Skip to content

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is always popular on the holiday table. Kids and adults alike simply can’t get enough of this sweet potato recipe with amazing streusel topping. Bonus: you can prepared this dish ahead of time.

sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel in square dish
This sweet potato casserole is an all-time favorite holiday side dish.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel in White Dish
If you love crunchy pecan-brown sugar streusel, double the topping on your sweet potato casserole.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

It’s almost time for THE favorite sweet potato casserole gets to make its highly anticipated appearance on the holiday table.  This is one of those best recipes that receives heaps of compliments and requests every year.  Even people who don’t typically like sweet potato anything – even they will fall head over heels for this mouthwatering dish.

I myself wasn’t a huge sweet potato casserole kind of gal until I met this recipe.  Instantly converted.  This sweet side dish has graced both potluck tables and formal tables alike every year in our family ever since.

In fact, we originally shared this recipe several years ago and just had to bring it back for all y’all who missed it way back then. It’s that good.

Watch Sweet Potato Casserole, In Action

Sweet Potato Casserole in dish
Be sure to use the right kind of potatoes for your sweet potato casserole.

Your strategy for Sweet Potato Casserole

The first step is buying the right kind of sweet potatoes. If you want to buy sweet potatoes several days early, here’s how to store them correctly so your sweet potatoes stay fresh and flavorful.

We highly recommend roasting your sweet potatoes in the oven ahead of time, as that gives potatoes time to cool enough to handle without burning yourself. Having them roasted early also frees up your oven for that brined turkey or honey ham. It’s easy to roast a big batch of sweet potatoes and use the extras for a lovely sweet potato hummus.

Likewise, the nutty-crunchy pecan brown sugar streusel can be fully mixed together up to several days ahead of time – cover and chill until ready to sprinkle onto casserole. Tip: this streusel is so good, you may want to double it for a thicker layer of crunchy sweetness on top. You can also double the streusel recipe to use on this baked French toast casserole for an irresistible family breakfast.

Assemble everything the night before

The best low-stress tip is to totally be prepare this awesome sweet potato casserole the night before.  It’s a holiday lifesaver; just cover, chill, and bake the next day. On the day of the Big Meal, you can even bake it an hour or two ahead of dinner time and keep warm until ready to serve.

Leftovers are delicious the next day; we recommend heating it up in the oven uncovered so the topping can crisp up again. Or, if you’ve still got baking gusto left in you, try this sweet potato bread that specifically makes use of leftover sweet potato casserole so nothing goes to waste.

Sweet Potato Casserole in dish
Sweet potato casserole can be completely prepared in advance and baked later.

Sweet Potato Casserole
Commonly Asked Questions

Are yams the same thing as sweet potatoes?

Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Most of the time, when you see produce labeled as yams, they are actually sweet potatoes. True yams originate from regions of Asia and Africa.

What kind of sweet potatoes should I use?

You may notice a few types of sweet potatoes, in varying shapes and colors, at your local grocery store or farmer’s market. Choose the bright-orange fleshed variety. You can read more about sweet potato varieties here.

Are eggs used in sweet potato casserole?

Yes, eggs are an important binding agent in most sweet potato casseroles.

Should you boil or bake sweet potatoes for use in sweet potato casseroles?

You can actually boil or bake your sweet potatoes prior to adding in a casserole, as long as the sweet potatoes are cooked until very soft and stringy skin has been removed. That said, we are partial to roasting/baking sweet potatoes, as this imparts a much deeper flavor.

Can I make sweet potato casserole ahead of time?

You can assemble the entire casserole, minus the topping, a day ahead. Wrap tightly in cling wrap and chill until you’re ready to sprinkle on the topping and bake.

What can I do with sweet potato casserole leftovers?

Aside from reheating and enjoying them again, we adore this sweet potato bread, which we created precisely for making the best use of leftovers!

Sweet Potato Casserole with Serving Spoon
Even the kids will devour this sweet potato casserole, with its crunchy streusel topping.

More to Eat


sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel in square dish

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

4.98 from 91 ratings
This Sweet Potato Casserole boasts a buttery, crunchy pecan topping that's jaw-dropping delicious.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 20
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

For Pecan Streusel Topping:

Instructions

  • Do Ahead: Mix together brown sugar, chopped pecans, and cold butter in a small bowl until mixture is grainy and comes together. Cover and chill until ready to use. This can be done up to 3 days in advance.
  • Wrap each sweet potato in foil and roastat 400F for about 1 hour, or until potatoes are easily pierced by fork and very soft. Actual bake time depends on size of potatoes. Let cool enough to handle. Remove sweet potato skins, and mash potatoes well in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, beat eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt. Mix in the mashed sweet potatoes until smooth and incorporated. Transfer sweet potato mixture to a buttered 9×13 dish. At this point, you can wrap tightly with cling wrap and put in fridge until ready to use.
  • Sprinkle pecan topping evenly over casserole. Bake at 350F until casserole is set and topping bubbles. About 1 hour. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Notes

*I always choose to roast sweet potatoes in the oven because I really like the deep flavor it creates. You can also cook peeled, cubed potatoes in boiling water until very tender.
*Roasted sweet potatoes are typically quite sweet. If your roasted sweet potatoes don’t taste too sweet, you can add an additional 1/4 cup of sugar to the sweet potato mixture. 
* If you want, you can make extra crumble topping, for a thicker layer of crunch on top. Crumble topping can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in fridge until ready to use. 
*Here’s our favorite way to use leftovers: sweet potato bread
*If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ♡

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 429mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 16137IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Side
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Method: Bake

Did you make this?

Leave a comment below and tag @chewoutloud on Instagram

Add a comment

Recipe Rating




61 comments

    • Susan
    • 5 stars

    I made this recipe for Thanksgiving at my sisters house. I followed the instructions and questioned whether it was going to be too sweet, as I didn’t get to taste it until serving time. I used a pretty casserole dish to bake and serve. It was a huge hit with only 6 guests! Only a quarter of them were left. Will definitely make this again. Much thanks .

      • Amy Dong

      You’re so welcome, Susan!

    • Holly

    I love how this recipe sound like it will taste! My mom cannot eat nuts anymore and I was wondering what you think of an oatmeal crumble type topping?

    • Michele
    • 5 stars

    I made this recipe for an early Friendsgiving and it was gone with no leftovers. Everyone loved it and several friends asked for the recipe.

      • Amy Dong

      Makes me so happy to hear!

    • Lauren Michael Harris
    • 5 stars

    I love this sweet potato casserole. I much prefer pecans over the marshmallow topping which I find too sweet. This is definitely making an appearance at Thanksgiving this year!

      • Amy Dong

      Same here, Lauren! 🙂

    • Kristina
    • 5 stars

    I am so glad I found this recipe because I am not a big lover of the sweet potato and marshmallow combo that seems to be the major Thanksgiving side dish. But this one I could get on board with. Can’t wait to try it!

    • Maddy
    • 5 stars

    This was a hit with my family this weekend as a trial run for Thanksgiving dinner. So delicious, this recipe is a keeper!

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, thank you!

    • Kristina
    • 5 stars

    I’m really glad I found this recipe! I am not a huge fan of sweet potato and marshmallow casserole that seems to be the big Thanksgiving side, but this I could get on board with! Can’t wait to try it.

    • Sharon
    • 5 stars

    This sweet potato casserole is a great addition to any holiday meal. The pecan crumble is the perfect topping for this dish.

    • Lisa
    • 5 stars

    Such a great holiday side dish. Love the crunchy topping!

    • Amanda Mason
    • 5 stars

    This turned out fantastic! It was also easy to make! The streusel was the cherry on top. Absolutely delish!

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, so happy you liked it!

    • Veronika
    • 5 stars

    You were so right! Everyone loved this casserole! The pecan topping really made the whole dish shine!

      • Amy Dong

      That’s awesome, Veronika!

    • Amanda
    • 5 stars

    We hosted a Friendsgiving last weekend, and I made this casserole. So good! Loved the depth of flavor the maple added, and that pecan topping gave it such a nice texture contrast.

      • Amy Dong

      So glad you all loved it!

    • Colleen
    • 5 stars

    I made this for a pot luck and it was a huge hit. I’ll definitely be making this sweet potato dish again!

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, Colleen!

    • Natalie
    • 5 stars

    This casserole looks amazing. It’s perfect for upcoming holidays and family gatherings. I’m saving this recipe on my list to try. Thanks!

    • Ramona
    • 5 stars

    Wow, this recipe looks super interesting and I am loving the different flavour combinations in this! Thank you for sharing this, I cant wait to give it a go!

    • Leslie
    • 5 stars

    This is my absolute favorite way to eat sweet potatoes! You cannot beat that pecan streusel topping!

    • Stine Mari
    • 5 stars

    That crisp pecan crumble top is perfect with the soft and creamy sweet potatoes, yum!

    • Dee Frances
    • 5 stars

    I never knew there is such a thing as the right sweet potato, this is amazing, thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to make this.

    • Jere Cassidy
    • 5 stars

    If I make this sweet potato casserole I won’t want to eat anything else, and that topping looks amazing. I agree, sweet potatoes are best roasted in the oven.

      • chewoutloud

      Yeah, the topping is pretty tempting all on its own 😉

    • Mama Maggie’s Kitchen
    • 5 stars

    My mouth is watering. I have to make this tonight!

Get our free email series: 5 Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less

Plus our newest recipes each week