Best Sweet Potato Casserole
from kristineskitchenblog.comWith warm spices, creamy sweet potatoes and a crunchy brown sugar pecan topping, this is the best sweet potato casserole recipe! It's a classic holiday side dish and very easy to make.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 291kcal
Ingredients
For the sweet potatoes:
- 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes about 4 medium
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
- ¼ cup honey or pure maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup milk warmed, whole milk is best
- 1 large egg
For the topping:
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scrub sweet potatoes and pat them dry. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the top of each sweet potato.2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
- Bake sweet potatoes in the preheated oven until very soft when pierced with a fork: 50-65 minutes for medium sweet potatoes, 40-50 minutes for small sweet potatoes, or 65+ minutes for large sweet potatoes. Allow potatoes to cool slightly, until cool enough to handle.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350° F.
- Slice potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Discard the skins.
- Add the cubes of butter to the bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the sweet potatoes.3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the honey, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and vanilla. Use a hand mixer or spoon to mix until very well combined.¼ cup honey, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in the warmed milk and egg until just combined.⅓ cup milk, 1 large egg
- Transfer the sweet potato mixture to an 8x8-inch baking dish.
- To make the topping, in a small bowl, stir together the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.¾ cup chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Cover with foil and bake at 350° F for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 20-25 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned and casserole is at least 160° F in the center. Let sweet potato casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- To Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole, keeping the topping in a separate airtight container. Cover casserole in baking dish and refrigerate for up to one day. When you are ready to bake the casserole, sprinkle on the topping. I recommend letting the casserole sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before baking to take the chill off. You may need to add 15-20 minutes to the covered bake time if baking a chilled casserole.
- Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- To make a streusel topping instead of the pecan topping, stir together 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Then stir in 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Stir in the 3/4 cup of chopped pecans (or omit them if you prefer) and scatter the topping over the casserole.
- To make sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, scatter mini marshmallows over the top of the casserole when you remove the foil and then continue baking for 20-25 more minutes. You can add mini marshmallows on top of the pecan topping or omit the pecan topping and use marshmallows instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 554mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 20294IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg
