An easy sweet potato casserole recipe made with cinnamon, pecans, and then topped with toasted mini marshmallows. The perfect side dish!
There’s just something comforting about the smell of cinnamon, the sweetness of the warm mashed sweet potatoes, and toasted marshmallows that just make me happy. I mean… all types of food make me happy but you know what I mean. ;)
Would you consider sweet potato casserole a dessert or a side dish? Hard to decide, right?
I’ve always considered and enjoyed this as a side dish. Kinda like a pregame to the real dessert. OH YEAH. I know a lot of people that rather enjoy this dish as dessert. Either way, it’s a win-win! Whether it’s a potluck, Thanksgiving or just dinner with the fam, this classic casserole is by far the BEST side dish!
For Thanksgiving, I make this every year. Every time, there’s a potluck, I bring sweet potato casserole. If it’s Friendsgiving, guess what I’m bringing? You guessed it – sweet potato casserole.
Let’s talk about how incredibly easy it is to bring all this together. You literally throw the cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot, cook them until tender, and then mash them UP. You mix in all the spices and pecans then top with marshmallows.
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sweet potatoes – The star of the show! I usually buy medium-sized sweet potatoes. If you can only find small or large ones, make sure to get 2 1/2 lbs worth. That should give you the 8 cups you need for the recipe.
- Cold water – Enough to create steam to soften the sweet potatoes in the pot.
- Brown sugar – The molasses in brown sugar complement the sweet potatoes so well. It sweetens the deal!
- Unsalted butter – This adds richness and flavor to the sweet potatoes. I like using unsalted butter so I can adjust the salt myself.
- Vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt – The vanilla and spices also enhance the flavor of the mashed sweet potatoes. It all comes together to make this the perfect Fall casserole!
- Pecans – This gives the casserole the perfect amount of crunch in every bite. If you have a nut allergy, I’d omit any nuts from the recipe.
- Mini marshmallows – The mini marshmallows toasted on top of the casserole are the cherry on top of the soft, buttery mashed sweet potatoes. I like to add these right before serving time so they are perfectly toasted for dinner. If you don’t have access to an oven at dinner time, you can use a kitchen torch!
Can I make sweet potato casserole ahead of time?
Yes, you absolutely can!
Once the sweet potato mixture has cooled and all the spices are well combined, add the mixture to the casserole dish and place it in the fridge until the next day. The next day, you bring the casserole dish to room temperature then top with pecans and mini marshmallows. Bake for about 15-20 minutes in the oven and that’s it!
Ta-daaaa. See how easy that is?! That’s why I make this every year!
You just can’t go wrong. Alternatively, you can, of course, make it all in one shot and serve warm. The final outcome will always be ooey gooey, cinnamon-y, and toasty. I promise there won’t be any leftovers.
Video for Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
I hope you make this and absolutely love it!
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (6-8 medium sized sweet potatoes or ~8 cups chopped)
- 3/4 cup cold water, or enough to fill the pot to create steam
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (half of one stick or 1/4 cup), 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 pecans (or walnuts), chopped, divided (optional, omit if you have a nut allergy or only using marshmallows)
- 2 cups mini marshmallows, optional (or sub for vegan marshmallows)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a casserole dish or deep baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place the sweet potatoes in a pot with the cold water. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat. The sweet potatoes will become tender with the steam. Simmer for 15-25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender enough to mash. Drain. Let cool slightly.
- Transfer tender sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Mash sweet potato mixture with a potato masher. 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.
- Add the sweet potato mixture evenly into the casserole dish. Top with remaining pecans and mini marshmallows, if using. Bake for 15 minutes or until marshmallows are toasted. Remove from oven. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Originally posted in November 2016; Updated recipe and photos in September 2018.
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! :)
This looks AMAZING!! It’s my favorite side dish for Thanksgiving! I’m definitely going to make this one!
Thank you!
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.
My grandma used to make this on all special occasions
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.
Can’t wait to try some recipes ! They look amazing
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!
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. :)
9×13 dish? Or smaller?
Any baking dish works fine. :)
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.
Can I make this without the pecans? My niece has a tree nut allergy.
Yes.
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!
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!
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 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!
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. :)
Can you makr ahead of time and freeze?
Yes! I included this in the blog post. :)
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. :)
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 :)
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.
How many servings does this recipe yield? Looking forward to trying it out! Thanks!
16 servings
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!
Can I use regular sized marshmallows? Or do they have to be the minis?
You can use either!