This easy sweet potato casserole without marshmallow topping is the perfect side dish for the holiday table at Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner.
It's a classic dish that's both comforting and wholesome - loaded with mashed potatoes, melted butter, spice, sugar, maple syrup, and eggs.
This traditional sweet potato casserole is topped with a crunchy streusel-like layer and pecan topping and baked until golden brown.
This is one of our family's favorite side dishes along with our Cabbage Cheese Bake, Bacon Cabbage Stir Fry and Healthy Asparagus Fries to serve during the festive season.
Easy, quick and cheap to make, you gonna love these!
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes - I’ve used about 3 large fresh sweet potatoes that are peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks. They add a delicious natural sweetness to this casserole without being overpowering in flavor.
- 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 - I’ve used granulated white sugar in this classic sweet potato casserole. Brown sugar can also be used for a deeper flavor and added moisture, otherwise consider alternatives such as coconut sugar.
- Eggs - Allowing eggs to reach room temperature will help incorporate them with the rest of the ingredients.
- Ground nutmeg - You can use cinnamon instead if you prefer.
- 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.
- Topping - I’ve made a crunchy pecan streusel topping with unsalted butter, light brown sugar, flour (or ground oatmeal), ground cinnamon, coarsely chopped pecans, and a few whole pecans too.
For the full list of ingredients, please scroll down where you'll find the recipe card.
Instructions
Preheat the oven temperature to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
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.
Meanwhile, make the 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.
In a large bowl, mash the cooked and drained sweet potatoes with a potato masher or large fork until very smooth.
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.
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 browned. Let cool slightly before serving.
Tips
Cooking sweet potatoes ahead of time is a great way to cool them before adding the eggs. If you’ve left the skin on, it will also be easier to remove it once the potato is cool.
Cutting the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes will cook them faster than cooking the potatoes whole.
Ensure the sweet potato cubes are cool before adding the eggs otherwise, they can scramble.
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.
If you’ve made the casserole ahead of time but before baking and the creamy sweet potatoes have sat in the refrigerator, you may need to add a few minutes extra to the baking time.
You can use a potato masher or a fork to mash your potato. If you want a very smooth consistency, use a hand blender instead.
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 to some, its become popular in American cuisine, especially around Thanksgiving day.
You can use walnuts or almonds instead of pecans in this sweet potato casserole for a crunchy contrast.
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.
Recipes for sweet potato casserole date as far back as the late 1700s in American printed cookbooks.
Thank you so much for reading about how to make sweet potato casserole without marshmallows! Please feel free to comment with any questions you may have! I love reading your feedback.
Rita
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Easy Lunch Recipes
Sweet Potato Casserole (Without Marshmallows)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes about 3 large, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ cup ½ stick unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ teaspoon 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 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
- Preheat the oven temperature to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (no need for salt). Add the sweet potatoes and cook until soft and very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- Meanwhile, make the 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.
- In a large bowl, mash the cooked and drained sweet potatoes with a potato masher or large fork until very smooth. 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.
- 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 browned. Let cool slightly before serving.
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Creamy sweet potato casserole with the best pecan topping!