The Classic Sweet Potato Casserole, a Thanksgiving essential, consists of velvety, buttery mashed sweet potatoes paired with maple syrup, eggs, and a crispy pecan streusel topping.
It's a convenient make-ahead addition that should always have a place on your holiday spread! You can either make it with or without marshmallows.
Sweet Potato Casserole (Without Marshmallows)
Whether you’re new to cooking or a seasoned pro, I’ll guide you through each simple step so you can create a delicious dish perfect for dinner or side.
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This is one of our family's favorite holiday side dishes along with our cabbage cheese bake, this green bean casserole, candied yams, butternut squash soup, pumpkin cookies, to serve during the festive season.
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes - I’ve used about 3 large fresh sweet potatoes that are peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks. Just chop them into small pieces, boil, and then mash. They add a delicious natural sweetness to this casserole without being overpowering in flavor. Want something different? Use pumpkin instead! For a quick fix, canned sweet potatoes will work too.
- Butter - I’ve used unsalted melted butter (either ¼ cup or ½ stick). You can use salted butter instead but then omit the salt listed in the ingredients. Vegan butter could also be used.
- Sugar - For the casserole I used white granulated sugar and for the topping brown sugar.
- Eggs - Allowing eggs to reach room temperature will help incorporate them with the rest of the ingredients.
- Ground nutmeg - You can use just cinnamon instead if you prefer.
- Cinnamon - A little cinnamon goes a long way. It complements other spices and sweet potato flavors beautifully.
- Maple syrup - Use pure maple syrup otherwise, honey would also work.
- Vanilla extract - Use high-quality vanilla extract to elevate the flavor of this delicious sweet potato casserole.
- Pecan Topping - I’ve made a crunchy pecan crumble topping with unsalted butter, light brown sugar, flour (or ground oatmeal), ground cinnamon, coarsely chopped pecans, and a few whole pecans too. You can swap the pecans with chopped walnuts.
- For a nut-free alternative, you can omit the pecans and substitute them with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and/or sunflower seeds.
For the full list of ingredients, please scroll down to where you'll find the recipe card.
If you opt to use canned sweet potatoes, which are sometimes labeled as canned yams, please remember to adapt the sugar quantity since these canned sweet potatoes are typically pre-sweetened.
You'll also want to blot the mash with paper towels before adding to the casserole.
How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole (NO Marshmallows)
Prep. Preheat the oven temperature to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
Cook the sweet potatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (no need to salt).
Add the sweet potatoes and cook until soft and very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and let cool.
Make the pecan streusel topping. Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave.
(Alternatively, melt it in a small pan over low heat and transfer to a medium bowl.)
Add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon and mix until well combined. It should look a little clumpy.
Stir in the chopped nuts and set aside.
Mash the potato filling. In a large mixing bowl, mash the cooked and drained sweet potatoes with a potato masher, hand mixer, or just a large fork until very smooth.
You can leave it chunky as well.
Add the melted butter, salt, sugar, and nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup and mix well.
Mix in the eggs. It's okay if there are some lumps. Set aside.
Bake. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a 1-quart baking dish and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the crunchy topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture and bake, uncovered, for about 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is nicely golden brown.
Let cool slightly before serving.
How Does It Taste?
The flavor is more sweet than savory, as the combination of maple syrup and sugar imparts a sweet and syrupy flavor that enhances the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
Tips
- Avoid adding the egg while the mashed potatoes are still hot to prevent it from cooking and causing streaks.
- Cooking sweet potatoes ahead of time is a great way to cool them before adding the eggs. If you’ve left the skin on, removing it once the potato is cool will also be easier.
- Cutting the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes will cook them faster than cooking them whole.
- The cooking time of this sweet potato casserole can vary depending on the size of the casserole dish and also how cold or warm the sweet potatoes are.
- You can use a potato masher or a fork to mash your potato. If you want a smooth consistency, use a hand blender (immersion blender) instead.
- Sweet potatoes can vary in natural sweetness. I recommend tasting them before adding all the sugar, allowing you to adjust the sweetness to your preference.
Can I Opt For Marshmallows As A Topping Instead?
Certainly! You can forgo preparing the streusel topping and simply layer regular-sized or mini marshmallows on top of the mashed sweet potatoes.
Bake them until they puff and turn golden.
You can even use the streusel and marshmallow toppings for an extra special touch.
You can also combine both toppings by baking with pecans for 30 minutes, adding marshmallows, and baking until they toast and start to melt.
Freezing and Storing Instructions
- 🍱To Store. Any leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for 4 days. When reheating, you can use either a microwave or an oven.
- 🔥To Reheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F, cover the casserole with foil, and bake for about 20-25 minutes until heated. The microwave works well for smaller portions, though the topping may become soggy.
- 🥶Freezing. If you prefer to freeze the remaining casserole, you can do so for up to 3 months. To enjoy it again, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with the above reheating instructions.
- 🥶Freezing unbaked casserole. You can freeze the unbaked casserole for 3 months and bake it later. However, I prefer freezing the casserole without the streusel topping for the best crumbly topping texture. I only make and add it later, right before baking.
Can I Make Sweet Potato Casserole Ahead Of Time?
You have a couple of options for preparing this sweet potato casserole ahead of time:
- Cook the sweet potatoes and prepare the streusel topping in advance, storing them separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready, assemble and bake the casserole.
- You can also refrigerate the already baked or unbaked casserole for up to 24 hours, then bake or reheat it in the oven.
What To Serve With Sweet Potato Casserole?
This easy sweet potato casserole without marshmallow topping is the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday meal.
It pairs with various holiday-themed dishes:
- Roast turkey or ham
- Roasted chicken
- Pork dishes
- Gravy: If you're serving the casserole with turkey or ham, gravy can be a great addition to drizzle the entire plate.
- Rolls or bread: Soft dinner rolls or crusty bread are always a hit as they can be used to scoop up the casserole.
- Vegetables: Steamed or roasted green vegetables like broccoli, carrots, green beans, or Brussels sprouts provide a nice contrast to the sweetness of the casserole.
- Cranberry sauce
- Salad: fresh salad with tangy vinaigrette dressing, such as Kale salad.
Is Peeling The Sweet Potatoes Necessary?
While their skin is edible, I personally like to peel my sweet potatoes when preparing this casserole to achieve a velvety, indulgent potato dish.
Do I Need To Use Eggs?
Those two eggs are essential as they prevent the mashed sweet potatoes from becoming too mushy and runny, ensuring a better texture overall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Adding fluffy marshmallows to sweet potatoes instantly turns a savory sweet potato recipe into a dessert.
While this addition may seem strange, it has become popular in American cuisine, especially around Thanksgiving day.
For a crunchy contrast, you can use walnuts or almonds instead of pecans in this sweet potato casserole.
Eggs are used as a binding ingredient in this creamy sweet potato casserole. It stiffens the sweet potato filling without making it too heavy.
You need to make sure that the sweet potato mixture has cooled before you add the eggs; otherwise, you could scramble the egg.
No, they are not. While the terms are sometimes interchangeable, sweet potatoes and yams originate from different plant species. Sweet potatoes typically have a softer, creamier, and sweeter flesh than yams.
You can typically use various types of sweet potatoes interchangeably in most recipes.
However, it's essential to note that white sweet potatoes are lighter in color and have a milder flavor.
Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes
📖Recipe
Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole (Without Marshmallows)
Ingredients
For Casserole
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes, about 3 large, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ cup ½ stick unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup packed white sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup ½ stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup flour or you can also use ground oatmeal
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped, and a few whole pecans for added texture
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven temperature to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Cook the sweet potatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (no need to salt). Add the sweet potatoes and cook until soft and very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- Make the pecan streusel topping. Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. (Alternatively, melt it in a small pan over low heat and transfer to a medium bowl.)
- Add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon and mix until well combined. It should look a little clumpy. Stir in the chopped nuts and set aside.
- Mash the potato filling. In a large mixing bowl, mash the cooked and drained sweet potatoes with a potato masher, hand mixer or just large fork until very smooth. You can leave it chunky as well. Totally your call!
- Add the melted butter, salt, sugar, and nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup and mix well. Mix in the eggs. It's okay if there are some lumps. Set aside.
- Bake. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a 1-quart baking dish and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle the crunchy topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture and bake, uncovered, for about 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is nicely golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.
Video
Notes
- To Store. Any leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 4 days. When reheating, you have the option of using either a microwave or an oven.
- To Reheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F, cover the casserole with foil, and bake for about 20-25 minutes until heated. For smaller portions, the microwave works well, though the topping may become soggy.
- Freezing. If you prefer to freeze the remaining casserole, you can do so for up to 3 months. To enjoy it again, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with the reheating instructions mentioned above.
- Make Ahead. You have a couple of options for preparing this sweet potato casserole ahead of time:
- Cook the sweet potatoes and prepare the streusel topping in advance, storing them separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready, assemble and bake the casserole.
- Or you can refrigerate the already baked or unbaked casserole for up to 24 hours, then proceed to bake or reheat it in the oven.
Rita
Creamy sweet potato casserole with the best pecan topping!
joyce
i was gifted 2 bags of sweet potatoes.. i would like to make this casserole now ahead for thanksgiving before the potatoes go bad. every recipe i check only says freeze for a few days. not 3 weeks.??? can i make it now and freeze thaw and put the topping on??? help
Rita
Yes you could, but the flavor would be better if you make it fresh 🙂