Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecan Topping

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is creamy and comforting with crunchy pecan brown sugar topping. Sweet but not too sweet with buttery cinnamon and brown sugar flavor, this pecan crumble sweet potato casserole is a classic side dish that’s perfect for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas or just a cozy dinner in.

this recipe

Amazing Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

In our first year of dating, Erik and I had the audacity to make Thanksgiving dinner for the first time ever. The inevitable disaster recipe? Sweet potato casserole… let’s just say that the end result left us with a few minuscule sweet potato chunks swimming in a pool of brown sugar syrup water. Thanksgiving Fail Cringe x 1,000,000.

Now, all of these years (and thousands of recipe developed) later, I’m here to deliver you the BEST ever recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole with pecan topping. (We do not want you to go through what we did so long ago. Ha.) You’ll absolutely love this! Think: straightforward steps for foolproof sweet potato casserole with generous, crunchy pecan crumble topping, silky smooth texture that satisfies and is sweet but not too sweet for an incredible and comforting side dish that’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and more…

Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes – wash, then peel and cut into large cubes. The smaller the cubes, the faster they’ll cook.
• Evaporated milk – you can use cream or half and half, just make sure it’s nice and cold, straight from fridge to help cool down the sweet potatoes.
• Brown sugar – light or dark brown sugar is fine for sweet potato casserole. Used in both the casserole filling and the pecan crumble topping, this adds a rich, warm sweetness (more so with dark brown sugar).
• Eggs
• Vanilla, Salt, Cinnamon – this combo enhances the cozy, comforting sweetness of sweet potatoes.
• Flour – use all-purpose flour.
• Butter – use unsalted butter for both the filling and topping, just make sure it’s softened for easy melding.
• Pecans – chopped finely for smaller crumble pieces, larger for bigger crumbles.

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole

My favorite recipe for sweet potato casserole with pecan topping includes four simple and straightforward steps.

1. Cook Sweet Potatoes: Cube and peel sweet potatoes, then place in a large pot with water. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer, cooking until fork tender. Drain.

2. Prepare Filling: Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Pour in cold milk, brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth and well mixed. Grease a 9×13″ pan. Transfer sweet potato filling into pan and smooth into an even layer.

3. Make Pecan Crumble: Add butter, flour, brown sugar, and pecans to a medium bowl. Toss with a fork until well mixed, then use gloved hands to mix and squeeze the mixture into crumbles. Sprinkle over filling.

4. Bake Casserole: Bake for about 35 minutes, until pecan brown sugar topping is golden brown. Enjoy the most incredible sweet potato casserole with pecan brown sugar topping!

Tips for the Best Pecan Brown Sugar Topping

This tried and true recipe to make topping for sweet potato casserole is crunchy, sweet, and nutty.

• Use butter softened so much it’s spreadable and almost melted—cold butter will be difficult to cut; melted butter is too wet.
• Use a fork and/or pastry cutter to mostly incorporate the butter and brown sugar mixture.
• Then, switch to using gloved hands. The gloves provide a little heat insulation and make cleanup easier!
• With gloved hands, gently massage the mixture to evenly mix it and squeeze periodically to create crumbles/pebbles of topping. It should look like moistened sand.
• As you massage, the heat from your hands will gently, partially melt the butter into the flour, yielding the best crumble. Without gloves, the butter would melt too much.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

To make sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, skip the pecan crumble topping and top with 2 cups mini marshmallows. Bake for 25 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown and puffed up.

Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole

For make ahead sweet potato casserole, make the sweet potato filling and smooth into baking dish, cover and refrigerate. Make crumble topping and keep in a separate container; add before baking. Refrigerate for 1-2 days in advance.

Make Ahead Freezing Instructions

Assemble sweet potato casserole without the topping, then cover the sweet potato layer in plastic wrap. Assemble brown sugar pecan topping and place in a zip top bag. Place bag over the plastic wrap. Double wrap the casserole in foil. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw on counter for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. Break up topping as needed, then sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake as normal, potentially adding 5-10 more minutes to account for the casserole being chilled.

Tips

• For tips on making the best pecan crumble, see above.
• Use cold, straight from the fridge evaporated milk and pour it evenly over the steaming sweet potatoes, this will help prevent the eggs from cooking.
• Finish the sweet potato filling with a hand mixer—this will ensure a smoother, creamier texture, something the potato masher can’t do.
• Don’t worry about teeny, tiny chunks of sweet potato—they won’t be noticeable once baked.
• Cook sweet potatoes until tender: when cooking sweet potatoes in a pot, test doneness by retrieving a cube and placing on a plate: if it smooshes and flattens easily, it’s ready to drain and mash!

For more delicious recipe ideas like sweet potato casserole with pecan topping, follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. If you’ve tried this recipe, take a pic and tag us on Instagram using #beamingbaker. We can’t wait to see it! Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️

More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

Sides

Quick & Easy Mashed Potatoes

Sides

Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Sides

Roasted Carrots and Potatoes

Sides

Old Fashioned Baked Pineapple Casserole