Sweet Potato Casserole Classic (Printable Version)

Creamy mashed sweet potatoes with a golden baked topping of marshmallows or pecans.

# What You Need:

→ Sweet Potato Base

01 - 3.3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
04 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Topping Options

10 - 1 cup mini marshmallows
11 - 2/3 cup pecan halves or pieces
12 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar
13 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
02 - Place sweet potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly.
03 - Mash sweet potatoes until smooth. Incorporate butter, milk, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Blend until creamy and fully combined.
04 - Transfer mashed mixture into prepared dish and level surface evenly.
05 - Evenly scatter mini marshmallows over the sweet potato base, if using marshmallow topping.
06 - Combine pecan halves, brown sugar, flour, and melted butter until crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over sweet potato base if using pecan streusel.
07 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until topping is golden and thoroughly heated. For marshmallows, bake uncovered until puffed and golden, watching carefully towards end.
08 - Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of side dish that steals the show—creamy, spiced, and topped with something golden and irresistible.
  • You can make it ahead and bake it fresh, which means one less thing to stress about on the actual day.
  • Works for both marshmallow lovers and pecan people; you can even do both if you're feeling generous.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the sweet potatoes—even a little extra water makes the casserole gummy instead of creamy, and you'll wish you'd spent that extra 30 seconds.
  • If you're watching marshmallows, they really do turn from puffed and perfect to charred in what feels like minutes, so set a timer and don't get distracted.
  • Room-temperature eggs blend more smoothly into the warm potato base than cold ones straight from the fridge.
03 -
  • Softening the butter in advance means it incorporates smoothly without deflating the warm potatoes; this one small step changes everything.
  • Use a potato masher instead of a mixer if you want a rustic, slightly chunky texture, or a mixer if you prefer it silky smooth—both are beautiful.
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