe. First time using sweet potato instead of yams and what a difference with taste. I’m so happy I found your recipe.
I made this for Thanksgiving (with some tweaks) and it was a hit! My family likes sweet potatoes but does not like a lot of sugar. I cut both the granulated sugar and brown sugar in half, doubled the pecans, and added 1/4 tsp of coconut extract. I also baked the sweet potatoes instead of boiling.
The consistency, texture, and flavor was amazing!
Sooo good!! I added some marshmallows on top as requested by my husband. Really good. Thanks for the recipe. Will definitely be a tradition!
MADE THIS YESTERDAY AND THERE ARE NO LEFTOVERS!!! THE ABSOLUTE BEST RECIPE FOR SWEET POTATOES!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! EVERYONE LOVED IT!!!!
The BEST sweet potato dish I’ve ever made! <3
I’m not surprised that this dish was a hit because it looked delicious! In fact, there wasn’t much left to bring back home…usually there’s plenty of leftover sweet potatoes! Family requested the recipe which I was happy to share. 🙂 Thank you Lauren, to both you and your mother for this fantastic recipe! Cindy S.
Doubled this using 10 pretty large garnet yams. Followed the recipe exactly except that I roasted and used a ricer to get a smooth slightly chunky mix, blended the other ingredients then folded them in and baked. It was just divine. It was a hit and I received a ton of compliments on it. The pecan topping was a surprise favorite for everyone. Thank you!
I usually make this recipe with nuts in the potatoes and a marshmallow topping but after trying this recipe it’s the one I’m staying with… delicious 🎈
Oh my god, delicious ❤️
Can I use regular milk? Don’t have any of the others. Thanks
Yes, that’s fine.
You should really adjust the timing required for this…20-40mins to cook the potatoes plus about an hour to bake, plus prep…
Haven’t tried it yet but it looks great so far. Just wanna caution anyone else making it that it’ll take roughly double the estimated time to make this. 55 is minimum cook time, NOT total time for the recipe. I’d say prep time is also longer because you need to wait for the potatoes to cook before you can continue after boiling them. Give yourself at least 2-2.5 hours.
not a sweet potato casserole fan myself but living overseas wanted to give my son a very traditional thanksgiving and let him decide for himself what he likes and doesn’t like. made this recipe and it was great. I had to make a substitution for an ingredient based on where I live and what’s available in the store and I think it enhanced the dish. hazelnuts for pecans was an incredible substitute!!! try it
Wonderful. Used 5 large sweet potatoes. Perfect. You don’t need exact weight. Have substituted the sugar in the potatoes with maple syrup. Can use any syrup you prefer. Also like adding cinnamon to the topping. Very versatile.
Excellent recipe, very tasty
Fantastic!
I’m bringing this to our family gathering today. I’ve never made it before, but it looks delicious! I’ll let you know what everyone thinks of it…pretty sure it’s going to be a hit!
Thank you! Cindy
If you make the topping the night before, do you store it in the fridge or on the counter overnight?
Either would really be fine (I store it in the fridge).
So, wish the measurements was more exact. Should use pounds or grams instead of 4-5 sweet potatoes. Just made the recipe with 4 sweet potatoes and it is way too thin. I need to run to the store and get another sweet potato.
I find that roasting the potatoes with the skins on gives it a much richer taste. Love this casserole recipe!
How many pounds does 4-5 large potatoes equate to? I made 3 lbs of sweet potatoes, but I’m afraid that’s not enough and I don’t want it to be runny.
Typically, 4-5 large potatoes would be approximately equal to 4-5 pounds.
I’ve always been told the rule is 1 potato per person. So if you’re only feeding 4 people, only 4-6 potatoes.
My friend is allergic to pecans and walnuts, but I still want to use some kind of nut. Would hazelnuts work as a substitute?
Absolutely, hazelnuts can be a wonderful substitute for pecans and walnuts in a sweet potato casserole. When using hazelnuts, you might want to lightly toast them first to bring out their flavor.
Delish
Can you use another sweetener in place of sugar? Pure maple syrup?
I like that idea – I say go for it, but maybe not use as much or it may turn out runnier?
Use the brown sugar granular substitute. It worked perfect for me. You can buy white and brown. I use Lankanto
I used Splenda instead of Sugar you can try I/4 cup
Sounds delicious! Those yams are such a pretty orange and just as good as sweet potatoes which are a mellow yellow color. Thanks for sharing!
I have 8 smallish sweet potatoes. How many cups dies 4-5 lg potatoes yield? Worried I don’t have enough with my 8 small ones. Thank you. Making this today, btw. Have made your recipe before with correct size potatoes but didn’t measure out cups. Excellent recipe as is, no dubs needed.
Actually, your eight small sweet potatoes should be enough & the skinny small sweet potatoes are usually better in flavor than the large fat ones. I would guess those eight small potatoes would make around 5 to 6 cups.
Hi! To make this gluten free, would you suggest substituting the flour for almond flour or leaving it out of the topping all together? Thanks!
Yummy
Just made this dish to bring to Friendsgiving tonight and it looks delish! How do you recommend warming it up tonight before serving?
This is my only go to sweet potato casserole recipe. It always gets rave reviews, even from people who don’t LOVE sweet potatoes. Delicious every time.
Jean please let me know which option you went with and how it turned out! I too wondered the same ☺️.
1/2 cup of oats and it was delicious. Perfectly chewy topping with the smooth sweet potato. Highly recommend this recipe- it was a hit at our potluck today!
Nut allergies here- would it change the texture negatively to omit the pecans or another substitute for it to enhance texture?
Oats would be a good substitute to still give the crumble some texture.
I would just omit that topping completely and just do mini marshmallows. That’s my favorite way anyway
is there something you could recommend place of the pecans for a crunchy topping? some nut allergies in my family. thank you!
I recommend rolled oats!
My 1st time making sweet potato anything, planning on making the day before thanksgiving, just double checking, storing it in frig UNbaked correct
Turkey day take it out like 30 min or so room temp then bake?
Yes, store it unbaked, covered in the fridge. Remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking to let it come to room temperature a bit. Bake as directed (uncovered).
You are going to need to take it out 3+ hours in advance to bring it to room temperature, especially if you’re storing and baking the casserole in a dish that is susceptible to thermal shock.
I want to make this for Thanksgiving but my son is allergic to eggs. What would be a good substitute for the eggs in this recipe?
I always use flax seed to substitute for eggs—going to try it that way tomorrow. (1T ground flax seed and 2T hot water, let it sit for a minute before adding.)
Excellent!!!! Thankyou 😋 😋 😋 😋 😋 😋 😋
Hello, I just want to confirm that the single (1x) recipe serves 15 and would follow the (2x) recipe if I needed to serve a larger group of, say, 20?
Yes, to serve 20 I would double the recipe and bake it in two separate pans.
Can you put this into a crock pot? What would the cook time be?
I made this last year for Thanksgiving and while my dishes are usually lauded by everyone, this recipe got praises beyond the usual family members. DONT do the marshmallow crap, make this and bake the yams (red sweet potatoes) instead of boiling them.
Is the bake time and temp the same for a glass dish?
Yes!
Do you find it to come out better using the evaporated milk? Or is the cream, or half and half just as good? Would like to know the difference. Making it this Thursday for the first time. Thank you!
This is my first time using evaporated milk. I have been using plant based milks for the past decade or so. It came out oh soooooo rich and creamy. Tastes great!
Can you make with almond milk?
Yes, that would be fine.
Yes, almond milk….any of the plant based milks worked fine
I plan to make this for our Friendsgiving party, however my boyfriend is allergic to pecans and I’ve never been a fan of marshmallows. Will the topping be okay if I sub it for walnuts or should I just make two separate pans?
Yes, you could sub walnuts.
I had this at my office party and loved it. Now plan on making it myself and take it to another party. Can I bake it in a foil try?
Thanks,
Yes, that’s fine.
Thank you.
Do I need to adjust temperature or time when using the foil tray?
It will probably cook a little faster since it’s thin aluminum foil–but it will be pretty close!
For the sweet potato casserole, could I bake the potatoes instead of boiling them?
For the thanksgiving dressing could I use olive oil instead of butter to cook the vegetables and turkey sausage instead of regular sausage? Would it change the taste?
Thank you
For the sweet potato casserole, use you can bake the potatoes!
For the stuffing/dressing, I can’t recommend olive oil because it will drastically change the flavor, but turkey sausage would work great.
I baked them – way better than boiling them.
Very tasty recipe; I bake my sweet potatoes in the oven instead of boil. It concentrates the flavor and enhances it.
We had this dish at an office dinner this week. The only difference was that it also topped it with those little marshmellos melted over the top. It was the best I had ever tasted! Super taste warm or cool. (Well, I had to have seconds, didn’t I?)
Could I do the pecan topping and then marshmallows on top? If so, how would I fix the timing for baking?
We’ve added this to our Thanksgiving menu for the last 2 years. It’s fantastic! We add both toppings because we couldnt choose. Making it today for The Harvest Dinner at church. Thank you for great recipes.
Will it be ok to use can sweet potatoes?
I actually have only made this using canned yams. It’s amazing! This year I’m making it with fresh sweet potatoes for the first time but every time I have made it with the canned it was great! This looks just like the recipe I used (except I think I used more butter and didn’t melt it).
No, only losers use canned veg – unless you’re making a pumpkin pie and using organic pumpkin canned. Go buy some sweet potatoes and an oven and do it right.
I would like to use canned mashed sweet potatoes. How many ounces do I need?
Unbelievably delicious! I don’t even like sweet potatoes and this is outstanding!!!! I tried it the week before Thanksgiving as I’m bringing this to the family gathering. Can’t wait to hear the feedback. My new go-to side dish.:)
Unbelievably delicious! I don’t even like sweet potatoes and this is outstanding!! I tried it the week before Thanksgiving as I am bringing this fish to the gathering. Can’t wait to hear the feedback. This is my new go-to side dish!
Delicious!!!
I have your new cookbook & love your recipes🍽 I tried the sweet potato casserole. Absolutely fabulous!!! I will be making it often😃happy new year!!🎉 KH
The pecan topping is so good I could eat it plain with a spoon. This was hands down my kids favorite thanksgiving side. Make sure to read the make-ahead instructions for saving so much time on a busy thanksgiving morning.
I have not made this myself, but my daughter knows I use this site for recipes and made this for Thanksgiving. OMG… so good it should be a dessert!😉
Fabulous! Thanks! I can’t wait to make this for Christmas!
I made your sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving. My family raved about this dish. It was absolutely delicious and will be included on my Thanksgiving table from now on.
Absolutely delicious! I made it the night before and partially baked it. Then on Thanksgiving morning, I baked it about 15-20 minutes before I added the pecan topping on half. After about another 15 minutes I added marshmallows to the other half and baked until they were puffed and browned lightly.
Everyone loved it. Will definitely make this again!
I made the sweet potato casserole, and it was amazing with no leftovers! Will definitely be making it again thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes with us. God bless!
This is my family’s favorite Thanksgiving recipe! It’s amazing and so easy!
Best sweet potato casserole I’ve had! Easy to make and the family all loved it!!
This is THE best! My 8 year old wanted seconds!
This was SO good. Fantastic directions.
My sweet potatoes are white on the inside. Can I still use them in this recipe?
I’m not a good cook.If I prepare and cook whole casserole 2 days before on what temp. and for how long do I reheat? Does it taste better if I prepare before and just cook on Thanksgiving? How does thawed from freezer compare? Thanks!
White on the inside is a yam. Not as sweet so will taste different
I was very pleased with this recipe. Not overly sweet, so you can better appreciate the buttery sweet topping. Also, I added apple pie spice from Spice Bouquet to the sweet potato. Yum! Will definitely keep this one.
Made for family,and I’d have to give this a10 star . Well done
This is the best sweet potato casserole I’ve ever had. Made it for a friendsgiving and it received many compliments so today im making it again for our family thanksgiving. Add this one to your go to Thanksgiving list.
I’m just here to say that I will be making this for the third year in a row and this is the dish I look forward to the most. It is absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to eat it tomorrow!
When doubling recipe, how long do I bake?
If you’re doing two pans, the same amount of time. If you’re making a thicker casserole you will need to increase the time a bit. Add 10 minutes and check it every 5-10 minutes after that until it’s done!
When I only cover the potatoes just past halfway, only one side is fork tender and the other side is still hard. Is that how it is supposed to be?
I did not see your make-ahead instructions to put the topping in a Ziploc bag. I have the casserole in my refrigerator right now with the topping already on it. I plan to bake it in the morning. Will it be OK?
Yes, it will be fine–the nuts may just be a little on the softer side. But it will taste great.
Excellent!! Love this recipe. Will be keeping this as a holiday staple.
I don’t have a pot large enough to boil the sweet potatoes. Is it possible to instead cut the skin off dry, slice them up, and steam them?
You can steam them, boil or bake them!
I fix one similar to this but my topping doesn’t have any flour, only brown sugar, pecans and butter. It’s highly requested and delicious
I mixed this up 2 days before baking it to serve (without the topping). Looks runny, will it set up thicker?
Yes, bake it uncovered!
If you have spices: 1/2 tsp All Spice, 1/2 tsp Nugmeg, 1 tps Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp Cloves (ground). All this with the brown sugar. You’ll thank me later.
Do you add these spices into the topping or your mixture?
Anyone had luck freezing it? Just made a batch and put it in the freezer. Just curious how it turned out for others who froze it. Thanks!
This is always a family favorite and the most asked for Thanksgiving side. This year I was thinking of roasting the sweet potatoes- would this work?
It will be BEAUTIFUL! Roasted potatoes have such a deep sweet flavor. Enjoy!
do you think you can make this in the crock pot and then toast the crumble and serve it on the side to be sprinkled on top?
Yes, sure.
Your recipe came out terrific and everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing.
If there’s a lot of leftovers put them in a processor and mix in a little sweetened condensed milk. Put it in a pie shell and bake till firm. It’s nearly pie filling already.
About how many pounds of sweet potatoes are needed for this recipe?
Yes I made it a while back and going to make another one today ! Best sweet potato casserole I ever made or tasted ! My family loved it ‼️
I made this today with our homegrown sweet potatoes for our Christmas dinner. I only made one change and that was to substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar. It was so delicious and everyone loved it! The topping was so good! I will be making this one again!
Thank you for an amazing recipe.
Thanks for brown sugar idea. Sounds better to me and I’ll make it for Thanksgiving.
I made this for Thanksgiving and it turned out perfect. I’m making it again for Christmas, so easy. My grandson just loves it!
Hi Lauren – I have been making sweet potato casserole for years, and I love adding the following to my casserole: 1 tsp rum or maple extract, zest from 2 oranges, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, change white to brown sugar. For the topping, I simply put a layer of mini white marshmallows then crunch up some Mothers Iced Oatmeal cookies and put this over the marshmallows. Topping goes on the last 20 minutes of baking the casserole. I hope you try the additions – buon appetite 😊
hey I just made it one day in advanced but I cooked the topping with it? I need to store it in the fridge… what can I do to save the topping? I’m in China with limited availability of pecans and ingredients…
I made this sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving and it was positively delicious and so easy to make ahead of time. Everyone at the dinner table remarked how it was the best they ever had. This is my go to recipe from now on.
Delicious! I put the sweet potatoes and other ingredients in the blender as the potatoes were not smooth after mashing them. It made them light and smooth! This recipe is just right–not too sweet. Will make again!
Is this a ‘sweet’ sweet potato casserole? looking for one with little sweetness added.
Yes, it’s sweet!
Everyone loved it!
I learned a great trick for keeping butter hard when you make these crumb toppings,and its especially good for biscuits. freeze the sticks of butter then grate onto wax paper or in a bowl and stick it back in freezer for a few, then cut it into your dry mixture. makes it quick and easy!
I’m going to try this for thanksgiving! Very excited! Is it possible to do both the crumb topping ANd the marshmallows on top of
Each other? If so, what do
You suggest?
I often do one half of the pan with the crumble topping one half with marshmallows. For this method, cook with half of the crumble for about 15 minutes first, then remove from the oven, cover the other half of the casserole with marshmallows and continue baking.
This is recipe is delicious! A huge hit with everyone,
I love this recipe, turns out fantastic every time and always a hit! The only thing I do differently is bake the potatoes instead of boiling them. It seems to keep the flavor of the sweet potatoes better.
I’m planning on making this cuz I can’t find my old recipe but my big question is do you cover it or not… I made one of these casseroles one time and didn’t cover it and it was runny so I wanted to ask before I made it thank you I can’t wait
No, I don’t cover it.
This Sweet Potato Casserole is the best tasting, undisputed #1 SPC recipe in the world and I will fight anyone who claims otherwise.
Easy to make – makes a bunch – my daughter has to make two so everyone can take some home. Got 3 calls already to make sure it’s on the menu –
Well done Allen!
I love this sweet potato casserole so much but my new dIL can’t eat nuts. Will it be ok to eat without the nuts or don’t bother making it.
Help!!
You can make it without the nuts or use marshmallows!
Some of my family doesn’t like nuts. I make my casserole with corn flakes for that reason. Butter, brown sugar and crushed cornflakes. I add corn flakes AND nuts (all mixed together and sprinkled on half…. And the other half with just the corn flakes brown sugar and butter. Amazing either way!
I’m allergic to pecans. Any suggested subsititions?
Can I put this in a pie shell? Baked or unbaked?
Yes, that would be fine, in an unbaked shell.
Do you bake it covered with foil?
No, I don’t.
Hi Laura,
I’m looking for your Sweet Potato Pie recipe, but the “SEARCH” area keeps bringing me back to your yummy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe. Can you guide me?
thanks,
Sue
I don’t have a sweet potato pie recipe–only pumpkin pie: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/pumpkin-pie-with-caramel-pecan-topping/
DELICIOUS! I made this for Thanksgiving and I was a hit. Sweet like a desert. I made it in a 2 quart pan which was too deep. Not all the topping cooked through. Next time I will put it in a 7 x 11 which is what the recipe called for. This will be a staple in my Thanksgiving menu. I will consider trying it with marshmallows but the brown sugar and pecan mix was fabulous!
Amazing!! Will make it again for Christmas this year. 🙂
I am not a fan of sweet potatoes. However, I absolutely loved this dish with the pecan topping. AMAZING!!!!!
Very tasty. Sweet potatoes were rich and creamy, the pecans topping gave it extra texture and flavor.
I think this recipe is delicious, but it is very different than other sweet potato casseroles I’ve made. The egg and evaporated milk makes a little more custardy. I subbed the white sugar for brown sugar and my hubs does not like pecans, so I left the topping off but added marshmallows! 🙂 It was a welcome change the same old casserole.
Do you have an approximate weight for the sweet potatoes? Since they vary in size so much, I’d rather buy them based on weight.
This recipe was SO good. thank you for sharing it. Made it for Thanksgiving, everyone raved about it! Subbed regular milk for evaporated, it was delicious!
Do I use unsalted butter?
Either will be fine.
My family and I love this recipe. I have made it each Thanksgiving for the last 3 years.
If I prepare a day ahead of time, do I put the ziploc bag with the topping in the fridge?
YES!
So glad you asked this, I was wondering the same thing and thought the answer was yes, but checked comments to be sure 😊. Thanks!
If i choose to top with marshmallows do i also put brown sugar on the top?
You can use marshmallows in place of the brown sugar or sometimes I like to do mine half and half.
hi! making this now and wondering, do you know how many cups of sweet potato I’d need? I bought my sweet potatoes but they’re fairly small.
Can I use canned yams for this recipe? I have 3 29oz cans that work gave me, I don’t want to waste it.
Yes you can, best of luck!
Can I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk?
Sure!
If I wanted to half the recipe (smaller thanksgiving) how would I do that with the egg? 1.5?
Yes, that’s what I would do! Or use 2 medium eggs.
If I want to double this recipe, would I double everything? I made this last year and im starting to prepare for this year!
Yes, double everything! So happy you liked it!
I made this dish for THANKSGIVING. It was a huge hit with everyone. My grandson asked me to make him a casserole to take home! Of course I did!
It’s better to bake the potatoes than boil them. They are not as watery.
Lauren,
I decided to make this dish because I didn’t want to use the canned and the marshmallows like before. Plus, you have “Make ahead” directions which was a game changer and less stress Thanksgiving. My mom who does not care for sweet potatos tried this and liked it. She even took some home.
My most favorite thing to eat in the entire world! Made for thanksgiving yesterday and everyone LOVED them!
I made the sweet potato casserole, my family loved it.
Everyone loved this! I will make it again. Thank you!
I made this for my family Thanksgiving and got glowing reviews. My brother in law said he doesn’t even like sweet potatoes, but this casserole was delicious!
First time making this and soooo easy! My entire family wanted the recipe! It was a hit! And I made it a day in advance.
So many compliments from this recipe. And absolute yummy! Thank you for sharing
Thank you for teaching me how much easier it to peel a potato after it’s boiled! Game changer. This recipe was delicious and a huge hit at Thanksgiving.
4-5 large sweet potatoes only filled the bottom of an 8X8. I did half the pecan topping and half marshmallows to keep both young and old happy! Thanks!
Can you use canned sweet potatoes or yams instead of fresh?
Yes, you can use canned.
This looks delicious! Can the eggs be omitted or swapped for something else? We have an egg allergy.
Thank you
You could leave them out, they just wont be quite as fluffy. Just add 1-2 tablespoons more of milk 🙂
My sister is gluten free, could I do cornstarch instead of flour in the topping?
I would not use cornstarch, but gluten free flour or oat flour should work.
This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes and my family requests it every year. I like to add cinnamon and nutmeg and a smidge of cloves to the sweet potatoes. Sometimes I sprinkle some more cinnamon on top before I bake it. Just how Ive come to do these over the years but it’s perfect as is. Thanks for sharing….your website has given me a long list of new things to try!!
Can the sweet potatoes be pressure cooked in an instapot?
WOW! super yummy – simply HEAVENLY. I usually make the traditional yams sliced thinly with butter, brown sugar and mini marshmallows. I wanted something different. The recipe was super easy and I used heavy whipping cream WOW!!!! I will continue to make this for all our holiday meals. Thank you so much! Sending my friends to your site, you’re the best!
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was definitely a star! Such great flavors!
I was assigned to make the sweet potatoes this year. Made these and everyone loved them! How could you not with that delicious topping?
I made your sweet potato casserole. I do always make close to the same every year, but this year followed your recipe instead as yours has less sugar and less butter. Still delicious and no one noticed anything missing?
My family loved this recipe! We’ll definitely make this again next year!
I have 2 questions:
I’ve finished making the casserole and will be baking it tomorrow:
1. noticed the color is more yellowish- gold than orange- ( I’ve never encountered this before) is this due to the butter and color of the sweet potato?
2. I have small lumps of potatoes after mashing and using my blender, will the lumps disappear when baking the casserole,
Thanks for your help!
Hi Cindy,
1. The color is definitely due to the color of the sweet potato.
2. Next time be sure you cook your sweet potatoes until they are very soft. Likely the sweet potato cooked more in the oven and it turned out great!
Great sweet potato recipe! Perfect amount of sweetness. I cooked my potatoes in my Instant Pot.
Made this receipe for Thanksgiving, sweet potatoes/candied yams have never been part of our Thanksgiving dinner as not many fans, well let me just say this receipe was easy and Delicious! This dish will be part of Thanksgiving for years to come! Big hit!
Yummy sweet potato casserole recipe!! I made this dish for Thanksgiving dinner!! It was a success!!
Amazing, I’ve made many sweet potato casseroles and this one by far is the best! No need to try any other recipes! Kids love it as well!
Is there a specific sweet potato you use for this receipt? The ones in the video look more orange than regular sweet potatoe? Just want to make sure I get the right ones 🙂
Any sweet potatoes will work :)!
I can’t eat reg sugar so put plant sweetener substitutes in it and whole cream…delish
my mouth is salivating looking at this casserole
My husband NEVER would eat anything with the world Sweet Potato in it. Until I cooked your Sweet Potato Casserole. I finally got him to taste it and OMG…He LOVES it!!!! Although that is the only thing he will eat that has sweet potatoes in it. This is by far the best in the world!! So glad I found your recipe!
Hahahaha, thank you so much for sharing! I’m so happy this recipe won him over 🙂 Thanks for commenting and sharing!
Tried it & it was delicious. It tasted like a desert. I had it next day cold & it was just as good .will make it for family on Christmas day I’m sure they’ll love it to
Thanks so much! Happy you enjoyed it!