Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

This sweet potato casserole with pecans is lightly sweetened mashed sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy brown sugar pecan streusel. A classic make-ahead recipe that’s perfect for the holidays.

I love a good sweet potato casserole – my sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is one of the top recipes on this site! I know that some people aren’t marshmallow fans, so I’ve developed a more adult version of the casserole with a sweet pecan topping. This is a must-make for Thanksgiving!

Sweet potato casserole is a Thanksgiving tradition that cannot be skipped. There are so many ways to showcase sweet potatoes, but this sweet potato casserole with pecans is one of my favorites. The crunchy, buttery topping is totally irresistible!

How do you make sweet potato casserole with pecans?

This casserole starts with roasted sweet potatoes, which are peeled then mashed with brown sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, egg and butter. The mashed sweet potatoes go into a baking dish, then the brown sugar crumble goes over the top. The casserole is then baked until the streusel is browned and sweet potatoes are piping hot.

Tips for sweet potato casserole

• Miss the marshmallows? Sprinkle 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows over the top during the last 5 minutes of the baking process.
• I prefer to roast my sweet potatoes, but you can also steam or boil your potatoes if you’d rather cook them that way.
• This casserole can be assembled up to one day before you plan to serve it. You may need to add more bake time to compensate for starting with a cold casserole.
• Don’t love pecans? Walnuts or even almonds are a great substitute.
• If you want silky smooth sweet potatoes, try pureeing them in a food processor rather than mashing them by hand.

This sweet potato casserole is best served right after baking. If you try to bake it then reheat it later, the streusel topping may soften and it won’t be quite as good texture wise.

You can bake your sweet potato casserole in a 9″ square pan or any other shaped baking dish that has a capacity of about 2 quarts. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you need to feed a crowd. When I’m feeding a large group, I double the ingredient amounts, then use a 9″x13″ pan and it works perfectly.

Sweet potato casserole with pecans is the perfect fall side dish. It’s great for Thanksgiving, potlucks, parties, or even just served alongside a roasted chicken on a weeknight. No matter how you serve it up, this casserole is sure to get rave reviews!

More sweet potato recipes

• Sweet Potato Hash
• Sweet Potato Buddha Bowls
• Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Honey Glazed Root Vegetables

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans Video

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5 from 7 votes

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

This sweet potato casserole with pecans is lightly sweetened mashed sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy brown sugar pecan streusel. A classic make-ahead recipe that's perfect for the holidays.

Course Side

Cuisine American

Keyword sweet potato casserole, sweet potato casserole with pecans

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 501kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the sweet potato layer

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• cooking spray

For the streusel

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 5 tablespoons melted butter
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and place them on the pan in a single layer.
• 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 sweet potatoes in a large bowl.
  
• Add the 3 tablespoons of melted 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 sweet potatoes until mostly smooth.
  
• Coat a 9 inch square pan or 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  
• Spread the sweet potato mixture in an even layer in the pan.
  
• In another bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, melted butter and pecans until large crumbs form. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the sweet potatoes.
  
• Bake for 30 minutes or until topping is lightly browned.
  
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 663mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 439.5% | Vitamin C: 4.6% | Calcium: 11.6% | Iron: 11.9%