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This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is creamy, crunchy, toasty, and so divine! So sweet it almost tastes like dessert!
Featured with this recipe
- Ingredients in Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole
- Sweet Potato Casserole Pecan Topping
- Frequently Asked Questions about Sweet Potato Casserole
- How to Re-Heat
- Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- More Delicious Sweet Potato Recipes
- How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping Recipe
This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping recipe is, hands down, the best recipe for sweet potato casserole I’ve ever tasted, and we’ve had many many recipes pass over our Thanksgiving table over the years. Tender sweet potatoes, whipped to perfection, and topped with a pecan streusel topping (pecan crumble topping) that makes the whole baking dish taste like it should be on the dessert table. It’s versatile enough that you can add or take away topping ingredients depending on your guests tastes.
Ingredients in Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole
Let’s start with the base of this dish, the sweet potato mixture. It’s easy, made with real ingredients, and so yummy! Here’s what you need:
- Sweet potatoes – you can use some canned sweet potatoes or about 3 ½ cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes. If you like it more chunky use a potato masher, if you like it whipped use an electric mixer.
- 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 – just about a teaspoon
- Salt – half a teaspoon or to taste
Optional Add Ins
- Cinnamon
- Apple
- Maple Syrup
- Honey
Sweet Potato Casserole Pecan Topping
The toasted coconut and pecan topping is what makes this dish. The streusel-like topping so easy to throw together and gives the dish such a unique flavor and texture that pairs so beautifully with the creamy sweet potatoes. After you try this brown sugar pecan topping, you’ll never use the classic marshmallow toppings again. It truly is the best sweet potato casserole recipe.
- brown sugar
- pecans – chopped
- shredded coconut
- flour
- butter – melted
Frequently Asked Questions about Sweet Potato Casserole
Canned candied yams sold in grocery stores in the United States are sweet potatoes, and this is what we use in this recipe for sweet potato casserole. However, actual yams and sweet potatoes are quite different. Did you know more than 50% of the sweet potatoes grown in the United States 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!
Sweet potatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to five days. And if the casserole is left out for more than a couple of hours, it should be discarded, so make sure to store the leftovers as soon as you can.
When making Sweet Potato Casserole the traditional way, it is gluten-free. To make this recipe with the crumbly topping GF, swap out the all-purpose flour in the coconut topping for coconut flour, rice flour, or any other favorite gluten-free flour mixture.
Yes, we do use an egg in this sweet potato casserole as a binding ingredient. We recommend using a fork to stir the egg in a small dish before adding it to the sweet potatoes, and then blending it in well so it distributes through the mixture.
How to Re-Heat
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.
Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Sweet potato casserole is the perfect complement to your Thanksgiving turkey, in addition, here are a few more sides to serve up with Thanksgiving dinner:
- Green Bean Casserole
- Cranberry Sausage Stuffing
- Best Dinner Rolls From Scratch
- Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- Traditional Pumpkin Pie
- Orange Cranberry Sauce
More Delicious 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:
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.
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!!