Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Real sweet potatoes whipped with eggs and milk make this the best sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel topping around. There’s an unmistakable hint of vanilla that you’ll love!
Who’s ever had dessert for dinner? I’m not talking dessert before dinner, but dessert in place of dinner.
This sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel topping officially qualifies as a side dish, but it’s creamy sweetness is like a dessert. Mmm…it’s the best Thanksgiving side dish.
In fact, this is one of those casseroles that I’d eat simply by itself as a dinner and dessert together. It’s got sweet potatoes so it’s healthy, right? Don’t burst my bubble. It’s perfect.
Pecan Topping for Sweet Potato Casserole
The pecan streusel topping… a crumb topping of pecans, brown sugar, a touch of flour and vanilla get mixed together and sprinkled on top.
Many sweet potato casseroles have marshmallow topping. And I love my marshmallows just as much as anyone else, but nothing beats this brown sugar pecan topping that has a hint of vanilla. The best sweet potato casserole recipe will have a crunchy pecan streusel.
Canned Sweet Potatoes Vs Fresh Sweet Potatoes
I truly recommend using real sweet potatoes for this recipe. I’ve made it both ways, but by using fresh sweet potatoes instead of canned sweet potatoes, your casserole will taste much lighter and fresher.
Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients
This popular Thanksgiving side dish is simply a mix of:
- sweet potatoes
- evaporated milk
- eggs
- sugar
Evaporated milk adds richness. You can use regular milk if you’d like, but use whole milk for best results.
The pecan crumble is a buttery mixture of brown sugar, butter, flour, pecans and vanilla extract.
How to Make the Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel
- Prep the sweet potatoes. This will take about 25 minutes. If you’ve made mashed potatoes before, you can do sweet potatoes, too! Peel the sweet potatoes (to get exactly 3 cups I used 8 small sweet potatoes), then cut them into cubes. Throw the cubes into a large pot of boiling water and let them boil for about 10-15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and then mash them.
- Make the sweet potato filling. In a medium-sized bowl, use a mixer to whip together the mashed potatoes and eggs until completely blended. Stir in the sugar and milk. Pour this mixture into a pretty deep dish pie plate or 2 quart baking dish.
- Make the pecan topping. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour and pecans. At this point you can add a hint of cinnamon or nutmeg if you’d like. Cut the butter into small chunks. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the sugar mixture until it is coarse crumbs. Mix the vanilla into the streusel topping.
- Bake the sweet potato casserole. Sprinkle the streusel over the sweet potato mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Can you make sweet potato casserole in advance?
This recipe is best served right after baking, but you can put together the casserole before baking and bake right before you need it. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Remove the casserole 1 hour before baking so it can come closer to room temperature. Then uncover and bake as directed!
Other Potato Recipes
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel
Real sweet potatoes whipped with eggs and milk make this the best sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel topping around. There’s an unmistakeable hint of vanilla that you’ll love!
Servings 9
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes I used 8 small potatoes*
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk**
Topping:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup cold butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray an 8×8" baking dish or round deep dish pie dish with cooking spray.
- In a medium-sized bowl, use a mixer to whip together the mashed potatoes and eggs until completely blended. Stir in the sugar and milk. Pour this mixture into the prepared pan. 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes, 2 large eggs, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup evaporated milk**
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour and pecans. ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ cup chopped pecans
- Cut the butter into small chunks. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the sugar mixture until it is coarse crumbs. Mix the vanilla into the streusel topping. ¼ cup cold butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the streusel over the sweet potato mixture.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Video
Notes
- To prepare the sweet potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Boil them in water over medium heat until they are soft (about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the sweet potato chunks). Drain off the water, then mash them with a potato masher or a mixer. You can also use canned sweet potatoes if you’d like. Drain the liquid off and mash.
- Instead of evaporated milk, you can also use a high fat milk or cream (whole milk, half & half, or even heavy whipping cream for a rich flavor).
- You can double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan. This will most likely take at least 10 minutes longer to bake.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 6540IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Help! This recipe is basically my Mom’s sweet potato casserole, a longtime family favorite during the holidays. I’ve watched her make it many times over the years, and have taken over the preparation myself recently. Here’s my S.O.S. – when I made it this Thanksgiving, the streusel topping kind of melted together into a chewy, cookie-like consistency. I think my ratios were ok (1 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup pecans), so maybe my process was off? Mom passed away last year, so I’m trying to figure this out solo. Any help would be much… Read more »
I tried this recipe this year and my family really enjoyed it. It’s a keeper. I would make one change though. I put together the casserole the day before Thanksgiving and cooked it for 30 minutes right before the meal as you suggested. It turned out a bit soupy and my family wasn’t all that impressed. When I reheated the pan two days later for 30 minutes at 350, everyone raved. I will definitely make this again but I will prebake and reheat. Other similar recipes I have seen use twice this much topping. I love that I tried yours… Read more »
Love this recipe! Pretty close to my old recipe that makes a 9×13. I wanted something that made less and this is perfect. I also add some vanilla and cinnamon to the sweet potato mixture. It’s awesome, thank you!
This is the same recipe I have used for years. Its wonderful.
Perfection.
This is awesome! I’m not a huge baker but I do like sweets 🙂 Thanks for breaking down the instructions and telling us how you do it, that helps me a lot because I’m just getting in to baking. I also appreciate the links to amazon with your preferred baking tools. My arsenal of kitchen utilities is steadily in growth mode and knowing the tools the experts use is a huge help! I’ve got a new pastry cutter on the way! Thanks again, love this recipe and I can’t wait to make it for my fam!
Oh yes, sweet potato souffle as we call it is a dessert to me. My mother had restaurants as I grew up. She would make it and add coconut and crushed pineapple to the potatoes. I LOVED it! She never used marshamallows. Always the pecans, flour, brown sugar, etc.on top. Always used fresh sweet potatoes. I have been baking my potatoes then mashing them up. No peeling and boiling water to deal with. They are worth it no matter how you do it.
My dad never considered yams to be sweet potatoes…and baked sweet potatoes often…I would like to use sweet potatoes not yams in this recipe do you a problem with this?
Hi there, this looks great! Just one question, do you use raw pecans or roasted pecans? Thanks!
Doubled the recipe for big Thanksgiving group. Couldn’t bring myself to put 1 1/2 cups gradulated sugar in with mashed potaties in addition to sweet topping. I used 3/4 cup of hoeny instead. Everyone raved over it. Almost stole the show from the turkey. Thanks.
I have had a great time looking at your recipes, thank you so much. I have a new binder just for your recipes.