Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole

This crock pot sweet potato casserole is yams mashed with sweetener, vanilla and spices, then finished off with a brown sugar pecan topping. A decadent side dish that’s perfect for the holidays and super easy to make!

When the holidays roll around, oven space is at a premium for those big elaborate meals. I solve this problem by preparing side dishes in my slow cooker, such as crock pot mashed potatoes, slow cooker creamed corn and this crock pot sweet potato casserole.

I love my slow cooker all year round, but especially during Thanksgiving. That giant, juicy turkey fills up my whole oven, so I use my stove top and other kitchen appliances to take care of the side dishes. This crock pot sweet potato casserole features a creamy mashed sweet potato base, topped with plenty of brown sugar streusel.

How do you make crock pot sweet potato casserole?

Start by peeling your sweet potatoes and cutting them into 1 inch pieces. Place the potatoes in a crock pot with butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla extract and water, then toss to combine. Cook the potatoes until they are soft. Add eggs, then use a hand mixer or a potato masher to mash the sweet potatoes to make the base of the casserole. Next, mix together brown sugar, flour, butter and pecans to make a streusel. Sprinkle the streusel over the mashed sweet potatoes. Cover the crock pot, and continue to cook until the topping has set. Serve and enjoy.

Tips for the perfect dish

• I prefer to use fresh sweet potatoes for this casserole, but you can use canned sweet potatoes in a pinch. Just make sure they don’t contain any added sugar.
• Be sure to cut your potatoes into similar sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate.
• I recommend using a 6 quart crock pot for this recipe. You can also cut the recipe in half and cook it in a 4 quart pot.
• If you prefer a crunchier streusel topping, you can place a clean dish towel over the top of the crock pot before you put the lid back on. This will prevent any condensation from dripping down into the topping.
• Leftover crock pot sweet potato casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave.

Make ahead instructions

The number one question I get for holiday recipes is, can I make this dish in advance? I don’t recommend making this entire casserole in advance, but you can definitely do some of the prep work ahead of time. The sweet potatoes can be cut and peeled up to a day in advance. You can also prepare the streusel up to 8 hours in advance, just store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Crock Pot sweet potato casserole flavor variations

While this dish is great as is, you can add other flavors to make it your own!

• Flavorings: Amp up the flavor of your sweet potatoes by adding extra spices such as nutmeg, cloves or allspice. Feel free to stir in a little orange zest, or swap out the water for orange juice.
• Toppings: Sometimes I like to add a cup of mini marshmallows to the top of my casserole during the last 5 minutes of the cooking time.
• Nuts: Feel free to swap out the pecans for almonds, walnuts, oats or coconut. You can also omit the nuts if you have an allergy.

Once you see how good this slow cooker sweet potato casserole is, you’ll find yourself making it year after year!

More side dishes you’ll enjoy

• Baked Mac and Cheese
• Cranberry Salad
• Southern Cornbread Dressing
• Crispy Brussels Sprouts
• Honey Roasted Carrots

Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole