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Say hello to the star of your holiday table: Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans. The base is rich and creamy, the pecan-coconut topping is crisp and toasty, and the sweetness is just right to round out the feast.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Best sweet potato casserole ever!!! This will be the only way I’m going to make sweet potato casserole from now on!!!” – Anke
“Most sweet potato dishes seem boringly similar. This one provides a few interesting surprises with coconut and pecans. Delicious!” – Christine
“I have made this casserole for the last couple of years & each time I’m asked to double the recipe. It’s the only way I make sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yes, it’s THAT yummy!” – Cherie
The Perfect Holiday Side Dish
I’ve tried a lot of versions over the years, and this Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is the one my family asks me to double for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s very similar to the beloved sweet potato casserole at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, but we take it over the top with toasted coconut in the pecan crumble. That hint of toasty sweetness is what makes guests ask, “What did you put in this?!”
Some of my favorite Holiday pairings: Roasted Turkey or prime rib, Honey Baked Ham or Cranberry Chicken, Homemade Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Creamed Spinach, fresh Orange Cranberry Sauce, classic Sausage Stuffing, and warm Dinner Rolls. And you have to finish it off with a slice of Pumpkin Pie.
🩷 Erica
Key Ingredients
- Sweet Potato Layer – Sweet potatoes (you can use canned or fresh, I usually go for canned out of convenience), milk, brown sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla, salt.
- Coconut Pecan Layer – Brown sugar, chopped pecans, shredded coconut, flour, melted butter.
- Optional Additions – For a little more spice variation you can add a little cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice to the sweet potato layer.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
- Mix the base: 350°F. Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add to Pan: Spread sweet potato mix in the pan.
- Toast & toss the topping: In a dry skillet, toast coconut 2-3 minutes until lightly golden (optional but recommended). In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, pecans, coconut, flour, and melted butter until crumbly.
- Bake: Sprinkle topping over the base. Bake 35 minutes until set and the topping is deeply golden.
Recipe Tips
- For fluffiest texture: Use a hand or stand mixer and beat the base for 1-2 minutes.
- Avoid sogginess: If using canned sweet potatoes, drain very well; if boiling fresh, let steam off completely before mashing.
- Double it: Make a 9×13 pan by doubling everything; bake 40-45 minutes.
- Keep the crunch: Reheat in the oven (not microwave) so the pecans stay crisp.
- Transporting: Bake in a disposable pan or assemble at destination; add topping just before baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Yes, there is only gluten in the topping. To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute coconut flour, rice flour, or any other favorite gluten-free flour mixture in place of the white flour.
Use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for crunch, or make a coconut-oat streusel and skip nuts entirely.
See substitutions above; plant milk + plant butter work well. For egg-free, add 1 Tbsp cornstarch to help set.
Yes. Use 3-4 medium sweet potatoes (about 1½-2 lb raw) to yield roughly 3½ cups mashed. Peel and cube, then boil 12-15 minutes (until fork-tender) or roast at 400°F for 35-45 minutes for deeper flavor. Drain/steam off moisture before mashing so the base isn’t watery.
It’s your call. For a classic, slightly rustic texture, mash by hand until mostly smooth. For that custardy, restaurant-style finish, beat with a hand mixer 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. Avoid a food processor, it can overwork the starches and turn the potatoes gummy.
Absolutely. The base is flexible, reduce the ¼ cup brown sugar to 2 Tbsp without issues. For the topping, sweetness helps crispness; you can drop the ½ cup to ⅓ cup, but going lower may reduce crunch. Balance by using unsweetened coconut and a touch more vanilla or a pinch of cinnamon.
Yes. Swap the ¼ cup brown sugar for 3 Tbsp maple syrup or honey and reduce the milk by 1-2 Tbsp to compensate for added liquid. (Optional: add ½ tsp molasses to mimic brown sugar’s caramel notes.) Keep brown sugar in the topping for the best crumble; liquid sweeteners there tend to make it softer unless you add extra flour and chill the mixture.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make ahead: Assemble (add topping or store topping separate), cover, and refrigerate up to 24-48 hours. Bake uncovered straight from the fridge, adding 5-10 minutes.
Fridge: Cover and refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Reheat: 350°F for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until warmed through.
Freeze: Assemble without the topping and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, add topping, and bake.
This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans brings creamy, cozy holiday flavor with an irresistible toasted-coconut crunch. If you make it, I’d love to hear how it went! Leave a comment and rating with any fun twists you tried. Happy holidays! 🍂🍁
Sweet Potato Casserole (with Coconut 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. Cool a little before serving.
Notes
- Double for 9×13: Multiply all ingredients by 2; bake 40–45 minutes.
- GF option: Replace flour in topping 1:1 with GF blend, almond flour, or finely ground oats.
- Make-ahead: Assemble up to 48 hrs; bake day-of (add 5–10 mins if cold).
- Reheat: 350°F, 15–20 mins; avoid microwaving to keep topping crisp.
- Variations: Add ½–1 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to base; finish with mini marshmallows for last 10 mins.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Yummy!
One of our families favorite! Yummy!
Great recipe
So yummy!!!! Must try for the Holidays!!!
Literally my all time favorite thanksgiving dish!! Love this recipe!
Love the simplicity of this recipe and the fact that you can change up the topping if needed. Great tips are included as well. Definitely adding this to my Thanksgiving table!
I love to try new things for Thanksgiving, and the sweet potato casserole is the perfect dish to try; can’t mess around too much with the family faves! This sounds delicious.
Am diabetic and this is pretty high sugar; but, I think I will try anyway. I love sweet potatoes, but never tried them in casserole. I think I’ll love it.
This sounds so yummy and easy! Im going to try it!!
This recipe is super, even if you don’t like sweet potatoes, you will love this one
The creamiest and the little crunch is heavenly
You won’t be able to stop eating them
We’ve made this so many years it’s considered a family tradition
My sweet grandmother made something similar to this recipe which was made with her love for all her family and Im looking forward to making this for Thanksgiving in honor of her
I’m making the sweet potato casserole for our Thanksgiving coming up. 5 stars
I’ve served a similar style dish every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas for most of my adult life but came across this version and had to try it out and it’s just what my dish needed to give it the extra kick.
I haven’t actually made this recipe but have made one very similar. Topping has crushed corn flakes, melted butter, brown sugar and chopped nuts. I much prefer this topping compared to marshmallows!
I love a yummy Sweet Potato Casserole! Thanks!
Can’t wait to try this for Thanksgiving, yum!
I’m normally not a fan of sweet potatoes, but this is one recipe that I will definitely make again. Thank you for helping me expand my food horizons 😉
Delicious recipe
This is definitely the favorite of our holiday meals. I am requested to make Sweet Potato Casserole every year. This is going to be the 1st year trying this one with the coconut pecan topping and we can’t wait!!