Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Candied Pecans
For more than a decade, this sweet potato casserole has been my Thanksgiving tradition, even though my Cuban family still swears Noche Buena is the only holiday that counts. Somehow, this dish has won them over!
The warm, mashed sweet potatoes, the buttery brown sugar, and the crunchy, caramelized candied pecans grace the dinner table, and before I know it, everyone’s claiming the leftovers “for later.”
But it’s not Thanksgiving in our house without a spoonful of guava cranberry sauce or creamy corn casserole baked until golden right beside it. Sweet enough to pass as dessert, but in our house, it’s the first side to disappear.
Let me show you how to make it!
5 Star Review
“This recipe turned out AMAZING!! I was nervous because I’ve never made them before, but I have to say…they were the best I’ve ever tasted, and I’m a huge sweet potato fan. It makes me so happy that now, not only do I know how to make them, but I make them REALLY good. Thanks for that!!! :)”
—Fallon
Making Sweet Potato Casserole
Before we jump in, I’ll say this: there’s nothing complicated about this casserole. Like at all.
It’s the kind of recipe you can make while watching the Thanksgiving Parade. My favorite since I was a kid! Are you as obsessed with the parade as I am? I never miss it!
One thing people often get confused about is the amount of water you need for the sweet potatoes. You do not need to fill the whole pot with water. I repeat. No need to fill the whole pot with water. You want to STEAM the sweet potatoes.
The peeled sweet potatoes will become fork-tender with the steam. All you have to do is simmer for up to 25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender enough to mash. Drain. Let cool slightly before moving on with the rest of the recipe.
The full recipe with all the ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions is below!
🍠 My favorite tip is using a kitchen torch for marshmallows! We know Thanksgiving Day is a busy one and the oven is working overtime. If you don’t have access to an oven at dinner time, you can totally use a kitchen torch to brown the marshmallows before serving!
OH, and pretty please take the time to make the candied maple pecans. They make SUCH a big difference in elevating the flavor of this holiday casserole and add the perfect amount of texture. Thank me later!
Recommended For This Recipe
9×13 Casserole Dish
This Staub casserole dish is absolutely incredible! It has a porcelain-enamel finish and is microwave/dishwasher safe!
Ta-daaaa. See how easy that is?! That’s why I make this every year! The outcome will always be ooey gooey, cinnamon-y, and toasty. I promise there won’t be any leftovers.
And if there are any leftovers, turn them into Thanksgiving arepas or pastelitos with Thanksgiving leftovers. You can’t go wrong with either one!
I hope you make this and absolutely love it!
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows & Candied Pecans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (6-8 medium sweet potatoes or ~8 cups chopped)
- 1/2 cup cold water, (just enough to create steam; no need to fill the entire pot)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (sub for vegan butter to make dairy-free)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup candied pecans, divided, optional or add more to taste (omit if you have a nut allergy or only using marshmallows)
- 2 cups mini marshmallows, optional (or sub for vegan marshmallows)
Instructions
- Place the peeled sweet potatoes in a pot with the 1/2 cup of cold water. No need to fill up the entire pot with water. We are STEAMING the potatoes. The sweet potatoes will become fork-tender with the steam.
- Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15-25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender enough to mash. Drain. Transfer tender sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Let them cool slightly.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray a casserole dish or deep baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher or using two forks.
- Add brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and 1/4 cup of pecans (save the rest for later). Mix until all is well combined. It should smell incredible in your kitchen at this point!
- Transfer the sweet potato mixture into the casserole dish. Using the back of a wooden spoon, smooth it out evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining pecans (or more!) over the sweet potato mixture and then add the mini marshmallows in an even layer.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until marshmallows are toasted. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Remove from the oven. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store leftover sweet potato casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Make sure it cools completely before storing.
- Freezer: If you want to store it for a longer period, wrap the casserole tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or use an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. When reheating, it’s best to thaw it in the fridge overnight and then reheat it in the oven or microwave.
hello! sorry I’m new to cooking, what size pan do you recommend?
9×13! Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/40TusSq
I love ALL of the recipes — I would love to make this recipe but the “print” comes up with an error. Please correct the problem so that the recipe can be printed. Thank you.
Hi! Thanks for the heads up and the kind words! We’ve fixed the glitch and you should be able to print the recipe now. Here’s the direct link: https://asassyspoon.com/wprm_print/sweet-potato-casserole-with-marshmallows-candied-pecans Happy cooking! :)
Made this for Friendsgiving for the second year in a row and once again it was simple and delicious!
So happy to hear that, Tressa! Thank you for sharing! :)
I’ve made this for Thanksgiving two years in a row, and it’s gotten rave reviews both times. Everyone said it was the best sweet potatoes they’ve ever had.
LOVELY
I made this for my family for Thanksgiving and they really loved it. The recipe was really straight forward and easy to follow. I subbed in vegan friendly ingredients and it still came out super tasty :)
Absolutely obsessed! Second year making this recipe! So easy & delicious!
There’s a lot of sweet potato casserole recipes out there, but this one is simple & so delicious! I made it for a big group and everyone said it was there favorite side!
So glad to hear this and happy everyone loved it!
Made ahead of time but totally forgot to spray my pan 🤦♀️ Will this still turn out or will it stick to the pan ?
Depends on the baking dish you used!
Excellent recipes with very clear explanations
Happy you found it helpful, Maggie!
I lost that recipe. THANK YOU. It is appreciated
Hi I just wanted to know why all the measurements are in point system I’m having a hard time figuring them out 😊
You mention that you posted about freezing ahead of time in the post but I can’t find that information. Can you repeat?
I am doing a Thanksgiving dinner for 25 for my 90 year old grandmother. I have to make everything ahead of time and I live 3 hours away from her home. I will arrive at her house the night before and she does not have the equipment I have at my house.
Thanks!
Hi JoAnna,
If you are making the sweet potato casserole more than 1 day in advance, you can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure it is tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. When you’re ready to bake, transfer it from the freezer to the fridge to thaw overnight. Top with pecans and mini marshmallows and bake!
Can I use regular sized marshmallows? Or do they have to be the minis?
You can use either!
Hello! I actually do not like sweet potato but the hubby does so I’ve agreed to make it this year. We’ll see how it turns out! Quick question.. We do not need 16 servings; is it safe to half all the ingredients and call it good?
The recipe card has an option to adjust serving size!
How many servings does this recipe yield? Looking forward to trying it out! Thanks!
16 servings
Amazing recipe! I used canned sweet potatoes. Didn’t use the marshmallows, it was sweet enough. Will definitely make this my go to for Thanksgiving, Christmas meals. Wow.
For the Sweet Potato Casserole can you use canned sweet potatoes instead of fresh sweet potatoes?
No, I always use fresh sweet potatoes. If you try it with canned, let me know how it turns out! :)
Don’t go canned!! A few extra minutes for fresh or organic fresh, even better. Just peel and cube the potatoes. Place raw in casserole with butter on bottom and sprinkle the spices on. Drizzle a little oil over top. Bake covered for about 40 mins till tender. Open lid put marshmallows on top bake 10 more minutes. Voila! Easy peasy
It’s easier to bake the sweet potatoes.
You can scrub them and eat the skin or boil and peel after cooling them.
2. Hint I recently learned.
You can microwave a butternut squash after poking it all over then microwave for 10-15 minutes, too, then deserd after cooking.
I always used canned potatoes and it delicious.
Have you ever done the baking in a Crock-Pot? I have a carry in where I have to be there several hours before the food will be served and there is no oven there…
No I haven’t. You can’t really toast marshmallows in a slow cooker. :( My recommendation is to make the sweet potato mixture ahead of time and use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows before serving. This is the one I use. Hope that helps!
O wow! I never would have thought of that! Thanks :)
Can you use canned sweet potatoes?
Hi Shari, I’ve never used canned sweet potatoes so I can’t really say. Try it out and report back. :)
Can you makr ahead of time and freeze?
Yes! I included this in the blog post. :)
If you didn’t add brown sugar would it change the taste alot? If you still added cinamon and nutmeg? Can I use a little spenda to replace the brown sugar? Or honey?
Hi Melissa! I think honey could work however I’ve never used those substitutes myself so I can’t guarantee it will taste as authentic. Give it a shot and let us know. :)
This is the first time I’ve ever made sweet potato casserole, and this was excellent. The recipe was easy and my family of picky eaters loved it
YAY! So happy to hear. Merry Christmas!
Can this be prepared a few days in advance ? Or would that be too long?
Hi Deanna! I’d make the sweet potato mash the day before and do the marshmallow/pecan topping before serving. Just make sure you place the sweet potato mixture in an airtight container. Hope that helps! :)
This recipe turned out AMAZING!! I was nervous because I’ve never made them before, but I have to say…they were the best I’ve ever tasted, and I’m a huge sweet potato fan. It makes me so happy that now, not only do I know how to make them, but I make them REALLY good. Thanks for that!!! :)
So so happy to hear that! Thank you for your sweet comment!
Making this recipe right now for Thanksgiving Day! I didnt have any vanilla extract on hand (not sure how that happened) so, on the fly, i used 1/3 cup of french vanilla coffee creamer. The mixture tastes amazing!!! Just like we like it in the south. Its in the oven now so my fingers are crossed!
I promise it’s enough. If you follow the instruction exactly as stated, it will come out perfectly. :)
Can I make this without the pecans? My niece has a tree nut allergy.
Yes.
Hello, I plan on making this dish tomorrow but was wondering what size casserole dish I’ll need? Also, is this dish usually pretty sweet?
Any baking dish works fine. You can use a 9×13 or even an aluminum foil pan.
9×13 dish? Or smaller?
Any baking dish works fine. :)
What are the dimensions of the baking dish? And can this be done on aluminum foil pan ?
Any baking dish works! Yes, aluminum foil pans work too. :)
I really liked this but did think it was too much sugar. Marshmallows provide a lot of sweetness so I plan to dial back the sugar to half when I make again for Thanksgiving. Also I added a little freshly ground nutmeg, that really ups the flavor!
Can’t wait to try some recipes ! They look amazing
I am writing to follow you! I love your recipes! Thanks you, Joanne
what size pan should i use??
Any baking dish works!
How do you make the marshmallows look crisp and brown?
Broil it in the oven or use a kitchen torch. The recipe explains it! :)
Adjust oven rack lower down from broiler until lightly toasted. It online takes less than a minite. You have to watch closely and keep oven door open. You will smell the wonderful sweet aroma. It will be hot, be careful. Enjoy!
9×13 should work fine for this amount of sweet potatoes. If dish too full , use anther for overflow. Just leave room for marshmallows topping.
Sorry for misspelled words on all my comments.
My grandma used to make this on all special occasions
Hi, can I prepare this the night before and bake next day? Thx Amy.
Hi Amy! Yes, you can prepare the sweet potato part tonight, cover and place in the fridge. The next night before dinner, toast the marshmallows in the oven. Hope that helps! :)