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Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

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This recipe for sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is mashed spiced sweet potatoes, topped with both a pecan streusel topping and plenty of mini marshmallows. A holiday classic that’s a family favorite!

Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and pecans, how can you go wrong with that combination? This easy sweet potato casserole is THE BEST, it’s sure to become a tradition on your Thanksgiving table. Serve it alongside Southern cornbread dressing and bacon roasted brussels sprouts.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows Recipe | Sweet Potato Casserole | Thanksgiving Side Dish #sweetpotatoes #casserole #marshmallow #sidedish #thanksgiving #fall #dinner #dinneratthezoo

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows in a white baking dish with a serving spoon in it.

I can’t believe that October is almost over, it feels like we were just saying goodbye to summer! I’m already thinking about Thanksgiving, it’s one of my favorite holidays. Let me tell you: this sweet potato casserole with marshmallows? Is the best sweet potato casserole I’ve ever had. It’s a MUST for the holidays, to be honest, my kids ask for it year round.

Sweet Potato Casserole with marshmallows and brown sugar pecan streusel in a baking dish.

This easy sweet potato casserole has the best of both worlds with a crunchy pecan streusel topping AND a generous amount of mini marshmallows. The mashed sweet potato mixture underneath all that topping is just lightly sweetened to create the perfect balance between savory and sweet.

Roasted sweet potatoes on a sheet pan.

How do you cook sweet potatoes?

I like to roast whole sweet potatoes for this recipe. It’s super easy and you can just scoop the potatoes out of their skins, so there’s no peeling involved! You also have the option of boiling or steaming cubed and peeled sweet potatoes.

Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and pecan streusel, with a spoonful removed.

How do you make sweet potato casserole?

This recipe starts with the sweet potatoes. I prefer to mash my sweet potatoes with a hand masher for a more rustic texture, but you can definitely puree the sweet potatoes in a food processor if you prefer them to be on the smooth side. Another option is to beat them with a mixer until they’re light and fluffy.

Sweet potatoes, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in a mixing bowl.

The sweet potatoes are mixed with brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and butter. Aren’t you hungry just thinking about it? The casserole is topped with an easy pecan streusel and then goes into the oven. The marshmallows don’t go on until the very end, otherwise they could burn. All you do from there is serve and enjoy!

Mashed sweet potatoes in a baking dish.

Tips for sweet potato casserole

  • Not a fan of marshmallows? You can leave them off entirely and still have a fabulous dish.
  • If you don’t like pecans, try walnuts or almonds instead.
  • You can arrange your marshmallows in a decorative pattern like I’ve done here, or simply sprinkle them over the top. It’s delicious either way.

Sweet potato casserole topped with pecan streusel.

Can you make sweet potato casserole in advance?

The number one question I’m asked about this recipe is, can it be made in advance? Yes, you can assemble this casserole the day before you plan to bake it. Simply cook and mash the potatoes, then add the streusel topping, cover and refrigerate.

You may need to add 7-10 minutes to the bake time if you’re starting with a cold casserole. I almost always assemble it early on so that my time is freed up to work on other holiday dishes on the day of the big event.

Sweet potato casserole with streusel and marshmallows and a serving spoon in the dish.

This recipe has gotten countless rave reviews, your family is sure to love it too!

More thanksgiving side dishes

Sweet Potato Casserole Video


This recipe for a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is mashed spiced sweet potatoes, topped with both a pecan streusel topping and plenty of mini marshmallows. A holiday classic that's a family favorite!
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5 from 28 votes

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

This recipe for a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is mashed spiced sweet potatoes, topped with both a pecan streusel topping and plenty of mini marshmallows. A holiday classic that's a family favorite!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword sweet potato casserole, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 505kcal
Author Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients

For the casserole

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes cleaned
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • cooking spray

For the topping

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup miniature marshmallows

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Prick the potatoes with a fork and place them on the pan.
  • Bake the potatoes until tender, 45 minutes to an hour.
  • When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them open, scoop out the insides and place the potatoes in a large bowl.
  • Add the 4 tablespoons of butter, milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, egg and vanilla to the bowl.
  • Use a potato masher or hand mixer to mash or beat the potatoes until mostly smooth.
  • Grease a 9 inch square pan or 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly in the pan.
  • In another bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, melted butter and pecans until crumbly. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the sweet potatoes.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until topping has lightly browned.
  • Remove from oven, sprinkle the marshmallows over the top then return to the oven.
  • Bake for an additional 3-5 or until marshmallows are just melted.
  • Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 238mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 47g

This post was originally published in October of 2016 and was updated November 2018 with new and improved content.

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Comments


  1. We are from Guatemala, Central America so we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but this is my third Christmas doing this casserole and my family LOVES IT!! Also, this year I’m trying the turkey brine recipe, thanks a lot!! 🙂

    Reply


  2. I made this for a work potluck and for my family as well for thanksgiving. It was a HUGE hit!! everyone loved it and they were practically licking the pan clean LOL. I’ve been dreaming about this casserole that today I decided to make it again! Im only making half the recipe with the canned version. Hopefully it turns out just as delicious! currently impatiently waiting for it to be done!

    Reply


  3. This was delicious!! And a big hit with the family. The only substitution I had to do was honey for maple syrup. I didn’t realize I needed it until the day of. It came out great. Thank you for this recipe. Hope your thanksgiving was great. Happy holidays

    Reply


  4. I used canned yams for sake of time and ease and then omitted the 1/4 c. brown sugar. It was soooo good! Love the combo with crumble topping and marshmallows, thank you!

    Reply

        • Canned yams often contain added sugar. Just check the ingredients list on your can, if there’s sugar added you can cut back the amount of sugar in this recipe. If there’s no sugar added, just follow the recipe as written!

          Reply


  5. I made it! I did, I did and it turned out fantastic! I must admit that I made some changes
    I used coconut milk instead of reg milk (the refrigerated version, not canned)
    Rice Flour instead of regular flour (a lot of my family is gluten free)
    I did use walnuts instead of pecans.
    I was told that the topping was good by my family members however, I think I want to try almond meal or maybe gluten free oatmeal.
    It was sooooo easy and delicious. Next time I make it I will cont to use the coconut milk but will use reg flour. I will need help arranging my marshmallows better!
    Thank you thank you thank you!

    Reply


  6. I’m going to make this for Thanksgiving dinner =) when I was looking at the recipe it says 1/4 cup milk, and packed brown sugar. And 1 teaspoon cinnamon and vanilla. And 4 tablespoons melted butter. But when I kept reading it says add 4 teaspoons of the milk,brown sugar, melted butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon and egg and vanilla. Do I go by the ingredients in the beginning?? Just dont want to make any mistakes.

    Reply

  7. I just went to the store to get the ingredients and one sweet potato weighed 2 lbs. The recipe only calls for 2 lbs. How many potatoes do I really need. This is my first attempt to make a casserole and trying to learn. Help!!

    Reply

    • You do want about 2 lbs, that must be one big sweet potato! That being said, the measurements on the filling for this casserole don’t have to be exact. If you want to do 2 1/4 lbs if you feel like 2 lbs isn’t enough, that’s fine. But the recipe is designed to be made with 2 lbs. Hope that helps!

      Reply

    • You could substitute white sugar for brown sugar in the sweet potato filling, but I don’t know if white sugar would be a suitable substitute for brown sugar in the streusel. I’ve never tried it that way and typically streusel toppings contain brown sugar.

      Reply


  10. This is so yummy. I love the make ahead tips. This year I thought I’d try using pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon, do you think I’d just use the same amount as I do for the cinnamon? Thanks!

    Reply

  11. I’m hoping to try this recipe for Thanksgiving. If I double it and use a 9×13 pan, how long would the baking time be? Thanks!

    Reply

    • You can add about 15-20 minutes to the bake time, you’re basically just trying to warm everything through. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply


  16. It looks so delicious and this recipe makes more delicious by adding marshmallow on the top of it. I will definitely try to make this for my kids.

    Reply


  18. Oh how I love sweet potato casserole and yet some how only manage to make it like once a year! This needs to change! I love your recipe, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  20. I had honestly not had sweet potato casserole until a year ago! My mom never made it, I have no idea why! It is delicious!

    Reply


  21. It’s the time of year where my thoughts drift to sweet potatoes and marshmallows! My mom makes a recipe similar to this one and it is delicious. I imagine yours is as well.

    Reply

  23. This is definitely one of my favorite side dishes. I love how marshmallows and sweet potatoes just mixed together perfectly. I can’t wait to make it again for Thanksgiving.

    Reply


  24. Oh yes please. I Just love this casserole so much. I have yet to make it on my own, and I really should. I normally pile it on my plate when we go to Golden Corral. Judging from this recipe, I think I can make it on my own.

    Reply

  26. The only difference between your recipe and mine is I have to leave out the nuts. Nobody does nuts in my family. We make this all the time not just for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

    Reply

  27. i hav been loving all things sweet potato and this looks like heaven my friend! i may be making this for thanksgiving and will use your recipe! YUM!

    Reply

  29. This has become a super popular side dish at most Thanksgiving tables these days, but sadly I don’t like sweet potatoes, so I stick with mashed 🙂

    Reply

  32. If I had to use canned sweet potatoes for this, how many cups would be required to match up with the other ingredients?

    Reply


  35. I made this over Thanksgiving and it was delicious!! Didn’t have pecans on hand so I used walnuts instead. I am making it for an office pot luck this Friday and will double the marshmallows for fun 🙂 Thank you!!

    Reply


  36. My nephew’s fiancée brought this to our Thanksgiving dinner. I LOVED this recipe and asked her for it. We live in Georgia and have access to lots of pecans (if it’s a good year for them). I’m going to be making this often since my son will eat sweet potatoes, but not squash. I might even try sneaking in some squash, just to get him to eat it!! He’ll probably never know the difference! Sometimes as a mom, I have to be sneaky to get him to eat any veggies! This was a huge hit with our family! Thanks for posting this.

    Reply


  37. I made this for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday (first time I have ever made a sweet potato casserole) and it was a huge hit. The only thing I changed was omitting the pecans. Even my super picky daughter had 2 helpings. This is a keeper.

    Reply

  38. Well this recipe was an absolute hit! This is the best sweet potato casserole I’ve ever made or tasted. Definitely saving this one and busting it out again for the holidays!

    Reply


  39. Hello! Do you think it would be ok to omit the maple syrup? I completely forgot to pick up some! Can I replace it with something else?

    Thank you!

    Reply

  43. So if I am prepping the day before I don’t add the marshmallows after it has already been in the oven? And do you bake covered or uncovered?

    Reply

    • I just prepped mine for tomorrow! I made the mashed sweet potatoes and topped them with the streusel, now it’s covered in the fridge. Right before I bake it tomorrow I’ll add the marshmallows, and I bake uncovered!

      Reply

      • Thanks for answering back so quickly! I’m working on mine for tomorrow right now. Just wasn’t sure if the marshmallows would burn being in oven from beginning to end like that.

        Reply

        • You know what, I answered you without re-reading my recipe!! The recipe says to add the marshmallows during the last 5 minutes! Thanks for reminding me

          Reply

  44. Looks delicious, actually starting to prep it today. Do you think instead of milk I can use nonfat Greek yogurt? Also, do I bake for the 25-30 minutes tonight then refridgerate and bake tomorrow with the marshmallows? Or just do all the baking tomorrow? Thank you

    Reply

    • I think you could use yogurt instead of milk. When I make this advance, I do all the baking the next day. I make the sweet potato mixture and add the streusel on top, then cover and refrigerate. I add the marshmallows during the last 5 minutes of the baking process. Hope that helps!

      Reply


  45. Hey, there! Thank you for the thorough, easy to follow recipe! Making tomorrow! Do you think omitting the egg would be an issue? Thank you dearly for sharing your culinary skills!

    Reply


  47. I tried this recipe out for an early Thanksgiving dinner and it was a total hit with my family! It has all the right ingredients in it to make it awesome. The only difference I made was I prepped the sweet potatoes the night before. I microwaved the sweet potatoes in a glass covered dish for 2 minutes, turned them over and microwaved it another 2 minutes and then left it in the microwave another five minutes (or longer) to finish cooking. After they cooled off I put them in the fridge and the next day I just peeled off the skin, mashed them up and prepared the recipe. If you like cinnamon, pecans and marshmallows, this recipe is for you.

    Reply

  48. I’m just curious. Your picture looks like a 9×13 pan but the recipe calls for a 9 inch square, did you double the recipe? If I plan on using a 9x 13, should I double it or 1 1/2 it?

    Reply

    • I actually prepped it the day before I made it for this post, and it was fine! Prep it through adding the streusel topping then cover and store in the fridge. Add the marshmallows during the last 5 minutes of the bake time, you may need to add a few minutes to the bake time since you’re starting with a cold dish. Hope that helps!

      Reply

      • Sorry, will you explain the prepping again? Not much of a cook but my husband really wants to make this for our Friendsgiving! What prep can you do the day before? and what needs to be done the day of?

        Reply

        • The day before, you can bake the potatoes and mash them with the sugar/egg/spices. Spread them in the greased baking dish. Then make the streusel and sprinkle it over the top. Cover with foil and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Right before baking, uncover and add the marshmallows during the last 5 minutes of baking. You’ll probably need to add an extra 5-10 minutes to the bake time if you’re starting with a cold casserole. Hope that helps!

          Reply

        • You could, but if your canned yams are sweetened, you’ll want to cut back on the sugar that’s added to the sweet potatoes!

          Reply

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