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 or ham 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. You can serve this casserole alongside a tender spiral ham or honey glazed ham for a fabulous meal. Don’t forget the pecan pie cheesecake for dessert! Need more help with your holiday planning? Be sure to check out my complete guide on how to cook a turkey.
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
Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
For the casserole
- 4 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- cooking spray
For the topping
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Coat a 6 quart crock pot with cooking spray.
- Place the sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla extract and water in the crock pot. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pot, then cook the potatoes on high heat for 3-4 hours or until tender.
- Uncover the pot, let the potatoes cool slightly. Add the eggs and use a hand mixer or potato masher to mash the potatoes.
- In another bowl, mix together the streusel ingredients until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the sweet potatoes.
- Cover and cook for 2 hours on high.
- Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.
Any idea how to convert the first part of the recipe to pressure cooker/instant pot?
If sweet potatoes r cooked ahead of time, any idea what cooking time would b…once the other ingredients is added….was thinking having them all mixed ready to go in fridge the night b4…thank u very much, melani from pa
Cook for 1 hour then proceed to step 4 of the recipe.
I make this recipe every Christmas and Thanksgiving. The first time I made it, I thought it was ugly. So I put it on the family gathering Thanksgiving table and hurried up and sat in the livingroom. My sister came in and asked “Who made those sweet potatoes?” Finally I said “I did”. She said “they are delicious.”
Can this be doubled?
Yes just use a larger crockpot like a 6 quart.
I made it with your orange juice option and it came out perfect.
Can I prepare everything in crockpot 2 days ahead, then turn on, on thanksgiving day
That should be fine just store it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it!
Can I used canned sweet potatoes? I already bought them thinking I would use Melinda Lee’s recipes, but yours sounds super easy and delicious. I am down to one oven and it will really help!
Yes that will work! If the canned potatoes have sugar in them you might need to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe.
Will the topping still be crispy after cooking two hours
yes it should be fine!
Not only was this easy and perfect with dinner, the brown sugar and pecan topping is out of this world delicious! Easily, a new favorite dish!
Such a delicious and easy to make sweet potato casserole. Amazing dish to make for Thanksgiving dinner.
This is genius. Pure genius. This will free up my stove for all the other dishes that you are trying to cook at the same time. Thanks for the inspiration.
What a genius way to prepare sweet potato casserole! I never knew it could be made in the slow cooker, but this is exactly how I’m going to prepare mine this year to save space in my oven too.
Sweet potato casserole looks delicious! Perfect for Thanksgiving.
Love this delicious Thanksgiving side. So comforting and flavorful. A family favorite.
This casserole was so yummy! I can eat it every evening!
I love this slow cooker casserole! So yummy and perfect for fall!
I like preparing side dishes in my slow cooker too and this sweet potato casserole sounds delicious!
I love using my slow cookers to make a couple of the sides for Thanksgiving dinner! Helps free up a little oven space. 🙂