Sweet Potato Casserole

This Sweet Potato Casserole is creamy and sweet with a decadent, crunchy streusel topping. It has the most amazing flavors and textures and is a must make for the holidays! Marshmallows are optional!

Looking for the best sides for the holidays? Don’t miss out on these favorites: Cranberry Sauce, Turkey Gravy and Dinner Rolls!

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Classic side dishes are what makes Thanksgiving and Christmas so memorable and this easy Sweet Potato Casserole is the quintessential holiday recipe. It’s sure to have your guests experiencing all the holiday feels in the best way possible.

Sweet potatoes find their way into every holiday meal in our home. Whether it’s this stunning Sweet Potato Casserole, soft and fluffy Sweet Potato Biscuits or Candied Sweet Potatoes, they are a must make and a favorite with my family.

My easy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe combines the fabulous flavor of sweet potatoes with autumnal flavors like cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla and is topped off with a decadent pecan streusel topping. It’s as easy as making a batch of sweet and spiced mashed sweet potatoes and stirring together a simple streusel and popping it in the oven.

The result? A sweet and savory side dish that will have your guests asking for seconds. It’s just that good.

Sweet Potatoes: Boil vs Bake

There are two ways to go about cooking the sweet potatoes for this sweet potato casserole recipe: boiling or baking. I’m showing you how I boil them in the video below but if you prefer to bake them, just refer to my how to bake sweet potatoes recipe. You’ll just bake the potatoes and then scoop out the filling and proceed with the recipe as written. Super easy and totally delish.

A third option is to use the microwave!

1. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes.
2. Pierce each potato several times with a fork.
3. Wrap in a damp paper towel.
4. Microwave on high for 5 to 10 minutes on a microwave safe plate until fork tender (flip potatoes halfway through).

What To Serve With Sweet Potato Casserole

My family loves sweet potatoes any way I make them. Whether we’re making simple baked sweet potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes or even serving up a bath of my sweet potato biscuits, there is something so homey and comforting about a sweet potato recipe.

There is no wrong way to eat this easy sweet potato casserole and there is no wrong way to serve it! But here are some of our favorite dishes to serve alongside this recipe:

1. Cranberry Orange Relish
2. Nana’s Famous Green Bean Recipe
3. Homemade Cornbread
4. The BEST Homemade Mashed Potatoes
5. Crockpot Turkey Breast
6. The BEST Dinner Rolls
7. Best Ever Cranberry Sauce

Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients

You are going to love how easy this recipe is to make! I love a sweet potato casserole with pecans so this streusel has loads of them! As always, you can find a printable recipe card at the end of this post. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need to have on hand:

• sweet potatoes – you’ll need about 3 large sweet potatoes or 4 to 6 medium sized ones.
• butter – used in the mashed sweet potatoes and also the streusel topping.
• brown sugar – I like dark brown sugar in this recipe but light brown sugar will also work.
• eggs – creates a lovely lightness to the sweet potato filling.
• cinnamon – used in the mashed sweet potatoes and also the streusel topping.
• vanilla extract – use the real stuff for the best flavor.
• salt – brings out all the flavors in this amazing dish.
• half and half – whole milk can also be used by half and half makes it richer.
• all purpose flour – for the streusel topping.
• pecans – I start with pecan halves and then give them a rough chop. You can also leave them as pecan halves.
• miniature marshmallows – an optional finish to this casserole.

How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole

This casserole comes together as easy as 1-2-3. Let’s see how easy it is to make:

1. Cook the sweet potatoes until fork tender. The sweet potatoes can be boiled or baked or even cooked in the microwave. See above or below in the recipe card for more information.

Prepare the Filling

1. Mash the sweet potatoes together with the butter.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (brown sugar, eggs, half and half, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt) and mash together.
3. Spread in the baking dish and set aside.

Prepare Streusel Topping

1. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and ground cinnamon.
2. Add the pecans and melted butter and stir together until pecans are evenly coated with the mixture.
3. Spread the streusel evenly on top of the sweet potatoes.

Bake the Casserole

1. Bake casserole for 25 to 35 minutes. If adding marshmallows, sprinkle on the casserole about 15 minutes before the casserole is done.
2. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving. 

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

Lots of people love the nostalgia factor that comes with a sweet potato casserole with a gooey sweet layer of toasted marshmallows on top. I get it. In fact, when I’m making this recipe for Thanksgiving, I make it half with and half without marshmallows. That way everyone can serve themselves exactly what they want.

If using marshmallows, sprinkle over the top of the casserole with about 15 minutes remaining and cook until they are just golden brown on top.

More Holiday Favorites

1. Mashed Potatoes
2. Crockpot Turkey Breast
3. Dinner Rolls
4. Cranberry Sauce
5. Turkey Gravy
6. Cornbread Stuffing
7. Green Bean Recipe
8. Twice Baked Potato Casserole
9. Dinner Rolls
10. Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
11. Sausage Stuffing Recipe
12. Creamed Corn 

How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole