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.
Thanksgiving, is 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.
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. This Thanksgiving recipe goes perfectly with some of my favorite dishes like no bake pumpkin cheesecake, smoked turkey breast and instant pot cranberry sauce.
Table of Contents
- Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows Ingredients
- How Do You Make Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows?
- Tips For The Perfect Sweet Potato Casserole
- Quick Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Flavor Variations
- More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows Video
- Love This Recipe?
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows Recipe
Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows Ingredients
To make sweet potato casserole with marshmallows you will need sweet potatoes, butter, milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, an egg and vanilla extract. For the topping you will need brown sugar, flour, butter, chopped pecans and mini marshmallows.
How Do You Make Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows?
To make this sweet potato casserole with marshmallows recipe first prick your sweet potatoes with a fork, then place them on a sheet pan or baking sheet. Bake them until the potatoes are fork tender. Let the yams cool, then peel them and cut the insides into chunks or scoop the insides out of the skins.
Place the sweet potato in a large bowl with butter, milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, egg and vanilla. Mash everything together until smooth. Place the mashed sweet potatoes mixture in a baking dish. Make a streusel topping in a separate small bowl by stirring together brown sugar, flour, melted butter and pecans. Sprinkle the topping over the potatoes and bake. Add miniature marshmallows the top and bake a few more minutes. Serve the casserole and enjoy!
Tips For The Perfect Sweet Potato Casserole
- I like to roast my sweet potatoes, however, you can boil or steam cubed sweet potatoes if you would like.
- The marshmallows go on at the very end, otherwise the marshmallow topping could burn.
- I prefer to mash my sweet potatoes with a hand masher for a more rustic texture, but you can puree the sweet potatoes in a food processor if you prefer them to be on the smoother side. You could also beat them with an electric mixer until they’re light and fluffy.
- You can use any sweet potato that you like with red flesh or orange flesh including garnet or jewel yams.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you’re looking to serve a large crowd.
- The recipe will work with canned sweet potatoes, but freshly cooked potatoes have a better flavor and texture. If you’re using canned sweet potatoes, make sure they don’t contain any sugar.
Quick Tip
You can peel your roasted sweet potatoes and slice them into chunks or scoop the potatoes out of their skins. Either way works!
Recipe FAQs
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.
In order to avoid excess water in a sweet potato casserole, roast the sweet potatoes in an oven before using them in casserole. Roasting them evaporates some of the moisture.
Sweet potato casserole thickens with sweet potatoes and an egg. If you want a thicker casserole you can add an additional egg.
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Flavor Variations
This sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is fantastic; however, you can change the flavors to suit your own tastes.
- No Marshmallows: Not a fan of marshmallows? You can leave them off entirely and still have a fabulous dish.
- Nuts: If you don’t like pecans, try chopped walnuts or almonds instead.
- Dark Brown Sugar: For a more intense molasses and caramel flavor try dark brown sugar.
- Marshmallows: You can use flavored marshmallows like maple marshmallows. Feel free to arrange your marshmallows in a decorative pattern or simply sprinkle them over the top.
- Spice: For more flavor you can add two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
This recipe has gotten countless rave reviews. It’s so delicious you could have it for dessert! Your family is sure to love it too!
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Bacon Green Bean Bundles
25 mins
Cranberry Jello Salad
6 hrs 10 mins
Pomegranate Brussels Sprouts
30 mins
Winter Fruit Salad
10 mins
Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows Video
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
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.
Notes
- You can peel your roasted sweet potatoes and slice them into chunks or scoop the potatoes out of their skins. Either way works!
- I like to roast my sweet potatoes, however, you can boil or steam cubed sweet potatoes if you would like.
- The marshmallows go on at the very end, otherwise the marshmallow topping could burn.
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.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
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.
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!
So glad you enjoyed it, hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
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!
Yep, it’s fine to omit, you might want to add an additional tablespoon or two of brown sugar to make up the difference!
Do you think if i boiled the sweet potatoes instead of baking them it would make much difference?
That will work!!
I made this for a pitch in at my husband’s work, I now have to make it again at Christmas for them. It was a huge hit!
Can you make the stressel without the pecans? We have a nut allergy
Yes, you can omit the nuts!
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?
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!
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.
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
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
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!
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!
I think it would be fine to omit the egg, the potato mixture will be a little thinner but it will still taste great!
I’m going to try this for Thanksgiving. I’ve never made a sweet potato casserole before. Wish me luck.
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.
I’m so glad to hear you liked it, thanks for reporting back!
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?
I would double it for a 9×13 pan, my pan in the picture is actually much smaller, just looks big because the photos are zoomed in!
Thanks for the input on the pan size.. Appreciate that informationm.
If I needed to double the recipe, would I double ALL of the Ingredients?
Yes, you would double all the ingredients!
How do think this would do prepped the day before? Any tips?
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!
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?
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!
Could I make this with the canned yams???
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!
That sweet potato casserole would be a big hit at my house. The pecan topping is a great idea!
Thanksgiving would just not be Thanksgiving without the sweet potato casserole. Yours looks absolutely gorgeous. Just pinned!
I have never had sweet potatoes with marshmallows. It’s not really a “thing” here in Canada. But I am so dying to try it. Will need to bake this up so I can cross that one off my list 🙂
Raised in Toronto and always had sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Love it.
You will love it.
Looks lovely! Nice recipe ♥
I think my family would disown me if I didn’t make sweet potato casserole for the holidays! Love the presentation Sara! What a treat!