Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Classic Sweet Potato Casserole is a comforting and crowd-pleasing side dish featuring smooth mashed sweet potatoes blended with buttery sweetness and warm spices, topped with a crunchy, nutty pecan streusel. Perfect for holiday meals or cozy family dinners.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Base
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (57g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup whole milk (113g)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt (divided)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (71g)
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans (113g)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (85g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Place them in a large pot, cover with cold water by an inch, and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until fork-tender. Drain thoroughly, transfer to a large mixing bowl, and mash until smooth.
- Craft Sweet Potato Filling: To the mashed sweet potatoes, add melted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, whole milk, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, half of the salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and optional ground ginger. Mix thoroughly until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Prepare Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, chopped pecans, melted butter, and the remaining salt. Mix with a fork or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Assemble and Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly across the surface. Bake for 25-35 minutes until the filling is set and topping is golden and crunchy. If the topping browns too quickly, tent with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes.
- Serve: Remove casserole from the oven and let rest on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes to firm up. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- Ensure sweet potatoes are thoroughly drained before mashing to avoid watery filling.
- Optional ground ginger adds a subtle warm spice enhancing the flavor.
- If pecans are not available, walnuts can be a suitable substitute for the streusel.
- For a richer topping, toast the pecans lightly before mixing into the streusel.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and gently reheated.
Keywords: sweet potato casserole, pecan streusel topping, holiday side dish, baked sweet potatoes, classic casserole
