Creamy, warmly spiced, oven-ready in about 1 hour, perfect for make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes side dishes.
Silky mashed sweet potatoes under a bronzed pecan-streusel that crackles with every scoop.
Why You’ll Love It
- Topping for Sweet Potato Casserole: Buttery pecan streusel with oats for real crunch (no soggy sugar crusts).
- Easy Sweet Potato Casserole With Canned Yams: Works with roasted potatoes or pantry yams—same bake time.
- Southern Sweet Potato Casserole: Brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon—classic holiday flavor.
- Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole: Build it the day before; bake to serve.
- Simple Sweet Potato Casserole: One bowl for base, one for topping—no mixer needed.
Ingredients (notes only)
Base: Sweet potatoes (roasted for best flavor or canned yams, well-drained), melted butter, milk/half-and-half, eggs for set, brown sugar or maple, vanilla, cinnamon, salt.
Pecan streusel: Pecans, rolled oats, flour (or almond flour), brown sugar, melted butter, pinch cinnamon + salt.
Optional finish: Marshmallows on half the pan (for “split-top” lovers). Lemon zest or bourbon (1 Tbsp) for depth.
Step-by-Step (6–8 steps)
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-in pan (or 2-qt casserole).
- Cook potatoes: Roast whole at 425°F until tender (45–55 min), or peel/cube and boil 15–18 min; drain and steam-dry. Using canned yams? Drain very well and pat dry.
- Mash base: In a large bowl, mash warm potatoes with butter. Whisk in milk, brown sugar/maple, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
- Spread into prepared pan; smooth the top.
- Mix streusel: Toss pecans, oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt with melted butter to damp-sand texture.
- Sprinkle streusel evenly over the casserole (or over half if adding marshmallows later).
- Bake 25–30 min until edges bubble and the center just sets.
- (Optional) Scatter mini marshmallows over the uncovered half; bake 5–7 min more or broil 30–60 sec until toasty. Rest 10 min before serving.
Pro Tips
- Roast > boil for sweeter flavor and drier mash; if boiling, let cubes steam-dry 2–3 minutes.
- A hand mixer makes the base extra silky (30–45 seconds max).
- Bourbon-brown butter: brown the butter and add 1 Tbsp bourbon to the base for a “company” version.
- Keep streusel chunky, pinch it into small clumps before topping.
Variations (mapped to interests)
- Sweet Potato Crunch Casserole: Double the oats (1 cup) + add ¼ cup chopped pretzels to the streusel.
- Easy with Canned Yams: Use 2 cans (29 oz total), drained; reduce milk to ¼ cup (yams carry more moisture).
- Southern Sweet Potato Casserole: Add ½ tsp nutmeg + ¼ tsp allspice; finish with a stripe of marshmallows.
- Sweet Potato Casserole With Streusel only: Skip marshmallows entirely for an all-crunch top.
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole: Reduce sugar by half; swirl ½ cup Greek yogurt into the base and top with oat-pecan streusel only.
How to Serve
- With roast turkey, gravy, green beans, and cranberry sauce.
- Weekend brunch side with sausage and scrambled eggs.
- Leftovers spread on toast with a little salted butter.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Make ahead (48 hrs): Assemble base in pan and keep streusel separate. Cover and refrigerate. Top and bake +5–10 min from cold.
- Freeze: Bake base only; cool, wrap, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight; add streusel and bake until hot.
- Fridge: 3–4 days. Reheat covered at 325–350°F until warm; broil 30 sec to re-crisp topping.
FAQs
Can I skip eggs?
Yes—add 1 Tbsp cornstarch to the base and bake until fully set.
How do I prevent a gummy texture?
Use hot potatoes, don’t over-mix, and let boiled potatoes steam-dry.
Can this be dairy-free or gluten-free?
DF: use plant milk + vegan butter. GF: use a 1:1 GF flour in the streusel or almond flour + GF oats.
Is marshmallow required?
No—this recipe shines with pecan streusel alone; add marshmallows to half if you want a split-top.
Simple Nutrition (estimate, per 1 of 10 servings)
~320 kcal | 5 g protein | 45 g carbs | 14 g fat | 4 g fiber | 230 mg sodium | Added sugar ~16 g
Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecans (Crunchy Streusel)
Creamy, cinnamon-vanilla sweet potatoes topped with a buttery pecan-oat streusel for real crunch. A classic Southern sweet potato casserole that’s make-ahead friendly, with options for canned yams, marshmallows, and even a breakfast-style version.
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.36 kg) sweet potatoes (about 6–7 medium) OR 2 cans (29 oz / 822 g total) canned yams, drained well
- 6 Tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted (brown it for extra flavor)
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk or half-and-half (use ¼ cup if using canned yams)
- ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar OR ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 Tbsp bourbon (optional)
- ¾ cup (85 g) pecans, chopped
- ½ cup (45 g) rolled oats
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour (GF: 1:1 blend or almond flour)
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar (for streusel)
- 5 Tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter, melted (for streusel)
- ½ tsp cinnamon + pinch of salt (for streusel)
- 2–3 cups mini marshmallows (optional, for split-top finish)
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking pan or 2-qt casserole dish
- mixing bowls
- potato masher or whisk
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 pan (or 2-qt casserole).
- Cook potatoes: Roast whole at 425°F 45–55 min until tender, or peel/cube and boil 15–18 min; drain and steam-dry. (If using canned yams, skip to step 3.)
- Mash warm potatoes with butter. Whisk in milk, sugar/maple, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, salt (plus nutmeg/bourbon if using). Spread into pan.
- Stir streusel ingredients to a clumpy, damp-sand texture. Sprinkle evenly over casserole (or half, if adding marshmallows later).
- Bake 25–30 min until edges bubble and center just sets.
- (Optional) Add marshmallows to the untopped half and bake 5–7 min more or broil 30–60 sec to toast. Rest 10 min before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 230mgPotassium: 520mgFiber: 4gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 21000IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 1.3mg
Notes
Substitutions & Variations:
Egg-free: Replace eggs with 1 Tbsp cornstarch; bake until set.
Healthy swap: 3 Tbsp butter + ½ cup Greek yogurt; maple only; streusel with oats + pecans, light sugar.
Breakfast version: Reduce sweetener by half; add ½ tsp orange zest; skip marshmallows.
Dairy-free: Use plant milk + vegan butter; ensure marshmallows are DF if using. Equipment: 9×13 pan (or 2-qt casserole). For mini servings, use 6–8 ramekins.
Egg-free: Replace eggs with 1 Tbsp cornstarch; bake until set.
Healthy swap: 3 Tbsp butter + ½ cup Greek yogurt; maple only; streusel with oats + pecans, light sugar.
Breakfast version: Reduce sweetener by half; add ½ tsp orange zest; skip marshmallows.
Dairy-free: Use plant milk + vegan butter; ensure marshmallows are DF if using. Equipment: 9×13 pan (or 2-qt casserole). For mini servings, use 6–8 ramekins.
Tried this recipe?Mention @WPRecipeMaker or tag #wprecipemaker!