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Overhead view of a green baking dish of sweet potato casserole with a serving scooped out.
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Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Try this classic sweet potato casserole if you’re looking for a rich side dish guaranteed to please any crowd! It’s a great make-ahead holiday recipe.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 to 10 servings
Calories 503kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • 2-quart casserole dish
  • Large Pot
  • Potato masher
  • Handheld mixer, optional

Ingredients

For the Sweet Potatoes:

  • 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cubed (1.35kg)
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (55g)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter cubed (56g)
  • ¼ cup whole milk (60mL)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Topping:

  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar (220g)
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled (56g)
  • 1 cup pecan halves chopped (90g)

Instructions

For the Sweet Potatoes:

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray or butter.
  • Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot and fill it with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain well.
  • Return the potatoes to the pot and mash with a potato masher or large fork. Add the brown sugar, butter, milk, eggs, salt and vanilla then beat with an electric hand mixer or stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. (A hand mixer will result in a smoother filling.)
  • Spread the sweet potato mixture into the greased baking dish and smooth into an even layer. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the topping.

For the Topping:

  • In a medium bowl, stir to combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. With a fork, stir in the melted and cooled butter until the topping is crumbly. Stir in the roughly chopped pecans.
  • Sprinkle the topping all over the sweet potatoes in the dish.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the casserole is slightly puffed and golden brown on top. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Don’t want to boil the sweet potatoes? You can make baked sweet potatoes or Instant Pot sweet potatoes, too! Just be sure you cook 3 pounds of potatoes so you have enough for the filling.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 708mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 24574IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg