Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
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Sweet Potato Casserole is an easy, iconic side dish perfect for the holidays. Its smooth, velvety texture and sweet, distinctive flavor, with a crunchy pecan streusel and a hint of citrus, make it a classic favorite for your Thanksgiving table.
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In fact, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving or even Christmas for most of us without a Sweet Potato Casserole on the table.
This is a recipe we’ve made and perfected over the years… and absolutely love.
I’ve opted for a nutty pecan topping, which provides a wonderfully delicious crunchy contrast to the creamy mashed sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potato Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this iconic holiday side dish.
- Sweet Potatoes: I like to look for deeply orange-colored sweet potatoes, sometimes called “yams,” in the market.
- Large Eggs
- Melted butter
- Milk
- Brown Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Orange juice
Topping Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar (light or dark)
- Melted butter
- Chopped pecans
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, but here is a quick overview.
Step 1: Cook and mash the sweet potatoes
Cook chopped sweet potatoes in salted water until very tender; about 15 minutes. then drain and mash.
Step 2: Make the casserole filling
Butter a 2-quart baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, Whisk together melted butter, sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, beaten eggs, and orange juice. Transfer to the baking dish.
Step 3: Topping
Mix the flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a bowl until it clumps. Stir in the pecans and spread the topping over the sweet potatoes in an even layer.
Step 4: Bake
Bake until the casserole is mostly set in the center and beginning to brown on top; 25 to 30 minutes.
History of Sweet Potato Casserole
Often, there is a side dish you most look forward to during the holiday feast. For many, that dish is sweet potato casserole.
But have you ever wondered what its origins are? Much of history lies in the topping.
Celebrating the 100th year of the Sweet Potato Casserole, the Smithsonian writes:
“In the United States, sweet potato recipes can be found as far back as 1796, when Amelia Simmons published American Cookery.”
However, the Smithsonian notes, “The oldest recipe for candied yams is from 1889… Fannie Farmer’s 1918 recipe for ‘Glazed sweet potatoes’ calls for boiling the potatoes before coating them in a sugar syrup with butter and baking ‘until brown, basting twice with the remaining syrup’.”
Marshmallows or Pecans?
As I mentioned, much of the origins of sweet potato casserole lie in the topping.
The Smithsonian notes that a marshmallow-topped casserole is only a “thing” — thanks to Cracker Jacks.
Marshmallows were introduced into American households in 1907 by Angelus Marshmallows, the original maker of Cracker Jacks.
A decade later, and to drive sales, they contracted Boston Cooking School founder Janet McKenzie Hill to write a cookbook featuring marshmallows. From fudge to hot cocoa, and yes, the first documented appearances of a marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole.
The sweet potato casserole with pecans originated in the South and often contains milk or cream, brown sugar, and eggs.
I’m in the pecan camp, which one do you prefer?
What is the difference between Sweet Potato Pie and Sweet Potato Casserole?
Well? Not a whole lot. They’re both sweet, both incredibly delicious and in my opinion, each has its own place at the Thanksgiving table.
A Sweet Potato Pie is served on the dessert table and generally has no topping. It’s also most often made with granulated sugar.
On the other hand, Sweet Potato Casserole is a side dish served alongside mashed potatoes, stuffing, and roasted vegetables. It usually has a topping of a nut streusel or sometimes marshmallows.
Why Do People Eat Sweet Potatoes for Thanksgiving?
Sweet potatoes have been popular in the American South since the founding of this country.
“The tropical region of Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, and West Africa is called the ‘yam belt,'” said Frederick Opie, Ph.D., Professor of History and Society at Babson College in Boston. “When Africans came to the new world as enslaved people, they substituted sweet potatoes for yams.”
In later years, a Sweet Potato Pudding or “Pone” became popular following the Civil War. Shortly after that, love for the beautiful orange tuber began traveling to the Northern regions of the U.S.
Today, whether we’re serving a Sweet Potato Soup, a Sweet Potato Pie, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, or this casserole, know that you’re continuing a beautiful heritage for Thanksgiving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Simply replace the topping with mini marshmallows; the cooking time should be about the same, you just will know it is done when the marshmallows are puffed and golden.
You can make this casserole up to 12 hours ahead and keep it in the fridge ready for baking. Keep the topping separate to keep things crisp and sprinkle it over just before placing the casserole in the oven.
More Thanksgiving Side Recipes to Try
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Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Filling
- 4 cups sweet potatoes cubed and peeled, about 3-4 large sweet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup orange juice
Pecan Topping
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Sweet Potatoes
- Add the chopped sweet potatoes to a large pot of salted water to cover by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and maintain a simmer until the sweet potatoes are very tender; about 15 minutes. Drain and mash the sweet potatoes. Set aside.
Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 2-quart baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, mashed sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, beaten eggs, and orange juice. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Topping
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a bowl until combined and beginning to clump. Stir in the pecans and spread the topping over the sweet potatoes in an even layer.
Bake
- Bake until the casserole is mostly set in the center and beginning to brown on top; 25 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
