The best sweet potato casserole is made the old-fashioned way with creamy mashed sweet potatoes, real butter, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and cinnamon then topped with an amazing candied pecan topping.
This yummy side dish will be a favorite for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special occasion because it's easy to make and make ahead friendly just like my Slow Cooker Collard Greens.
Quick Look: Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
- ⏲️Ready in: 45 minutes
- 👪Serves: 9-10
- 🥘Key Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, pecans
- 🍳Method: Stovetop and Oven
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy
- 👩🍳Texture/Flavor: Creamy, smooth, buttery filling with a pecan praline topping
- ☀️Best For: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday meals
- ✅Why You'll Love It: Easy to make ahead, with a creamy filling and irresistible crunchy pecan topping
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Pair sweet potato casserole with my Southern Cornbread Dressing and Creamy Squash Casserole for an authentic Southern holiday meal!
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
- Why We Love This Casserole
- Key Ingredients
- Sweet Potato Casserole Variations
- How to Make Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
- Anne's Recipe Tips
- What to Pair With Sweet Potato Casserole
- How to Cook the Sweet Potatoes
- More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Storing and Reheating
- Sweet Potato Casserole FAQs
- More Holiday Side Dishes
- Recipe
- Comments
Why We Love This Casserole
Nostalgic. Every time we eat sweet potato casserole, it reminds me of childhood memories. The food, family, and time spent together are treasured memories.
Availability. Sweet potatoes are available year round. If you live in Mississippi, you've probably eaten a sweet potato grown in Mississippi. The city of Vardaman is considered the sweet potato capital of the world! Meet the farmers and read more on the Mississippi Sweet Potato's website.
Much anticipated treat. November and December is what we call the "eating season." Just kidding (or am I?). Nevertheless, the holidays are getting closer, and I'm getting super excited about good food and good times with family and friends!
Key Ingredients
Here, we take a quick peek at the ingredients.
Sweet Potato Mixture:
Sweet potatoes - use fresh sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed until smooth. Grocery-store "yams" in the U.S. are usually sweet potatoes and are fine to use. True yams are a different vegetable and aren't recommended for this recipe.
Milk, Butter, Eggs - for moisture, flavor, and make the casserole creamy.
Vanilla Extract, Sugar, Cinnamon - for that delicious flavor combination, nothing beats this combo!
Streusel Topping Mixture:
Butter - real butter is best!
Pecans - use unsalted pecans.
Light brown sugar, all-purpose flour - I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe but you could use dark brown sugar if that's all you have.
For a crisp, tangy side that balances out those sweet flavors, serve my Broccoli Cauliflower Salad alongside your casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole Variations
As mentioned above, there are SO many variations for this recipe. Some have marshmallows and some have raisins. Some have sweet potato slices and some have mashed sweet potatoes.
My version uses mashed sweet potatoes, and that's why it's so creamy and velvety smooth! And that pecan praline topping? Let me say, it's worth every single calorie!
Some recipes use fresh ingredients and some use canned. So if you're undecided about which one to choose, I highly urge you to give this recipe a try!
How to Make Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
Here's a summary of how to make this casserole. When you get ready to make it, please follow the Recipe Card at the bottom of the post.
Photo 1: Peel, chop, boil, drain, and mash sweet potatoes. Add to a large mixing bowl.
Photo 2: Add remaining ingredients and mix well with a whisk.
Photo 3: Pour sweet potato mixture into an 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish.*
Photo 4: Blend the pecan topping mixture and then sprinkle on top.
Photo 5: Bake and serve.
*This recipe can easily be doubled. Use a 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish and bake as directed.
Anne's Recipe Tips
Drain them well. After boiling fresh sweet potatoes, let them drain thoroughly before mashing so excess water doesn't make the filling loose or watery.
Choose fresh sweet potatoes. Look for ones that are firm with no soft spots or bruises.
Short on time? You can use canned sweet potatoes. Buy three 16-ounce cans, drain them thoroughly, mash, and proceed with the recipe as directed.
What to Pair With Sweet Potato Casserole
Here in the south, potatoes seem to be the number 1 holiday side dish! White or sweet potatoes are the most popular choice. Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole is always a top pick! Serve it alongside other classic sides such as Cornbread Sausage Dressing, Cheesy Green Bean Casserole, Slow Cooker Jiffy Corn Casserole, 4-Ingredient Mac and Cheese.
How to Cook the Sweet Potatoes
- For this recipe, I peel and chop the sweet potatoes, then boil them until very tender. A fork should easily slide into the pieces with no firm spots remaining.
- Drain them thoroughly before mashing. Removing the excess water helps keep the sweet potato mixture creamy rather than watery.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet potato lovers, I have more sweet potato recipes you might want to check out:
Storing and Reheating
Store leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 days. I like to use BPA-free glass containers with locking lids. Check out this 18-piece set of glass food storage containers with locking lids (affiliate link). Reheat in the microwave or in the oven. Cold sweet potato casserole is really delicious, too!
Sweet Potato Casserole FAQs
True yams and sweet potatoes are different root vegetables. True yams have rough, bark-like skin and a drier, starchier flesh. However, in U.S. grocery stores, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are often labeled "yams." Those grocery-store "yams" are usually sweet potatoes and are fine to use in this casserole. I don't recommend using true yams.
Make the casserole and the topping the day before you plan to eat it. Keep the topping in a separate container. Store both in the refrigerator. Right before you bake the casserole, add the topping and bake as directed.
It freezes very well! Make the casserole but don't add the pecan topping. Tip - use an oven-to-freezer container. Let it cool completely. Wrap in plastic, then wrap in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to one month. When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, make the pecan topping, sprinkle on top of the casserole, and bake as directed.
Well, it is a side dish, but it is pretty darn sweet! The crispy brown sugar and pecan topping reminds me of a pecan praline. For that reason, a spoonful may be all you need (although I'm always tempted to put more on my plate, ha!).
More Holiday Side Dishes
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Recipe
Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
Equipment
- pot for boiling sweet potatoes
- potato masher
- large bowl
- measure spoons
- 8 x 8 baking dish
- pastry blender (optional)
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes You will need 3 cups of mashed sweet potatoes so buy more if they are small.
- ½ cup butter
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ to 1 cup white granulated sugar ½ c for less sweet. 1 c for very sweet.
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
TOPPING
- ⅓ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup chopped pecans (unsalted)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (packed in measuring cup) see notes
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Peel and slice sweet potatoes into chunks. Cover with water in a large pot. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until very tender.
- Pour off water. Add butter and mash the potatoes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- In a large bowl, mix the hot mashed sweet potatoes with milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir well with a whisk and pour into 8x8 dish.
- Topping: Combine cold butter, brown sugar, and flour. Mix well with fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in nuts. (a pie plate works well for this step).
- Sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes.
- Bake uncovered at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until set.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2020 and was updated in 2026.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
Comments
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