Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping — 🍠🙌🧡 This is the BEST sweet potato casserole ever!! The sweet potatoes are tender and creamy, while the streusel topping adds a delightful buttery crunch thanks to the pecans!
Table of Contents
- Butter Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
- Ingredients in Sweet Potato Casserole
- How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
- Recipe FAQs
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- What to Serve with Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Butter Pecan Crumble Topping Recipe
- More Easy Sweet Potato Side Dishes:
Butter Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
I love sweet potatoes and have a ton of recipes using them, but I was missing a classic: sweet potato casserole.
It was about time I made it and we loved every bite because this isn’t just any ole sweet potato casserole recipe. The crunchy butter pecan crumble topping really sets it apart.
The mashed sweet potatoes are so tender, creamy, and fluffy while the crumbly streusel topping adds a buttery, brown sugary crunch thanks to the pecans.
The brown sugar caramelizes in the oven with the butter and the topping is irresistible. I kind of want to put this topping on everything now.
This is an easy sweet potato casserole recipe that’s especially perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s a no-frills side dish just like the one you grew up eating, and anyone can make it!
I was tasked with making sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving several years ago. Ironic bc I don’t actually eat the sweet potatoes. I picked this recipe bc I was attracted to the topping. It has been demanded ever since. Every single sweet potato hater in the extended family loves this. IF there are leftovers, prepare for a rumble. — TaMom
Ingredients in Sweet Potato Casserole
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy sweet potato casserole with pecan topping:
- Sweet potatoes
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Milk
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Ground nutmeg and cinnamon
- All-purpose flour
- Fisher pecan halves
I used Fisher Pecan Halves. Fisher Nuts are preservative-free and non-GMO Project Verified, making them an excellent choice for cooking and holiday baking. The resealable bag helps keep the nuts fresh for longer.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
I’m not even remotely exaggerating when I say this is the best sweet potato casserole recipe! Here’s a rough overview of the recipe steps:
- Prepare the filling: Peel, chop, and boil the sweet potatoes in a large pot until fork tender.
- Add the cooked sweet potatoes to a large bowl along with the eggs, butter, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- Mash to combine (I like to use a potato masher!), turn the sweet potato mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Make the pecan topping: Melt the butter, then toss with the brown sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in the pecans.
- Assemble and bake: Sprinkle the crumble topping over the sweet potatoes. Bake until the top is lightly golden brown, the edges are set, and the center is mostly set.
Recipe FAQs
My sweet potato casserole took 50 minutes to bake at 350ºF because I started with it cold from the fridge (I prepped it the night before). Note that baking times will vary based on the pan used (glass or ceramic baking dishes will bake for longer than metal pans), your oven, climate, ingredient variances, etc. To be safe, start checking your pecan-topped sweet potato casserole at 30 minutes.
The butter pecan topping will be golden brown and the center should be set (it will never be firm like a cake, but it shouldn’t be runny or have lots of jiggle to it).
4 pounds. My best advice is to weigh your potatoes at the grocery store to see how many you’ll need. The number of sweet potatoes needed will vary depending on their size.
Yes! If you prefer sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top, follow my classic sweet potato casserole recipe instead.
Unbaked casserole will last up to three days in the fridge, while the baked casserole will keep for about a week.
Yes, very easily! Here’s how:
1. Assemble the entire casserole the night before, cover it with foil, and refrigerate it until ready to bake.
2. Baked the prepped casserole straight from the refrigerator, adding 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
In the fridge: If stored in an airtight container, leftovers will last up to 1 week.
In the freezer: Assemble the sweet potato layer, bake, let cool, then freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat the prepped casserole, thaw overnight in the fridge. Make a fresh batch of topping, sprinkle it over the casserole, and bake until done.
To reheat: Cover with foil so the pecan topping doesn’t burn, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 300ºF, or until warm.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Casserole
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Sweet Potato Casserole with Butter Pecan Crumble Topping
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 pounds raw sweet potatoes, diced into large chunks and boiled
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup milk, I used unsweetened cashewmilk
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
Topping
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 cup Fisher Pecan Halves
Instructions
Make the Filling
- To a large stockpot, add the sweet potato chunks, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 2.5 to 3-quart baking dish or a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
- To the large bowl with the sweet potatoes, add the eggs, butter, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, optional nutmeg, optional cinnamon, and beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed until combined and fluffy.
- Turn out into baking dish, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula; set aside.
Make the Pecan Topping
- To a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
- Add the brown sugar, flour, salt, and toss with a fork or your fingers until moist crumbs form.
- Add the pecans and toss to incorporate.
- Evenly turn topping out over filling.
Bake
- Bake the sweet potato casserole for about 45 minutes (or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours if you’re prepping it in advance), or until top is lightly golden browned, set on the edges, and mostly set in the center. Mine took 50 minutes because I started with it cold from the fridge because I prepped it the night before. Baking time will vary based on pan used (glass or ceramic baking dishes will bake for longer than metal pans), oven, climate, ingredient variances, etc. Start checking at 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately. Extra will keep airtight for up to 1 week in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Sweet Potato Side Dishes:
All of my Thanksgiving recipes!
Classic Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows — 🍠🙌🧡 Tender and creamy sweet potatoes, the subtle crunch of a buttery pecan crumble, and gooey marshmallows make this comfort food side dish an automatic family FAVORITE!
Savory Sweet Potato Casserole — If you thought sweet potato casserole couldn’t get any better, wait until you taste it topped with candied bacon and pecans!
Easy Homemade Candied Yams — Learn how to make the BEST candied yams which are baked in the most wonderful buttery cinnamon-and-sugar sauce!
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows — 🍠🙌🧡 Sweet, creamy, decadent, and reminiscent of sweet potato casserole but individually portioned! FAST and EASY enough for family dinners or make them for more formal holiday celebrations!
Sweet Potato Bites with Marshmallows and Pecans — Sliced sweet potato rounds are brushed with a maple cinnamon-and-sugar mixture, baked, and then topped with marshmallows and pecans!
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad — Goodbye mayo-loaded, mushy, boring potato salad. Hello to a Mexican-inspired potato salad full of flavor and texture with corn, black beans, peppers, and cilantro!
Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole — A HEALTHIER and DELICIOUS twist on sweet potato casserole!! The potatoes and apples retain some texture with the perfect amount of crumble topping!
Post is brought to you by Fisher. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own. #ThinkFisher
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fisher nuts. The opinions and text are all mine.
I made this last year at Christmas and it was a big hit with adults and kiddos. I did substitute walnuts because my sister is allergic to pecans, and I added a few marshmallows just broiled on the top because I thought that the kids would like it… and we all did!!!
(I know someone asked before… I did make this the day before and it worked out well.)
I am excited to make it again this year!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that you will make it again this year! Thank you for chiming in that you added marshmallows, so many people have asked about this in the comments, I hope they read your comment. I have never added marshmallows to this particular recipe so I’ve never been able to say definitively to do it or not do it, but it sounds like they turned out great for you just boiling them briefly. I hope you enjoy this dish on Christmas again!
My cousin made this for Thanksgiving and it is, hands down, the best sweet potato casserole EVER. It had the bunch of us ooo-ing and ahhh-ing! SO delicious!
I plan to make this for Christmas because we are all anxious to eat this dish again!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you think it’s hands down the best sweet potato casserole ever and everyone was oohing and ahhing! Hope it’s just as good for you on Xmas!
This was a delicious addition to our Thanksgiving dinner. It even tastes good cold. As my husband is diabetic, I left the white sugar out of the filling and cut the brown sugar to 1/4 cup. It was yummy and the topping would be good on everything! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it waas a delicious addition for you!
Should the potatoes be skinned?
Yes
I need to travel about 45 min with this dish. I will prepare tonight and bake in the morning. Will it be okay to serve it about an hour after baking?
Yes fine but if possible I would ask the host if you can pop it in the oven to heat it up briefly. It’s fine lukewarm/room temp but I prefer it hotter but if there is no oven space or other factors at hand, it will still be fine.
That’s what I was thinking ….thank you!
Has anyone tried adding marshmallows to this dish.
I personally have not done so.
It was a great hit at my first Thanksgiving gather (that I hosted). Everyone was asking about the recipe :) I did add marshmallows just because I had some in the pantry and cut back on the sugar. Thank you!!
I have.made a very similar recipe but use the mini marshmallows, too and my family has loved it. It’s been requested year after year for many years. Now have passed in on to grown children. Pass your recipes on while you still can!!
That is great advice! Thankfully all mine have a digital record which will live on (I hope)!
Hi I’m wanting to make this for Thanksgiving. How many sweet potatoes roughly is 4 lbs worth?
It just truly depends on how big the potatoes are. Weigh them at the store.
This casserole was so delicious and a star on our Thanksgiving table. I did not make any changes,
other than using real dairy. As my adult daughter said, “it’s a keeper!” I plan to make it again and again. Thank you!
Would it keep if you prepared two days before baking?
Possibly but I haven’t tried it so cannot say for sure.
Where do you get that milk from?
From my local grocery store.
I’m making the sweepotato casserole.
Can I use frozen sweet potatoes?
I never have tried it that way so not sure how that would work.
So my daughter has requested this for this years dinner, however she is the only one that will eat it. DO you think this recipe could be halved and placed on a smaller dish?
Yes I think that would be fine.
I was confused by the make ahead instructions. Do you fully bake it and then refrigerate and reheat? Or do you just prep it with pecan topping, refrigerate, and then fully bake it the next day?
The second half – just prep it with pecan topping, refrigerate, and then fully bake it.
Hi Inwas wondering if almond flour was ok? Looking for gluten free idea.
Thanks
Marianne
Definitely would not use almond flour. I would use a GF baking blend BUT…. I have not tried it that way and really don’t know how it will turn out.
This is my FAVORITE casserole dish! Its been a family recipe for years! I now use coconut milk in place of milk & add organic cranberries to it!! SO Yummy!
I do wonder tho.. If the chips would go well with the pecan toppings?? hmmm..
I may be experimenting this year!!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this has been a family recipe for years now!
How many sweet potatoes did you use?
You need 4 pounds worth how many ever potatoes that takes you. They vary greatly in their size as you know.
Hello!
Would it be good to put marshmallows on top of the pecans? Or does that sound weird to do?
Just wondering.
This topping, for us, is perfect and we don’t want the marshmallows in addition to this topping since we love the topping, as is. But you could experiment with marshmallows and see how it goes for you and if you prefer it that way or without.