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This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is creamy, crunchy, toasty, and so divine. So decadent it almost tastes like dessert.
The Perfect Thanksgiving Side Dish
This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is the best sweet potato casserole recipe I’ve ever tried! It’s a Thanksgiving favorite that always stands out on our holiday table. The creamy, whipped sweet potatoes are topped with a delicious pecan coconut crumble, making it so good it could pass as dessert. Plus, the topping is versatile – you can easily customize it to suit your guests’ preferences.
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Casserole
Let’s start with the base of this dish – the sweet potato mixture. It’s easy, made with real ingredients, and absolutely delicious! Here’s what you need:
- Sweet potatoes – You can use canned sweet potatoes or about 3 ½ cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes. If you like it more chunky use a potato masher. Use an electric mixer for a creamier, whipped texture.
- Milk – Any type will work.
- Brown sugar – Dark or light brown works great
- Butter – Melted, I prefer unsalted butter.
- Egg – Slightly beaten (large to extra large eggs).
- Vanilla extract – A teaspoon will do.
- Salt – Half a teaspoon or to taste.
Sweet Potato Casserole Pecan Topping
The toasted coconut and pecan topping transforms this sweet potato casserole into a show-stopping dish. It’s easy to make and adds the perfect crunch, perfectly complementing the creamy sweet potatoes. Once you try it, you’ll never go back to marshmallows! The ingredients you’ll need for the topping include:
- Brown sugar
- Chopped pecans
- Shredded coconut
- Flour
- Melted butter
Frequently Asked Questions About Sweet Potato Casserole
Yes, canned candied yams sold in U.S. grocery stores are actually sweet potatoes. This is what we use in this recipe. True yams and sweet potatoes are different in color, taste, and texture. Fun fact: Over 50% of U.S. sweet potatoes grown are grown in North Carolina.
Yes! This is good news for those of you hosting Thanksgiving this year. Assemble your casserole ahead of time, chill in the refrigerator, then bake the day of. It will be delicious!
Refrigerate sweet potato casserole to keep it fresh. Store it in the fridge for up to five days. If the casserole sits out for more than a couple of hours, it should be discarded, so be sure to store the leftovers promptly!
Sweet Potato Casserole without the topping is gluten-free. To make this recipe with the crumbly topping gluten-free, substitute coconut flour, rice flour, or any other favorite gluten-free flour mixture in place of the white flour.
Thanksgiving Side Dishes Pairings
Sweet potato casserole is the perfect complement to your Thanksgiving turkey. Here are a few more sides to serve up with Thanksgiving dinner:
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Thanksgiving or not, sweet potatoes are always a delightful side dish, and a sweeter alternative to regular potatoes. Try a couple of these favorites:
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Fries
Baked Sweet Potato Halves
Sweet Potato Tacos
Rocky Road Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Video
Ingredients
- 29 ounces sweet potatoes drained (or 3 ½ cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes)
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl or mixer, combine sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Beat ingredients with a hand mixer (or in a mixer) until the sweet potatoes are light and fluffy.
- Transfer sweet potato mixture into a greased 9×9 inch baking pan.
- Stir all of the topping ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potatoes.
- Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Sweet potatoes or yams can be used in place of the canned sweet potatoes in this recipe. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, then boil them until fork tender. Mash them with a little milk to reach your desired consistency, then follow the recipe instructions as written.
- We recommend using a hand or stand mixer when blending the sweet potato mixture to get a light, airy texture. Be sure to mix until it is completely blended – no chunks!
- This recipe can be double and cooked in a 9×13 baking pan to serve 12-15 people.
- To reheat this casserole, warm it in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through – about 20 minutes. If you put it in the microwave, the pecans will become soft and you won’t get that good crunch.
I am kinda upset right now! Just made this and my crumble didn’t come out properly because in the directions it says MELTED BUTTER, but yet the video shows her using it NOT MELTED for the topping 😪😪
Thank you for letting us know about the discrepancy with the video, Nicole. I’m not sure why your topping didn’t turn out right. The butter should be melted, this makes it easy to spread over the sweet potato filling. I’ve made it this way for years and it is everyone’s favorite dish. The topping will also turn out fine if the butter is not melted, it will just be a little more clumpy as you add it to the filling before cooking. Both ways, the topping is crumbly and delicious.