Name: Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients: 4 large sweet potatoes (yams); 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1 cup milk; 2 whole eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1 cup pecans, (chopped); 1/2 cup flour; 4 tablespoons salted butter, (slightly chilled or room temp.)

baking dish with sweet potatoes in it with plate next to it with serving of sweet potatoes on it

I’ve been making this sweet potato casserole for years and it’s always devoured whenever I make it! And I’m finally putting it on the blog, because I get asked for the recipe so often. This casserole is a staple at our Thanksgiving, and Easter, dinners!

I based this recipe off one I found on AllRecipes I think. I was probably trying to find one that I knew Mike would like, aka, lots of brown sugar involved (just like his apple pie & apple crisp)! The original recipe had a little too much sugar in it, and used white sugar. Sweet potatoes are well, sweet, and I don’t think you need to over do it with adding sugar. And they pair so well with brown sugar. So while this is definitely on the sweet side for a side dish, I did cut back on the sugar so that the sweet potatoes could really shine through.

overhead shot of orange sweet potato casserole with brown sugar topping being scooped out with antique spoon

It also makes such a big difference to bake your sweet potatoes instead of boiling them. The flavor will be much better, so don’t change that part! While it takes a while, there’s no work to it, so throw them in the oven and work on other things while they bake!

The crumble topping is what really makes this so good. It does have pecans in it, but I frequently make it without. Caitlin prefers it that way, so if she’s eating it, I won’t add them. And it’s still delicious! So if you’re not a fan of nuts, or there’s an allergy, no worries, leave them out and this will still be amazing.

The other great thing about this sweet potato casserole is that you can make it the night before, which is what I typically do for Thanksgiving and Easter dinners. You just bake and mix the potato ingredients together, spread in the pan, cover and refrigerate. Then mix the topping ingredients together, place in a separate container, cover, and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake it, just add the topping and throw it in the oven!

plate with serving of sweet potato casserole on it with pecan streusel topping on it

side shot of sweet potatoes being scooped out of baking dish

baking dish filled with sweet potato casserole with brown sugar pecan crumble topping with spoon laying next to dish

overhead shot of potato casserole with two plates with servings of sweet potatoes on them

5 from 1 vote

Sweet Potato Casserole

Creamy sweet potatoes with a brown sugar pecan crumble topping. The perfect Thanksgiving side dish!

Ingredients

Potatoes:

4 large sweet potatoes (yams)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 whole eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt

Brown Sugar Pecan Topping:

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup flour
4 tablespoons salted butter, slightly chilled or room temp.

Instructions

Potatoes:

Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Wash 4 large sweet potatoes, prick all over with fork and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for one hour, or until fork tender.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
Once they are cool enough to handle, remove skins (and discard) and place potatoes in a large bowl.
Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup milk, 2 whole eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon salt to the potatoes.
Mash potatoes with a potato masher until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender to get extra creamy sweet potatoes.
Spread the sweet potato mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish.

Topping:

In a separate bowl, stir together 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup chopped pecans, and 1/2 cup flour. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and using a pastry cutter (or fork), cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top of sweet potatoes.
Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

To Make Ahead:

Bake and mix potatoes together as directed above, spread in pan, cover and refrigerate. Mix topping together, place in separate container, cover, and refrigerate.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400ºF. Sprinkle topping over sweet potatoes and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. (Potatoes might need slightly longer if baking straight from fridge. If topping is browned, but potatoes need longer to heat, cover with foil and bake until hot).

overhead shot of plate with serving of sweet potato casserole on it with fork laying on plate

Be sure to follow our Food & Recipe Pinterest Board for more inspiration!

-Manda