Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping will be the dish with no leftovers on your Thanksgiving table. It’s a recipe my family has been making for years and is my kids’ favorite part of the entire holiday meal. It’s easy to make with 2 bowls and a baking dish, plus I use a hand mixer for easy mashing of the potatoes.

Oftentimes, this casserole has a marshmallow topping, that’s delicious in all, but I’m a personal fan of my Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping. My version is almost like a mashup of sweet potato and pecan pie. It’s easy to assemble in advance to bake at your convenience on Thanksgiving day. Serve it alongside Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes and Bacon Green Beans for a meal that everyone will be grateful for.

BEST sweet potato casserole we’ve ever had!! – Leslie

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Easiest sweet potato casserole. This is so simple, anyone can make it! Roast the potatoes and top them with a 3-ingredient candied pecan topping for a bite that’s so addicting.
• A holiday side dish that tastes like dessert! The kids and adults both love this recipe, why? Because it’s sweet and decadent almost like sweet potato pie.
• The ideal side dish to make in advance. You can assemble this up to the day before and bake whenever you are ready to serve your Thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients

• Large sweet potatoes: The base to any great sweet potato casserole recipe. We roast ours from scratch.
• Sugar: Sweetens the filling perfectly.
• Heavy Cream: Adds rich flavor and makes for a creamy texture.
• Eggs: Binds the ingredients together.
• Melted Butter: It’s not a sweet potato casserole without the delicious butter flavor.
• Salt: Seasons the potatoes nicely.
• Vanilla: Adds sweet caramel and floral notes.
• Cinnamon: The warm spice that is classic to this casserole.

Topping: 

• Brown sugar: More sugar again for the candied pecan topping.
• Melted butter: Helps the sugar stick to the nuts.
• All purpose flour: Makes a crumble out of the nut topping.
• Pecan Pieces: Adds richness and crunch in every bite.

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

1. Wash sweet potato’s,  poke holes in them with a fork or knife (be safe!) then wrap in aluminum foil.

2. Bake at 425° until fork tender(around an hour). Let them cool while making topping.
3. Combine brown sugar, melted butter, and flour.
4. Mix together well then work in pecans and set aside.

5. Once sweet potato’s are safe to handle remove skin and place in large mixing bowl.

6, Add sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, eggs, melted butter, and cinnamon then beat for around 2 min until smooth.

7. Pour into a sprayed casserole dish and add topping.
8. Bake uncovered at 350ºF for 30 min and enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Make sure you choose sweet potatoes of similar size so they roast at the same rate. A big potato and a small potato won’t roast in the same amount of time in the oven.
• Fully cool the potatoes after roasting them. This makes them easier to peel and also prevents you from cooking the eggs in the filling if the potatoes are hot.
• You’ll know if your sweet potatoes are done roasting if you can prick the inside with a fork and they’re super tender.
• Beat the potatoes well until smooth, that makes for the creamiest filling.
• When mixing the crumble, make sure you coat the nuts well in flour and butter to make a crumble-like texture.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave for a few minutes until warmed through.

You can freeze the leftovers also in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven or microwave as stated above.

FAQs

Can I swap the pecans for another nut? 
Yes, we personally love pecans, but walnuts also work well.

Am I able to reduce the amount of sugar in the sweet potato and pecan casserole? 
Yes, if you want the casserole less sweet, I would recommend removing it from the potato filling but keeping the pecans the same.

How do I know when the sweet potato casserole with pecan topping is finished? 
It will be nicely golden brown on top and the sweet potatoes will look set underneath.

More Holiday Side Dishes

• Bacon Green Beans 
• Loaded Sausage Balls
• Candied Bacon Crackers
• Cheesy Bacon Corn Dip 

Sweet Potato Casserole

This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping will be the dish with no leftovers on your Thanksgiving table. All of our family members request it every November. It's easy to make with 2 bowls and a baking dish, plus I use a hand mixer for easy mashing of the potatoes.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Video

Ingredients

• 5 large sweet potatos
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 stick melted butter (salted)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon

For topping:

• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 stick melted butter (salted)
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 2 cups pecan pieces

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Instructions

• Wash sweet potato’s,  poke holes in them with a fork or knife (be safe!) then wrap in aluminum foil.
• Bake at 425° until fork tender(around an hour). Let them cool while making topping.
• Combine brown sugar, melted butter, and flour.
• Mix together well then work in pecans and set aside.
• Once sweet potato’s are safe to handle remove skin and place in large mixing bowl.
•  Add sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, eggs, melted butter, and cinnamon then beat for around 2 min until smooth.
• Pour into a sprayed casserole dish and add topping.
•  Bake uncovered for 30 min at 350 and enjoy! 

Notes

Storage:

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave for a few minutes until warmed through.

You can freeze the leftovers also in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven or microwave as stated above.