Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (2024)

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Looking for the perfect Thanksgiving side dish? This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is always one of the first to disappear! Cinnamon-spiced sweet potatoes with crunchy pecans and brown sugar are a winning combo.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (1)

Table of Contents

  • Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
  • What You’ll Need
  • How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
  • Festive Serving Suggestions
  • Make Ahead Instructions
  • How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
  • Can I Freeze Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole?
  • More Holiday Favorites
  • Get the Recipe

    Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

    • A holiday staple. Every year, sweet potato casserole with pecans shows up at Thanksgiving, and every year, you better believe it’s a race to get a serving before the whole thing is gone! Nothing beats a simple casserole of creamy mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar and cinnamon, topped with crunchy pecans in a streusel-like mixture of flour, brown sugar, and butter. Yum!
    • Easy to make in advance. To make things even easier, you can prepare this sweet potato pecan casserole a day in advance, so you have less to do when you’re trying to prepare a holiday meal.
    • Tastes like Ruth Chris. If you’ve ever had the Ruth Chris sweet potato casserole, you’ll love this recipe. It tastes just like the classic steakhouse side dish!

    If you want more ideas for using sweet potatoes this holiday season, be sure to take a glance at this Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, these Instant Pot Mashed Maple Sweet Potatoes, and my easy Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows.

    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (2)

    What You’ll Need

    Sweet potato casserole with pecan topping may taste indulgent, but it’s actually made with only a little bit of sugar – and everything in it is from scratch. See the recipe card below for measurements.

    For the Casserole

    • Sweet Potatoes: Peel them, and cut them into chunks.
    • Salt: Some for the cooking water, and some for the actual casserole.
    • Butter: While I often use unsalted butter for baking, in this recipe I like to use salted. If you use unsalted, you might want to add just a pinch of additional salt.
    • Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar, or for a more molasses-y taste, use half light and half dark brown sugar.
    • Cinnamon

    For the Pecan Topping

    • Pecans: Finely chopped. You can do this by hand, or put them in a food processor. If you don’t want to use pecans, feel free to swap them for walnuts.
    • All-Purpose Flour: To bring the topping together and give it some body.
    • Brown Sugar: Again, light brown is my preference, but you could use dark brown, as well.
    • Cinnamon and Nutmeg
    • Butter: Make sure to melt your butter to use in the topping.
    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (3)

    Do You Put Eggs in Sweet Potato Casserole?

    Some recipes for sweet potato casserole call for eggs, but this one does not. Eggs can be great in sweet potato casserole, adding some richness and structure to the mixture, but I find that this simple recipe doesn’t need eggs in order to have a great flavor and perfect texture – and it’s also helpful for those with allergies!

    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (4)

    How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

    So just how do you make sweet potato pecan casserole? It’s actually really easy, even if you’re not using canned sweet potatoes. Here’s the scoop.

    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (5)
    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (6)
    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (7)
    • Prepare the sweet potatoes. Cook the sweet potatoes until fork tender. Drain, return to pot, and mash until smooth. Add in the butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Transfer the sweet potatoes to the baking dish in a smooth layer
    • Make the pecan topping. Stir together the topping ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Sprinkle over the sweet potatoes.
    • Bake. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Let rest for 5 minutes then enjoy.
    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (8)

    Tips & Variations

    There’s a lot to love about this Ruth Chris sweet potato casserole recipe, especially when you count all of the variations and twists you can do with it! Here are a few helpful notes on the recipe.

    • Add Oats: Sometimes I also like to add 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats to the topping mixture. If you do this, add 3 extra tablespoons of melted butter to help wet the oats.
    • Sweet Potato Prep: If you prefer not to boil your sweet potatoes, an even easier way is to bake them and remove the skins, and mash. It takes a little longer, but it’s less time standing at the stove.
    • For a Fluffy Texture: If you want to make your sweet potatoes fluffier like a sweet potato soufflé, add an egg and whip the sweet potato mixture with a hand mixer to get lots of air into the sweet potatoes. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.
    • For a Creamy Taste: For a creamier sweet potato casserole, swap out the brown sugar in the mashed sweet potatoes for sweetened condensed milk.
    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (9)

    Festive Serving Suggestions

    A dish like this works perfectly as part of a Christmas or Thanksgiving feast, so serve it up with all of your family’s favorites. Some of ours include…

    • Stuffing: This easy tutorial for making The Best Homemade Stuffing will have everyone’s mouth watering, long before the meal is ready. Consider yourself warned!
    • Sausage Balls: No one can resist classic Bisquick Sausage Balls – their biscuit-like texture with sausage and cheddar is just too good.
    • Roast Turkey: A big roast turkey just makes the perfect centerpiece for a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, right? And it doesn’t have to be difficult – this post shows exactly How to Cook a Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey.
    • Ham: Of course a big gorgeous ham also goes great with sweet potatoes. Try my favorite easy recipe for Crockpot Ham! Or save some time and make an Air Fryer Ham!
    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (10)

    Make Ahead Instructions

    Can you make this sweet potato casserole with pecan topping ahead? Absolutely! Prep the sweet potato casserole all the way until the last step, but instead of baking it, wrap it with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate it for up to 48 hours.

    When you’re ready to bake, remove the casserole from the fridge for an hour so that it can come to room temperature. Then bake according to the recipe directions.

    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (11)

    How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

    • Fridge. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • Reheat. When it comes to reheating, use the oven if at all possible so that the topping is crisped up. If that’s not on the cards, this sweet potato casserole with pecan topping can be reheated in the microwave as well.

    Can I Freeze Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole?

    Yes, sweet potato casserole with pecan topping can be successfully frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure you wrap it tightly in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil – or just pack it into an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

    More Holiday Favorites

    • Rustic Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash
    • The Best Green Bean Casserole
    • Pumpkin Cheesecake
    • Cranberry Relish
    • Easy Jiffy Corn Casserole
    • Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie

    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (12)

    4.7 from 10 votes

    Print Pin Recipe

    Yield: 12 Servings

    The Best Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is a perfect Thanksgiving side dish! Cinnamon-spiced sweet potatoes with a crunchy pecan topping are a holiday favorite.

    Prep Time15 minutes minutes

    Cook Time50 minutes minutes

    Total Time1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

    Ingredients

    For the Casserole

    • 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 2” pieces
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup salted butter, room temperature
    • ¼ cup light brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

    For the Pecan Topping

    • 1 cup finely chopped pecans
    • ½ cup all purpose flour
    • ½ cup light brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • Pinch of nutmeg
    • 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13” baking dish. Set aside.

    • Add sweet potatoes and salt to a large pot and add water till sweet potatoes are just covered. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes.

    • Drain sweet potatoes and return to pot. Mash sweet potatoes until smooth, then add in butter, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mash again until well combined.

    • Transfer the mashed potatoes to the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top into an even layer. Set aside.

    • In a medium sized bowl, stir together the pecans, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and melted butter until well combined. Sprinkle over the sweet potatoes in an even layer.

    • Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until topping is lightly browned. Let rest for 5 minutes after baking to set up, then serve warm!

    Notes

    Tips and Variations:

    • You can use walnuts in place of the pecans if you prefer.
    • Sometimes I also like to add 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats to the topping mixture. If you do this, add 3 extra tablespoons of melted butter to help wet the oats.
    • If you prefer not to boil your sweet potatoes, an even easier way is to bake them and remove the skins and mash. It takes a little longer, but is less time standing at the stove.
    • Can I make this ahead? Absolutely! Prep the sweet potato casserole all the way until the last step – baking it. Instead, wrap it with saran wrap or foil and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. When ready to bake, remove casserole from the fridge an hour before you want to put it in the oven and let it warm up to room temperature. Then bake according to recipe directions.
    • If you want to make your sweet potatoes fluffier like a sweet potato soufflé, add an egg and whip the sweet potato mixture with a hand mixer to get lots of air into the sweet potatoes. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.
    • For a creamier sweet potato casserole, swap out the brown sugar in the mashed sweet potatoes for sweetened condensed milk.

    Storage:

    • Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
    • Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in fridge.
    • Reheat: I like to reheat this casserole in the oven, whenever possible, for best results. But it can be reheated in the microwave as well.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1, Calories: 296kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 334mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 19g

    © Jessica – The Novice Chef

    Cuisine: American

    Category: Vegetable Sides

    Categories:

    • Christmas
    • Diet
    • Fall
    • Holidays
    • Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Thanksgiving
    • Vegetable Sides
    • Vegetarian

    Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Related Posts

    • Crockpot Sweet Potatoes With Marshmallows

    • Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

    • The Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

    • The Best Green Bean Casserole Recipe

    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans | A Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe! (2024)

    FAQs

    Are candied yams and sweet potato casserole the same thing? ›

    You may not want to substitute true yams in your Candied Yams recipe since their flavor isn't the same as the sweet potatoes in the dish. They can be substituted for sweet potatoes in more savory dishes.

    What's the difference between sweet potato pie and sweet potato casserole? ›

    The difference is that sweet potato casserole can either have a toasted marshmallow top or a crunchy brown sugar/nut top and is made with brown sugar in the casserole. Sweet potato pie is made with white sugar, has nothing on top, but can be served with whipped topping.

    How does Ina Garten bake sweet potatoes? ›

    directions
    1. Preheat oven to 425*F.
    2. Cut sweet potatoes in wedges or like french fries.
    3. Place wedges on large baking pan or cookie sheet. ...
    4. Now sprinkle over brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. ...
    5. Spread out in a single layer. ...
    6. Place back in oven and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside.

    Why add eggs to sweet potato casserole? ›

    A really good sweet potato casserole filling should be light and moist, not dense. If it's dense, then you may not have added an often overlooked ingredient—an egg. An egg adds lift, structure and volume and makes the filling more custard-like.

    Which is better for baking sweet potatoes or yams? ›

    If you're able to find true yams in your supermarket, they can be prepared just like your favorite potato recipes—boiled, roasted, baked, or fried. But if sweet, candied recipes are what you're after, you probably want to stick to using sweet potatoes.

    Which is healthier, yam or sweet potato? ›

    Although both veggies are very close in fiber, protein, vitamin C, and magnesium, sweet potatoes are the healthier option because they are lower in overall calories, lower in carbohydrates, and higher in beta carotene (vitamin A).

    Is heavy cream or evaporated milk better for sweet potato pie? ›

    Evaporated milk add a sweetness and density that fresh milk cannot replicate. Follow this tip: Use evaporated milk instead of cream or half-and-half. It adds sweetness and creaminess to the pie's texture.

    Can I substitute canned sweet potatoes for fresh sweet potatoes? ›

    Canned or frozen sweet potatoes may be substituted for the fresh form in any recipe calling for cooked sweet potatoes as the starting point. Canned sweet potatoes are generally smaller in diameter because of their better canning qualities.

    How do you make Patti Labelle sweet potatoes? ›

    Boil the sweet potatoes in a large stockpot until soft, about 25 minutes; drain. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, add the butter, cream, agave, cinnamon and salt, and mash until smooth. Sprinkle with the orange zest.

    Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking? ›

    The cold water bath helps rinse the starch off the sweet potatoes so they're a bit more crispy. That said, if you do not have the time, you can still get crispy baked sweet potato fries by using high heat and a little drizzle of olive oil.

    Why do Americans put marshmallows on sweet potato casserole? ›

    But thanks to a cookbook published in 1917, we have a pretty good idea of who came up with the idea to put marshmallows on top of sweet potatoes. True to the spirit of capitalism, the people behind the recipe were marshmallow manufacturers themselves.

    How do you thicken a sweet potato casserole? ›

    How do you thicken a sweet potato casserole? If you are not adding eggs, you can thicken your sweet potato casserole by adding a bit of flour or cornstarch. You will need about 2-3 tablespoons of flour and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

    Why is my sweet potato casserole soupy? ›

    If your sweet potato casserole turned out “watery”, its usually because you forgot to add eggs; you didn't let your casserole have enough time to set up after baking or you used fresh sweet potatoes and didn't boil them long enough before mashing.

    Is sweet potato and sweet yam the same thing? ›

    True yams are part of an entirely different genus (Dioscorea; sweet potatoes belong to Ipomoea in the morning glory family) and are more akin to yuca in texture and flavor. Yams are commonly used in Caribbean and West African cooking and can grow as long and thick as an adult arm.

    What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? ›

    A sweet potato is a root. Yams tend to be more cylindrical and have scaly, bark-like skin. Sweet potatoes tend to have a more tapered shape and may be firm or soft with thinner skin. Generally, sweet potatoes taste sweeter than yams.

    Are Bruce's yams actually sweet potatoes? ›

    Bruce's Yams was founded in 1928 by Bruce Foods in New Iberia, LA. For many years, the brand has been and continues to be the nation's number one selling canned sweet potato.

    Is candied yams made from sweet potatoes? ›

    Regardless, candied yams are made by par-cooking sweet potatoes in boiling water, placing them in a baking dish, and topping with a mixture of butter, sugar, and spice. They're then baked until tender and the sweet sauce mixture has thickened and is rich in color.

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