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Is it acceptable to call this Sweet Potato Casserole with pecans my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal? That smooth cinnamon infused sweet potatoes topped with crunchy brown sugar pecan crusted crumbles is beyond delicious and simply melts in the mouth.
Pecan Crusted Sweet Potato Casserole a solid, classic side dish for the biggest eating day in America, but I probably like it so much because let’s face it…it tastes kinda like dessert.
Confession: I’m one of those people who would eat all the Thanksgiving sides (and desserts, of course) and can do without the turkey or ham.
Yep. I said it. Controversial, I know. And all you meat-loving folks are just confused.
Fear not. I do love the turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce (yes, gravy and cranberry sauce. I need both!). All I’m saying is if I had to pick one, this sweet potato casserole with pecans wins hands down!
Preparing your Thanksgiving feast? We got you covered! Check out Herb Butter Turkey Breast, Apple Stuffing, Gravy From Scratch, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Honey Butter Rolls, and Pumpkin Pie to round up your menu!
Table of Contents
Pecan crusted sweet potato casserole
There are a million and one sweet potato casserole recipes out there, but I wanted to share my sweet potato casserole with pecan crumble topping that is easy, requires only a few ingredients, and highlights the true star of the dish (sweet potatoes duh) without adding too much fillers to it.
Sweet potato casserole with pecans is go-to sweet potato casserole recipe. Tried and true and perfect.
There’s just something about topping sweet potato casserole with pecan crumbles. (Yes, much better than marshmallows in my humble opinion!)
The crunchy pecan pairs beautifully with the creamy cinnamon infused mashed sweet potatoes. It’s a lovely combination of textures and flavors.
In addition, this pecan crusted sweet potato casserole is fairly light, not overly sweet and heavy, and the sweet potatoes remain a prominent part of the flavor and textures.
I added just enough flavors and spices to enhance mashed sweet potatoes, but am super careful to not burry it in a lot of dairy and flavoring.
If you love a variety of textures in your foods, and like a fairly light and flavorful sweet potato casserole, you will surely love this sweet potato casserole with pecans.
How to make sweet potato casserole
There are two parts to our sweet potato casserole with pecans recipe:
- Mashed sweet potato filling
- Pecan crumble topping
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Start by making the mashed sweet potatoes. Boil sweet potatoes in water for 20 minutes, drain when they are done, and mash them using a potato masher or electric hand mixer.
Let mashed sweet potatoes cool (because we will be adding eggs) and then combine it with the following ingredients:
- Eggs
- Brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
These are pantry-friendly and straight-forward ingredients.
The goal is to make this Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans non-complicated and take somewhat of a minimalist approach because these ingredients are there to enhance the sweet potatoes, not overpower it.
Pecans Topping
Now let’s making the crumbles for our pecan crusted sweet potato casserole.
On a separate bowl, combine the ingredients below to make the crunchy sweet pecan topping:
- Pecans
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
Mix it all together until it is crumbly and in small little pieces.
Assemble
To assemble sweet potato casserole with pecans, grab a 9″x13″ rectangular casserole dish or a 12″ oval dish (picture below).
Spread the mashed sweet potatoes evenly at the bottom of the casserole dish, and then topped it with the pecan crumbles.
Whether you use a 12″ or 13″ rectangular or oval dish, bake time should be about the same.
Because oval dish is smaller than the rectangular dish, it’ll yield a slightly thicker sweet potato casserole with pecans.
Once you’ve assembled your sweet potato casserole with the pecans topping, send it to the oven to bake!
It bakes for about 40 minutes 400 ℉ in the oven.
Before you know it, your warm, smooth, creamy (but not heavy) sweet potato casserole with pecans is ready!
What you can expect: amazing flavors and textures in every single bite.
It’s the sweet potato casserole we all dream about stuffing our mouths and stomachs with on Thanksgiving day before going down for a nice, long nap.
It is only appropriate for all Thanksgiving meals to be followed by a nap.
And the best part is, this sweet potato casserole with pecans is super easy to make, and just as easy to make ahead!
Make Ahead Instructions
Making ahead your sweet potato casserole with pecans? There are a few ways you can go about this:
- Finish baking and store cooked casserole sealed (by covering with a lid or use aluminum foil or saran wrap if the dish doesn’t come with a cover) in the refrigerator for up to two days. When ready to serve, cover with aluminum foil and heat in the oven at 300℉ for 20-25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are warm.
- Assemble casserole but do not bake. Store casserole sealed (by covering with a lid or use aluminum foil or saran wrap if the dish doesn’t come with a cover), in the refrigerator for a day. Let it sit in room temperature for about an hour so that it is no longer cold, then bake according to recipe instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a rectangular sized baking dish to bake this?
Yes! This fits a 9’x13′ rectangular sized baking dish as well, and your sweet potato casserole will be slightly thinner than the 12′ oval dish I used.
Does sweet potato casserole freeze well?
Yes! It freezes well in an airtight container. Bring it to a full defrost the night before before following the make ahead instructions above.
Can I make sweet potato casserole ahead of time?
Yes! See ‘Make Ahead Instructions’ right above this for more information.
Can I use canned sweet potatoes?
Yes! That works as well although I always prefer fresh sweet potatoes if I have a choice.
A Thanksgiving must!
Ahh sweet potato casserole with pecans. The star of the Thanksgiving table.
So gooey. So crunchy. So perfect for my sweet-potato-loving soul.
As the weather gets colder, the leaves turn red, and Starbucks starts serving Pumpkin Spice Latte…you know you need some of this pecan crusted sweet potato casserole back in your life to kick off all things Fall. 🧡
Other Sweet Potato Recipes
- Brown Sugar Pecan Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato and Kielbasa Hash
- Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Cinnamon Brown Sugar Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Taco Bowl (by My Kitchen Love)
- Easy Sweet Potato Hash Brown (by Pinch and Swirl)
Other Delicious Holiday Dishes
- Gravy
- Cranberry Sauce
- Dutch Oven Herb Butter Turkey Breast
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Cheesy Garlic Scalloped Potatoes
- Pineapple Baked Ham
- Cheesy Garlic Rolls
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
Flavorful and smooth mashed sweet potatoes topped with a pecan crusted crumble and baked to perfection. It's the perfect holiday side dish!
4.97 from 32 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 340kcal
Author: MinShien
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes ~5 large sweet potatoes
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pecan Crumble Topping
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
Peel and slice sweet potatoes into smaller pieces (~2 inches long).
Bring water to boil in a large pot, then add sliced sweet potatoes into water. Cook for 20 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft.
When potatoes are done, drain water, and mashed potatoes with a potato masher or electric mixer until there are no lumps and smooth.
Let potatoes cool.
While waiting, combine all the crumble ingredients in a bowl.
Pre-heat oven to 400 ℉.
Once sweet potatoes are cool, add eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of unsalted butter. Mix well using a spatula or electric mixer to combine.
Bring sweet potato filling to a 9" x 13" rectangular or 12" oval casserole dish, then evenly top with pecan crumble topping.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
Remove and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Two ways to make ahead:
1) Finish baking and store cooked casserole sealed (by covering with a lid or use aluminum foil or saran wrap if the dish doesn’t come with a cover) in the refrigerator for up to two days. When ready to serve, cover with aluminum foil and heat in the oven at 300℉ for 20-25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are warm.
2) Assemble casserole but do not bake. Store casserole sealed (by covering with a lid or use aluminum foil or saran wrap if the dish doesn’t come with a cover), in the refrigerator for a day. Let it sit in room temperature for about an hour so that it is no longer cold, then bake according to recipe instructions.
This post was originally published on November 2020 and updated with new photographs on Oct 2021.
Nutrition
Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 462mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 16368IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Take a pic and tag me at @joyous.apron, or hashtag #joyousapron on Instagram!
