A classic Sweet Potato Casserole that no Thanksgiving table should be without! Delicious sweet potatoes mashed up with brown sugar and butter, topped with a crispy topping of pecans, brown sugar and flour, and baked to perfection. This Sweet Potato Casserole is simple to make and perfect for your holiday dinner like Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving!

sweet potato casserole in a white casserole dish with a wooden spoon inside.

The Best Sweet Potato Casserole For Your Thanksgiving Table

When it comes to Thanksgiving, one side dish that is loved by children and adults alike is a Sweet Potato Casserole. With a smooth and creamy sweet potato filling, a crunchy pecan topping, it’s no surprise this casserole is such favorite. I mean, let’s face it, it’s like eating dessert for your dinner.

There are many versions of this casserole, like my sweet potato casserole with marshmallow topping on it, but this version is my favorite because I love pecans so much. Both versions of this casserole are sweet, but this is for those folks who don’t believe that marshmallows belong on a casserole. I’m not here to judge, you love what you love, so if you are a fan of marshmallows, who am I to stop you from throwing some on top.

Why You Should Make This Sweet Potato Casserole

SERIOUSLY SIMPLE. If you’re looking for a low effort casserole that is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser, this is it. This casserole is incredibly easy to make, hardest part is peeling the sweet potatoes.
DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS. Yep, that’s right. While this side may be dessert like because of its sweetness, the sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse. Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients You’ll Need

ingredients needed to make sweet potato casserole filling.

SWEET POTATOES – You’ll need about 3 pounds of this sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes. You can use yams as well.
BUTTER – We need butter in both the filling and the topping. I usually use unsalted butter, but if salted butter is all you have, go ahead and use that, maybe decrease the salt in the recipe a bit.
BROWN SUGAR – I love brown sugar in this casserole for that caramel and molasses flavor. You’ll need brown sugar for both the filling and topping as well.
VANILLA EXTRACT – I love vanilla extract here, it’s like a secret ingredient. Vanilla is what will bring out the flavors of all these wonderful ingredients, so don’t skip it.
MILK – I usually use 2% milk, but use whatever you have on hand.
EGGS – Eggs are super important to our filling. They are the all-important binder, and they enrich and stiffen the filling.

ingredients needed to make a crunchy topping for sweet potato casserole.

FLOUR – You’ll need a bit of all-purpose flour for the topping. Whole wheat flour will also work.
PECANS – The star ingredient for our topping. You’ll want to roughly chop them. Feel free to swap them with walnuts.
SALT – Don’t skip the salt, otherwise everything will taste bland.
OPTIONAL SPICES – Other spices you can add if preferred, are ground cinnamon, nutmeg or ground cloves.

How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole

process shots showing how to make the filling for sweet potato casserole.

COOK THE SWEET POTATOES: First, you’ll need to peel the sweet potatoes then cut them up in cubes of equal sizes, ensuring they cook at the same time. Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and cool.
PREP THE OVEN AND BAKING DISH: Preheat your oven to 350°F degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
MAKE THE SWEET POTATO FILLING: Add the cooked sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, milk, eggs and salt to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. You can use a hand mixer as well if you wish. Spread the mashed sweet potatoes in the prepared casserole dish and smooth the top with a spatula.
PREPARE THE PECAN TOPPING: Combine all the topping ingredients in a medium bowl mix until the mixture clumps together. Spread the topping mixture of the top of the sweet potatoes in an even layer.
BAKE THE CASSEROLE: Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until set in the middle and golden on top. Serve hot.

process shots showing how to finish sweet potato casserole.

What Is Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole is a traditional and classic American side dish served on Thanksgiving. This casserole is a dessert-like side dish made of a mashed sweet potato filling with a crunchy pecan topping.

What Is The Difference Between Sweet Potatoes And Yams

We usually use the terms “yam” and “sweet potato” interchangeably but they are completely different vegetables. Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable and can have a different color flesh, white, orange or yellow. Yams are starchy and have a rough, brown exterior. However, doesn’t matter which you use for this casserole, they’re both great!

Make Ahead

This is a great casserole and it can easily be prepared well ahead of time. You can prepare it as instructed in the recipe card, cover it up with foil and refrigerate it overnight. When ready to bake, simply take it out 30 minutes before baking then proceed to bake as instructed.

Expert Tips Or Tricks

Feel free to experiment with different spices such as pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon or ground cloves. Use your favorites!
You can substitute walnuts for the pecans, no one would know the difference.
If you prefer less sugar in your casserole feel free to reduce the sugar a bit for a less sweet casserole.
If you’re a marshmallow fan, go ahead and sprinkle some mini marshmallows over the topping, I won’t judge!

Leftovers

Store leftover sweet potato casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.