Description
This Sweet Potato Casserole is a classic, comforting dish featuring creamy mashed sweet potatoes blended with warm spices, brown sugar, and eggs, topped with a crunchy pecan streusel. Baked to golden perfection, it makes a perfect side for holiday meals or cozy family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Mixture
- 4 large sweet potatoes (about 3 lbs), peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
Topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to ensure the casserole doesn’t stick.
- Cook Sweet Potatoes: Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until they are fork-tender, about 15 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- Mash Sweet Potatoes: Transfer the cooked sweet potatoes to a large bowl and mash until smooth and creamy to create the base of the casserole.
- Mix Sweet Potato Filling: Add the whole milk, brown sugar, melted butter, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, vanilla extract, and salt to the mashed sweet potatoes. Mix everything thoroughly until fully combined.
- Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring the sweet potato mixture has cooled slightly to avoid cooking the eggs prematurely. This will help bind the casserole.
- Assemble Base Layer: Evenly spread the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish as the base layer.
- Prepare Topping: In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture becomes crumbly, forming the streusel topping.
- Add Topping: Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the sweet potato layer to create a crunchy, sweet topping.
- Bake: Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the center is set, indicating it’s thoroughly heated through.
- Cool & Serve: Allow the casserole to cool slightly before slicing and serving. This helps the dish set for cleaner portions and better texture.
Notes
- For a dairy-free option, substitute whole milk with coconut or almond milk and use a plant-based butter alternative.
- Ensure the sweet potato mixture is not too hot before adding eggs to prevent curdling.
- The topping can be customized by adding toasted coconut flakes or swapping pecans for walnuts.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven.
