Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Brown Sugar Streusel Topping

Sweet potato casserole has always been my favorite Thanksgiving side dish.  I make mine with fresh, roasted sweet potatoes, and a brown sugar and pecan streusel topping that has a wonderful balance of salty and sweet flavors. Marshmallows simply don’t belong on sweet potato casserole, and if you’re reading this post, then perhaps you agree. The buttery, crumbly streusel topping in my recipe is simply the best! I could eat it all on its own, it’s that good.

Looking for more holiday recipes? You’ll love my classic pecan pie, pumpkin bourbon pie with crumb topping, and homemade cranberry sauce.

This site contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links.  This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.  All opinions expressed on this site are my own.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s Like Eating Dessert. Who doesn’t love getting to eat what’s basically a dessert as a side dish? And then still get to eat pie afterwards? With brown sugar and cream, spices and a crumbly pecan topping, this Thanksgiving side dish is indulgent and totally delicious.

Easy to Make. This recipe requires very little prep work, and most of the time you’ll just be waiting for the sweet potatoes to roast and cool.

Make Ahead. A make ahead dish is so helpful when prepping all the food for Thanksgiving, and that’s one of the things I love about this dish. I usually roast the sweet potatoes a day or two in advance, and prep the filling and topping. Then all I need to do an hour before serving dinner, is to sprinkle on the topping and bake!

No Marshmallows. Marshmallows just don’t belong on top of sweet potato casserole. End of discussion. Brown sugar pecan streusel crumb topping all the way!

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.

Sweet Potatoes or Yams?

So, are the sweet potatoes we buy at the grocery store sweet potatoes, or are they yams? It turns out, the answer isn’t all that straightforward. My grocery store has bins labeled as sweet potatoes and yams, but it’s actually uncommon for them to carry true yams. Most often, the tubers available are either firm sweet potatoes or soft sweet potatoes, but not yams.

• Yams. A yam has a dark brown or blackish peel that’s rough and bark-like. Inside, the potato flesh can range from white, purple or red. They are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes.
• Firm Sweet Potatoes. Firm sweet potatoes have golden colored peel with a pale yellow or white potato flesh. They are firmer and starchier than soft sweet potatoes.
• Soft Sweet Potatoes. Soft sweet potatoes have copper colored peel with a deep orange potato flesh. They become extremely soft and sweet when cooked, with a caramelized flavor when they’re roasted in their skin.

Which Should You Buy?

If you want a sweet, soft mashable sweet potato for roasting and eating, or for pureeing into a casserole filling, then you should look for the soft sweet potatoes (which your grocery store might label as yams). Even though they’re not yams. Look at the color of the peel, and look for any nicks or breaks to see the color of the flesh inside to identify the correct ones. You can see in the photo below that I accidentally bought a firm sweet potato along with the soft sweet potatoes. I didn’t even realize it until after I’d roasted them and removed the peel.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Filling

• Sweet Potatoes. See paragraph above for what type of sweet potatoes to buy.
• Olive Oil. Keeps the potatoes moist as they roast.
• Butter. Unsalted butter adds richness and flavor to the filling.
• Eggs. Gives the filling a little structure, so it puffs up slightly, like a souffle.
• Heavy Whipping Cream. Adds richness and a creamy flavor.
• Brown Sugar. Either light or dark brown sugar works well, adding sweetness and a hint of molasses.
• Spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt adds flavor.

Topping

• Flour. All-purpose flour gives the crumb topping structure.
• Sugar. A combination of white and brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Butter. Binds the crumbs together.
• Pecans. Crunch and flavor.

Instructions

Filling

• Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with foil.  Wash the potatoes and place on the baking sheet; drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil and cover tightly with another piece of foil.  Roast for 90 minutes, until very soft and tender.
• Set aside to cool until cool enough to touch, remove the skins, and scoop the potato flesh into a food processor.  Puree until smooth.
• In a bowl, whisk together the pureed sweet potatoes, melted butter, beaten eggs, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt until well combined.  Spread into a greased 9×13 pan or large gratin baking dish.

Topping

• In a bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt.
• Add the melted butter, and use a fork to evenly distribute, then use your hands to rub the butter in until moist and crumbly.  Stir in the pecans.

Bake

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Sprinkle the topping over the filling and bake on the center oven rack for 45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. If necessary, lay a piece of foil over the top if the topping is getting too dark towards the end.
• Cool for 15 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.

Tips for Making the Best Sweet Potato Casserole

Mine is a recipe that’s evolved over the years, starting with using my mom’s recipe for the longest time, until I realized that hers just wasn’t working for me anymore.  Gradual tweaking of ingredients eventually turned into a complete overhaul of the recipe to perfect the flavor and texture until settling on this version as the one I will always bake from now on.

• Use Fresh Roasted Sweet Potatoes. I never use canned yams for my casserole, so I always start by roasting fresh sweet potatoes in their skin, a process that gives the potatoes a lovely caramelized flavor and makes them so tender.  And because sweet potatoes range so greatly in size, I’ve only noted in my recipe how many pounds are needed, rather than the number of individual potatoes.
• Puree for a Silky Texture. Rather than mashing the roasted potatoes, I like to puree them in the food processor until perfectly smooth.  You can hand-mash them, but I find that some of the stringy fibers remain with hand-mashing, which can contribute an unpleasant texture to the casserole, so I far prefer the silky smoothness of the pureed potatoes.
• Add Rich, Flavorful Ingredients. Once smooth, I mix in a little softened butter, eggs, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt.  At this point, it’s difficult not to just sit and eat the filling on its own, even before it’s been baked. This is a dish that’s more like a dessert, which is probably why I love it so much.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this casserole in advance?

To make Thanksgiving day easier, I almost always prep my sweet potato casserole a day or two in advance. I make the filling and the topping, and then keep them refrigerated separately until I’m ready to bake my dish.  It emerges from the oven piping hot, beautifully golden brown and crunchy, sweet and salty, with all those tempting buttery crumbs.  It fills the house with the delicious aroma of Thanksgiving, and I can hardly wait for the first spoonful.

How should I reheat the leftovers?

The crumb topping will stay crunchy in the refrigerator, but it’s the reheating process that tends to melt and soften it. This is hard to avoid. But the leftovers are still fantastic, and I’ve never let a soft crumb topping stop me from enjoying it the next day. If you microwave a scoop of the casserole, it will melt the topping quite a bit. To keep it a bit crunchier, I recommend re-warming the entire dish in the oven. Just place it in a 325 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, and it will taste wonderful.

How can I make this recipe lighter?

To reduce the sugar and calories for a slightly lighter version, you can cut the butter, cream and sugar in half when you make the filling (it won’t taste as rich and flavorful, though). Or use half and half instead of heavy whipping cream. You can also make less topping to sprinkle on top. And while I haven’t tried it, you could experiment with a sugar substitute. I think maple syrup could be really great in the filling.

What size pan should I use if I cut the recipe in half?

For a smaller casserole, cut the recipe in half and bake it in an 8-inch baking dish. You could even go really small-batch with 1/4 the recipe baked in a 6-inch baking dish, which would be just right for two people.

Will this recipe work with purple sweet potatoes?

No, not really. Purple sweet potatoes are very dry and starchy, and won’t make a very creamy filling.

If I use canned yams, how much should I use?

I’m not sure. Since canned yams contain water that needs to be drained, you’ll end up with less than the ounces noted on the can. You’ll need 3 pounds of yams after draining the water.

What other spices could I use?

In addition to cinnamon and nutmeg, I’ve also used cardamom, allspice and cloves, which are all great.

Can I make the topping without the pecans?

Yes, you can leave the pecans out completely, or substitute with walnuts.

You Might Also Like

Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!

Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!