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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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Great recipe! Topping really sets off this dish. It is one that will be the most requested.
My family absolutely loves this! I make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas and there is always an empty pan when all my guests leave. Very easy to make and super delicious 😋
Thank you, Carla! Happy Thanksgiving!
Yummy and delicious. This is a family favorite for the holidays.
I love sweet potatoe casserole but not with marshmallows. This recipe meets my hunger for it. Thanks for a great and tasty recipe
I have always wanted to try and make sweet potato casserole but thought you had to use fresh sweet potatoes. I will try making this year using canned sweet potatoes, thank you!
Not a huge fan of sweet potato casserole but this sounds really good
Our 7 month old loves sweet potatoes. This was a great recipe to introduce him too.
My family requests this recipe every year. Delish!
What can I say but it’s a side dish that tastes like an awesome dessert!!!! People who would usually pass on this want more when they taste it then you wished you made more! No leftovers on this dish!!!
My mom first requested did I make this particular recipe and I thought wow, sweet potatoes cannot get any better than this! It is now a staple every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I reduced the sugar in half and really enjoy the flavor. Mom says she is in heaven every time she eats it! Enjoy!
Yummy, my very favorite cant wait for my family to try this
Made this for my wife and she loved it, I’m not a fan of sweet potatoes and coconut. This is the rating she would give it.
This by far is my family’s favorite dish! My husband could eat the whole pan of it, I tell him to save some for the rest of us..
This was a hit last Thanksgiving! I’ll be making it again this year. Delish!
This looks so delicious! I think I’ll give it a try.
This is a favorite of mine, I often serve it to guests and they love it. If I don’t have sweet potatoes, I will use butternut squash with the same results.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
delicious, great recipe to make a favorite dish,
Soooooo good! I had fresh sweet potatoes so I mashed them. Everybody loved it! (Except my nephew who doesn’t like anything). Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Gerry!
IT IS DELICIOUS AND JSUT THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF CRUNCH. SIMPLY DIVINE
Thank you, Margaret!
Have been looking for a sweet potato casserole without marshmallows. This recipe really caught my eye. With the crunchy topping , that will put this casserole right over the top. Will definitely be serving this for Thanksgiving.