Everyone loves a sweet potato casserole, but your personal preferences as to how to do it are liable to be very divergent. Here are 12 classic variants for every taste.
Classic Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole
I think of this as the sweet potato from my grandma's day. It's a bit sweet for me, but if you grew up with marshmallows in your sweet potatoes, Thanksgiving is the season for nostalgia.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Pierce potatoes; roast on a lined sheet 50 to 60 minutes until fully soft. Split and scoop flesh; reduce oven to 350°F.
- Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a small light-colored saucepan over medium. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, swirling, until solids turn golden brown. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl.
- Grease a 2-quart dish with teaspoon butter; spread filling. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until center reaches 160°F.
- Scatter marshmallows evenly; bake 5 minutes more until puffed and golden, watching closely. Rest 10 minutes.
Pecan Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole
Personally, I like a streusel topping on sweet potato casserole, and it offers a lot of possibilities. This version uses pecans, although feel free to mix it up with other nuts.
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Ingredients
Method
- Simmer 1 inch water in a large pot with steamer basket. Add potatoes; cover and steam 20 to 25 minutes until very tender, checking pot does not boil dry.
- Heat oven to 350°F; grease a 2-quart dish. Mash potatoes with filling butter, buttermilk, filling sugar, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cool until warm; add egg.
- Mix pecans, flour, topping sugar, and remaining salt. Rub in cold topping butter to form coarse clumps.
- Spread filling in dish; scatter streusel evenly without pressing into a solid layer.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes until topping browns and center reaches 160°F. Rest 10 minutes.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Both Toppings
If you can't decide between marshmallow and streusel, no one's stopping you from doing both. The pecans go on first for browning, followed by the marshmallows.
Ingredients
Method
- Cover sweet potatoes with water; boil, then simmer 15 to 18 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly; steam-dry 3 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350°F; grease a 2-quart dish. Roughly mash potatoes with cream cheese, filling butter, milk, filling sugar, salt, and cinnamon, leaving small soft chunks.
- Mix pecans, flour, and topping sugar; rub in cold topping butter for crumbs. Spread potatoes in dish; scatter crumbs.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes until filling hot and crumbs begin browning. Add marshmallows in loose patches, leaving plenty of pecans visible.
- Bake 5 to 7 minutes more until marshmallows golden. Rest 10 minutes.
Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
While it seems less traditional, I do prefer my sweet potatoes more savory. They have so much natural sweetness already. This recipe adds goat cheese for a beautiful contrast.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; grease a 2-quart dish. Melt 2 tablespoons butter; cook washed, drained leeks over medium 8 minutes until soft.
- Warm cream, milk, salt, pepper, and thyme until steaming; do not boil.
- Layer half potatoes, leeks, and goat cheese; repeat. Pour warm cream evenly over layers.
- Cover tightly with foil; bake 45 minutes. Uncover; add Parmesan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes more until browned and easily pierced at center.
- Rest 15 minutes to settle sauce; serve with a wide spoon or spatula.
Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole
Oven real estate is at a premium over Thanksgiving, and that's where the slow cooker comes in. This recipe adds apple juice and ginger for a little more festive-season flavor.
Ingredients
Method
- Grease a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with teaspoon butter. Add potatoes, apple juice, remaining butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.
- Cover; cook on low 6 hours until largest pieces crush easily against crock. Keep lid closed most of cooking time.
- Mash about three-quarters in cooker, leaving soft chunks. Fold in warm milk; smooth surface.
- Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Scatter over potatoes.
- Cover; cook on low 10 minutes more. Serve hot from cooker.
Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
Bourbon packs a woody punch that's as good in cooking as it is in a cocktail. Be sure to simmer away the alcohol — you want your Old Fashioned with dinner, not in it.
Ingredients
Method
- Cover potatoes with water; boil and simmer 15 to 18 minutes until soft. Drain well; steam-dry 3 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350°F; grease a 2-quart dish. Melt filling butter with brown sugar in a saucepan. Remove from heat; carefully add bourbon.
- Simmer on low 2 minutes. Mash potatoes with mixture, cream, salt, and cinnamon. Cool until warm; beat in eggs.
- Spread in dish. Toss walnuts and panko with topping butter; scatter evenly.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes until crust golden and center reaches 160°F. Rest 10 minutes.
Cornflake Sweet Potato Casserole
Beyond the cornflake topping, this recipe uses a different technique. Rather than mashing, the sweet potatoes are grated, which I think presents a refreshing contrast if you're serving mashed potatoes as well.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F; grease a 9-by-13-inch dish. Coarsely grate sweet potatoes.
- Whisk eggs, milk, sour cream, filling butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Fold in potatoes to coat evenly.
- Spread in dish; tightly cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes; check center shreds are nearly tender before topping.
- Toss cornflakes with topping butter; scatter over uncovered casserole. Bake 20 to 25 minutes more until crisp and golden, shreds tender, and center reaches 160°F.
- Rest 10 minutes before cutting soft squares or spooning out.
Mini Sweet Potato Casseroles
A casserole like this is easy to scale up or down depending. These cute little ramekins are perfect if you want to do your sweet potatoes more appetizer-style.
Ingredients
Method
- Pierce potatoes; microwave on a microwave-safe plate 10 to 14 minutes, turning halfway, until fully soft. Rest 5 minutes; scoop flesh.
- Heat oven to 375°F; grease six 6-ounce ramekins. Mash flesh with 2 tablespoons butter, milk, honey, salt, and nutmeg. Cool until warm; add yolks.
- Beat whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks briefly hold. Fold one-third into potatoes to loosen, then gently fold in remainder.
- Divide into ramekins no more than three-quarters full. Toss panko with topping butter; scatter thinly over each.
- Bake on a sheet 22 to 26 minutes until lightly puffed, golden, and centers reach 160°F. Rest 5 minutes.
Lower-Sugar Sweet Potato Casserole
While this recipe is definitely lower in sugar, it's really quite different as well. The Greek yogurt, applesauce, and mix of seeds and oats make this feel almost like a muesli bowl, and I'll bet a few dried fruits would go great here too.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Pierce potatoes; roast on a lined sheet 50 to 60 minutes until very soft. Scoop flesh; reduce oven to 350°F.
- Mash with applesauce, yogurt, filling butter, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Cool until warm, not hot; mix in egg.
- Grease a 2-quart dish; spread filling evenly. Toss pumpkin seeds and oats with topping butter.
- Scatter topping; bake 30 to 35 minutes until oats lightly toast and center reaches 160°F.
- Rest 10 minutes to settle filling under crisp topping.
Maple Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
This recipe uses whole chunks of sweet potato, which is perfect for maple syrup, which can glaze the pieces beautifully. Do not, for a minute, contemplate using "pancake syrup." Try to find a nice dark maple syrup, too.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; grease a 9-by-13-inch dish. Simmer potato rounds in water 7 to 8 minutes until edges soften but centers resist; drain carefully.
- Reserve 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Whisk remainder with melted butter, water, lemon juice, salt, and cinnamon.
- Overlap rounds in dish; pour maple mixture evenly over. Cover with foil; bake 20 minutes.
- Toss pecans with reserved syrup. Uncover dish; spoon hot glaze over potatoes and loosely scatter pecans.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes more until potatoes tender, glaze bubbling, and pecans toasted. Rest 10 minutes.
Canned Yam Sweet Potato Casserole
This is one of those "if you must…" recipes, given how quick and easy sweet potatoes are to cook. The crushed pineapples and Ritz cracker crust are very much in keeping with the spirit of mid-century cook-from-a-can recipes like this, and maybe that really does hit the nostalgia button.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F; grease a 2-quart dish. Drain canned potatoes in a colander 10 minutes; measure 4 cups. Separately drain and gently press pineapple.
- Mash potatoes mostly smooth; mix in eggs, filling butter, milk, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Fold in pineapple; spread in dish.
- Toss cracker crumbs with topping butter; scatter over filling. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until crust golden and center reaches 160°F.
- Rest 10 minutes so filling holds together on spoon.
Freezer Make-Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole
Like most casseroles, it's pretty easy to make this ahead and freeze it, perfect if you've got a busy Thanksgiving cooking schedule. This recipe definitely leans into the sweeter side, with a gingersnap crust, but feel free to mix it up.
Ingredients
Method
- Cover potatoes with water; boil and simmer 15 to 18 minutes until very tender. Drain thoroughly; steam-dry 3 minutes.
- Mash smooth with cream cheese, filling butter, half-and-half, sugar, salt, ginger, and vanilla. Grease a shallow 2-quart metal pan; spread evenly.
- Cool briefly; refrigerate within 2 hours. Once cold, tightly cover with foil, seal in a freezer bag, and freeze up to 1 month. Store dry cookie crumbs separately airtight.
- Fully thaw refrigerated 24 to 36 hours. Heat oven to 350°F; bake covered 50 to 60 minutes until hot at center.
- Mix crumbs and topping butter; scatter on uncovered casserole. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more until crisp and center reaches 165°F. Rest 10 minutes.
