This easy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is topped with pecans and marshmallows is a traditional side at our family Thanksgiving table.
This comforting dish combines mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and butter with a hint of cinnamon. It is all crowned with pillowy soft marshmallows and toasty pecans.
A sweet potato casserole is the perfect combination of sweet and savory.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
A Dessert-Like Holiday Side Dish
I love turkey dinner… not for the turkey per se, but more for the stuffing and the sides that go along with it, like this amazing casserole.
- This Sweet Potato Casserole is fairly simple and traditional; the flavors of sweet potatoes and pecans really shine.
- It’s easy to make and can be made ahead of time.
- Not only are they delicious; this sweet potato casserole is inexpensive to make.
- This almost dessert-like side dish is perfect for Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas but simple enough to serve for Sunday supper too!
Ingredients For Sweet Potato Casserole
The ingredients in this sweet potato casserole recipe are simple but delicious. There is no need for extra additions like eggs or flour.
- Sweet Potatoes—This recipe uses 3lbs of sweet potatoes, which is about 6 medium to large sweet potatoes. This can vary a bit. You can use canned sweet potatoes if you’d like. You’ll need 3 cans (29oz each) (well drained). We tested a few different brands and found Bruce’s to be superior as it contains way more potatoes in the can for the same weight!
- Brown Sugar—Light or dark brown sugar can be used in this recipe. I prefer dark brown sugar if I have it, as it has more flavor. You can also add a dash of maple syrup if you’d like.
- Butter—I use salted butter in this recipe. If you use unsalted butter, add extra salt if needed.
- Pecans—We love pecans paired with sweet potatoes. Feel free to swap them for walnuts.
- Flavoring—A little vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon are added for flavor. You can add extra cinnamon or more warm spices (like pumpkin pie spice) if you’d like. You can also add a splash of bourbon or other flavors.
Topping Options
Our favorite way to top this recipe is with pecans and mini marshmallows. If you’d prefer, you can add a streusel topping or pecan crumble.
Preparing the Sweet Potatoes
I prefer to peel and cube my sweet potatoes before boiling to reduce cooking time. You can certainly boil them whole (they’ll need about 20-25 minutes) and peel them once they’re cooked.
Using a potato masher to mash sweet potatoes by hand allows you to leave a little bit of texture. If you prefer them completely silky smooth, you can use a hand mixer to make them fluffy.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
- Prep the sweet potatoes: Peel and boil the potatoes in a large pot according to the recipe below.
- Mash: Mash with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. Spread the sweet potato mixture into a baking dish.
- Bake: Top with marshmallows & pecans and bake until golden. So easy.
Variations
We always make a simple sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and pecans, but you can also add a delicious crumble topping or a splash of bourbon if you’d like.
Easy to Make Ahead
This easy sweet potato casserole recipe can be prepared well ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours for meal prep (store the topping separately).
If you do refrigerate it before baking, remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. If chilled, heat it for about 20 minutes and then stir the sweet potatoes. Add the topping and cook for 15-20 minutes, cold sweet potatoes take much longer to heat through.
This Sweet Potato Casserole is a perfect Thanksgiving or Easter side dish, yet it is so easy that you will want to serve it for any Sunday supper.
The addition of pecans and marshmallows really adds a crunchy, crisp topping that pairs so nicely with those soft, buttery mashed sweet potatoes. Once you try it, you’ll see why this sweet potato casserole appears on every special occasion.
More Sweet Potato Love
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup chopped pecans divided
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon or to taste
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
- Place sweet potatoes in a pot of boiling water. Simmer for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain.
- In a large bowl (or in the pot the potatoes were cooked in), mash the sweet potatoes with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla and salt & pepper.
- Fold in half of the pecans and spread into prepared pan.
- Sprinkle with the marshmallows and the remaining pecans.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown and potatoes are heated through.
Video
Notes
- Light or dark brown sugar can be used.
- If using unsalted butter, add extra salt if needed.
- Prepare and refrigerate before baking, keeping the topping in a separate container.
- Remove the sweet potato casserole from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Bake for 20 minutes and then stir.
- Add the topping and cook for 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through and the marshmallows are toasty.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This easy sweet potato casserole can be prepared well ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours for meal prep.
If you do refrigerate it before baking, remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. If chilled, heat it for about 20 minutes and then stir. Add the topping and cook an additional 15-20 minutes as cold sweet potatoes take much longer to heat through.
Leftovers can be placed in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can bake to reheat but I find it quicker to reheat sweet potato casserole in the microwave. Once reheated, you can add new marshmallows and put it in the oven (or air fryer) for a few minutes to toast.
You can freeze sweet potato casserole before or after baking. If freezing before baking, don’t add the topping until it has thawed and baked. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake according to the “make ahead” directions in the notes of the recipe.
More Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love
I’ve been using this recipe for years and there’s NEVER been leftovers. chefs kiss😙🤌🏽
who tf puts salt and pepper in sweet potato casserole?!
I always add salt to dishes, both sweet and savory. Since it’s “to taste” you can leave both out.
can i make this in aluminum 13×9 pan?
My dish is ceramic but glass or metal will work just fine for this recipe Angela.
I am making double this recipe. One in a 9×9 pan without nuts and one in 9×13 pan. How long should I cook both pans? Thank you!
I would check the 9×9 one after about 20 minutes. You want to cook until the marshmallows are golden brown and potatoes are heated through.
I am making this for this Thanksgiving!
This is the perfect simple recipe I have been looking for!
I can’t wait for you to try it Susan! Happy Thanksgiving!
Just curious. Your recipe does not call for eggs or milk while several other online recipes do. Is there a particular reason why milk or eggs are not included?
I don’t find them necessary. I haven’t tried eggs, but if you wanted to add a little milk to make it extra creamy you could.
Can I do cubed sweet potatoes instead of mashing them? Then just make a sauce with everything else and pour on?
I haven’t tried it that way Kim so I can’t say for sure but it does sound delicious! I do have a casserole similar to what you’re suggesting here: sweet potato and apple casserole.
l plan to make this sweet potato Casserole for my family this Thanksgiving. I’m so excited because l know it will be easy and so good, making it like the recipe says a day before will be so helpful. Thank you for posting this recipe
Love this! Thanksgiving staple in my house. I add extra cinnamon and vanilla and decrease sugar but add extra marshmallows.
How many sweet potatoes is 3lbs?
Hi Joy, that can vary a lot based on the size of the sweet potatoes. But it is usually about 5 or 6 large sweet potatoes.
can you add milk to this?
For this recipe, I don’t find it necessary. But you could adapt the recipe to include milk if you prefer. I would love to hear how it turns out for you.
is the serving amount correct at 16? I noticed the crockpot recupe uses 4 lbs but serves 6 but this one uses 3 lbs & serves 16?
This makes 16 side dish servings, about ½ cup each. If you would like more than a ½ cup serving per guest, I recommend increasing the recipe. I hope this helps Lesa!
is this a healthier version since most sweet potatoe casserole use milk & eggs?
This isn’t meant to be a healthier version. It’s just my version of the casserole.
Can this be made in a crock pot?
I use this slow cooker sweet potato casserole with a bit of a different topping since it doesn’t brown. You could certainly add marshmallows if you’d like.
Is this unsalted pecans? Gonna be my first time making sweet potatoes
Yes, I use unsalted pecans. This side dish is such a hit, I can’t wait for you to try it Danielle!
can you use a round casserole dish
You sure can!
Wondering about baking this in a 9×9 pan?? Do you just cook it longer or do you have to use a 9×13 pan?
Hi Rebecca, I don’t believe the entire mixture would fit in a 9×9 pan. But if you do make a portion of this recipe in a 9×9 you will need to adjust the cooking time and bake until the marshmallows are golden brown and potatoes are heated through. Enjoy!
Question, Instead of mashing the potatoes, could you leave them in chunks? You could just fold in the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon ,vanilla, salt and pepper for chunkier bites. It probably would effect the baking time though.
Absolutely! I think that should work just fine. If your concerned about baking time I would just begin checking it early. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out Arleen!
The Bruce Yams only come in a syrup (all the ones I’ve seen and I researched). Am I correct about this? If so, do I follow the same recipe? Thank you!
Yes, but we make sure they are drained well before using. Enjoy!
I found Bruce’s Zero Yams. Maybe check other stores to see if you can find those instead..
Do you think I can bake the sweet potatoes instead of boiling?
Absolutely! I would recommend baking them whole and scooping out the flesh.
Can I skip the pecans?
You can leave the pecans out (or replace them with another type of nut if you’d like). The recipe is delicious either way!
I’ll be tight on time this year so I’m considering using Bruce’s canned sweet potatoes. Your recipe says that you need 3 lbs of sweet potatoes, or 3 (29oz) of Bruce’s cans. That would mean 5.4 lbs of canned sweet potatoes. Is that correct?
Great question Samantha. Since the canned measurement includes the liquid in it when you drain them well you will be left with approximately the same amount of mashed sweet potatoes as you would be with 3 lbs of cooked sweet potatoes. I hope that helps!
Yes, thank you! I made a mini version last week to test out, and it was perfect!
Wonderful! I am so happy to hear that. Happy Thanksgiving Samantha!