Description
This Sweet Potato Casserole is a classic holiday side dish featuring tender mashed sweet potatoes mixed with brown sugar, butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla, topped with a crunchy pecan streusel. Baked until golden and bubbly, it perfectly balances creamy and crunchy textures and sweet and warm flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Mixture
- 4 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup (110g) packed light-brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup milk (anything but skim)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Topping
- 1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped or broken pecans
- 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Bake Sweet Potatoes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil to catch drips and make cleanup easier. Pierce each sweet potato twice on two sides using a fork or knife, place them on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for about 75 minutes or until soft and thoroughly cooked.
- Cool and Peel Sweet Potatoes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and let them cool slightly until they can be handled safely. Peel off the skins — they should come off easily — then transfer the flesh to a large mixing bowl.
- Mash Sweet Potatoes. Mash the sweet potatoes well using a potato masher or push them through a potato ricer for a smoother texture. Allow the mashed potatoes to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes to ensure the eggs won't cook when added.
- Mix Sweet Potato Batter. Add the brown sugar, melted butter, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and pepper to the mashed sweet potatoes. Using an electric hand mixer, blend the mixture until all ingredients are well combined and smooth.
- Prepare the Casserole Dish. Grease a 12 by 8-inch casserole dish and pour the sweet potato mixture evenly into it. Smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then set it aside while you make the topping.
- Make the Topping. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans with a fork, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar with your fingertips. Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir until evenly moistened and crumbly.
- Add Topping and Bake. Sprinkle the pecan topping evenly over the sweet potato layer in the casserole dish. Bake in the preheated 350-degree oven for about 40 minutes until the topping is golden and the casserole is heated through. If the topping starts to brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Serve Warm. Remove from the oven and serve the sweet potato casserole warm as a delicious side dish.
Notes
- This recipe yields approximately 5 cups of mashed sweet potatoes.
- To prevent the topping from burning, cover the casserole loosely with foil if browning too fast during baking.
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts if preferred.
- Use whole milk or 2% milk rather than skim for richer flavor and texture.
- Allow the mashed sweet potatoes to cool before mixing with eggs to avoid cooking the eggs and curdling the mixture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
