The ONLY sweet potato casserole recipe you need! Creamy whipped sweet potatoes with cinnamon and nutmeg are topped with a crunchy brown sugar pecan topping in this Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping.
Instead of marshmallows, our recipe has a crunchy, crumbly pecan topping: we’re proud to say it’s the best sweet potato recipe ever!
Southern sweet potatoes are a family favorite of Thanksgiving side dishes and for good reason. It’s a rich, sweet casserole that pairs wonderfully with other seasonal Fall flavors, and it’s SO easy to put together!
This easy make-ahead sweet potato casserole forgoes the marshmallow topping for a crumbly pecan topping everyone will love.
Sweet potatoes are the perfect Fall ingredient. We love everything from glazed sweet potatoes, to a classic recipe for candied yams, to sweet potato casserole as soon as this time of year rolls around!
They’re perfect for Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas, too; imagine, sweet potato casserole with a serving of Maple Glazed Ham… yes, please!
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Ingredients
Our easy sweet potato casserole recipe requires just a handful of common, fresh ingredients. No canned sweet potatoes here! The best part is that you can make a delicious Southern Sweet Potato Casserole recipe using fresh sweet potatoes just as easily as if you were cracking open a can. We know you’ll love this sweet potato casserole with pecans!
- Sweet Potatoes: You’re going to need 4-5 large sweet potatoes to end up with about 4 cups of cooked mashed sweet potatoes.
- Sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, and butter to make your potatoes rich and creamy!
- Spices and flavors: pure vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg for those comforting fall flavors.
- Crumb topping ingredients: butter, brown sugar, flour, and chopped pecans.
Below are the exact measurements you will need for the ingredients to make this simple Southern sweet potato casserole with pecan topping.
Ingredients
- 4-5 sweet potatoes large
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 stick butter melted
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
For the pecan topping
- 1/2 stick butter melted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans chopped
How to Prepare the Sweet Potatoes
You will need about 4 to 5 large sweet potatoes for a 9×9 casserole. When selecting your potatoes, look for potatoes that don’t have any blemishes or bruises.
You can prepare your sweet potatoes for use in the casserole by easily baking them. Personally, we love the deep flavor from baked sweet potatoes, the intense flavor is so good! Follow the directions below.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Here’s the step-by-step guide to making our easy sweet potato casserole. We truly believe this is the best sweet potato casserole recipe ever, and we’re sure you’ll agree once you try it.
And, as an added bonus – your home is about to smell amazing!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pierce sweet potatoes several times all over with a fork and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake sweet potatoes until tender, about 60 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, peel sweet potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Whip sweet potatoes with an electric mixer until fluffy and smooth. You need about 4 cups of whipped sweet potatoes.
- Add sugar, eggs, butter, evaporated milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg to the sweet potatoes.
- Mix with an electric mixer and put it in a greased square casserole dish.
- Add topping ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Spread on top of sweet potatoes.
- Bake the casserole for 30-35 minutes until heated through.
That’s it! These are all the steps you need to follow to make a delicious batch of Southern Sweet Potato Casserole. Say hello to your new favorite sweet potato side dish!
Southern recipes are the best! This easy recipe is sure to become one of your favorite Thanksgiving sides! Everyone at the table will be asking you for the recipe!
And don’t forget the make our delicious Thanksgiving Turkey recipe and Thanksgiving Ham recipe! Both are super easy to prepare and are packed with flavor!
Can you make sweet potato casserole ahead of time?
YES! You can easily turn this into a make-ahead sweet potato casserole by cooking your sweet potatoes and whipping them up ahead of time. Store them in your casserole dish, tightly covered in the refrigerator, for a couple of days.
You can also make the topping ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator separate from the casserole. The day that you’re ready to bake it, spread the topping on top and pop it in the oven. You’ll need to add a few extra minutes in the oven since you’ll be cooking it from cold, but that’s it!
Can you freeze sweet potato casserole?
YES! Sweet potatoes freeze well and this Southern dish would be a great frozen staple to keep on hand for busy nights.
We recommend preparing the potatoes as instructed but making the topping on the day you plan to bake it. Just thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight and you’ll be good to go!
What to Make with Sweet Potato Casserole
Thanksgiving first comes to mind when we think about serving baked sweet potato recipes, but this dish is also excellent alongside ham (think Easter spread!) and is a great holiday potluck dish or a side for any meal of the year – especially as a part of your buffet menu ideas for the holidays!
You could also eat this as a dessert (it is similar to a sweet potato pie recipe) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We’re not against a little sweet potato casserole for breakfast, too. Aren’t Southern dishes the absolute best? You can eat them any time of day from breakfast to dessert!
Thanksgiving Potluck Ideas
Wondering what to bring to a potluck? Here are some scrumptious recipes to up your Holiday Potluck Ideas:
- Easy Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
- Slow Cooker Stuffing
- Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole
- Creamy Mashed Potato Casserole
We have all your side dishes right here! Check out our guide for The Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes.
We hope you’ll love our easy sweet potato casserole. Let us know how you like your sweet potatoes in the comments below and with a rating! We love to hear from you.
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Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 4-5 sweet potatoes large
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 stick butter melted
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
For topping
- 1/2 stick butter melted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pierce potatoes several times all over with a fork and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake potatoes until tender, about 60 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Whip potatoes with an electric mixer until fluffy and smooth. You need about 4 cups of whipped sweet potatoes.
- Add sugar, eggs, butter, evaporated milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg to the potatoes.
- Mix with electric mixer and put in a greased square casserole dish.
- Add topping ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Spread on top of potatoes.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until heated through.
Video
Notes
- Make it ahead of time: Turn this into a make ahead sweet potato casserole by cooking your sweet potatoes and whipping them up ahead of time. Store them, tightly covered, in a casserole dish in the refrigerator, for up to a couple of days ahead of time. You can make the topping ahead of time by simply preparing it and storing it to spread on before baking.
- Freeze it: Prepare the potatoes as instructed but make the topping on the day you plan to bake it. Thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight, and you are good to go!
Nutrition
Updated 11/19/2019.
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Liz @ Books n' Cooks says
This looks really amazing!
David says
I am not a big fan of the sweet potatoes but i decided to try them out in this combination. I have to say that i am pleased i did. Thank you.
Em Beitel says
We are SO glad you tried it, David! We love this take on Sweet Potato Casserole.
Amanda says
I just made a DOUBLE batch of this. Can’t wait to show off in front of my family. Thanks for the recipe.
Em Beitel says
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Amanda!
Jack says
Mine is in the oven now. It smells so good. I tried a tiny bit with a spoon and i think it will taste as amazing as it smells.
Em Beitel says
So glad to hear it, Jack!
Anne says
This is such a wonderful recipe! I have made it many times now, and my family, particularly my parents, love it!
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Anne!
Jason says
Thank you for this absolutely wonderful recipe! I made this for Thanksgiving and got great reviews. Now i am making it again for my friends.
Em Beitel says
That is awesome! Thank you so much, Jason!