Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole (Classic + Scrumptious!)

Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole in baking dish with missing scoop and spoon.

Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole (Classic + Scrumptious!)

Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole is sweet, creamy, and scrumptious with a fabulously crunchy pecan topping (or swap with toasted marshmallows!) for a holiday favorite that will lend nostalgia to any Thanksgiving or Christmas menu!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 50

Servings to 12 servings

Calories 467kcal

Author Samantha Skaggs

Equipment

Ingredients

4 pounds sweet potatoes about 4 large
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
4 eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt

TOPPING:

¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup finely chopped pecans
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter melted

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease a 9- by 13-inch (3-quart) baking dish with softened butter.
Wash sweet potatoes, scrubbing off any dirt, and pat dry. Carefully prick each sweet potato 8 to 10 times with a fork or a sharp knife. Arrange sweet potatoes on prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until very soft and oozing (a fork or sharp knife inserted in the center of the largest sweet potato should not meet any resistance).
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off their skins. Transfer the peeled sweet potatoes to the large bowl of an electric stand mixer (or you can use a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer).
Add granulated sugar and brown sugar to the bowl and beat at medium speed until sweet potatoes are mashed and well-combined with the sugars.
Scrape bowl, add softened butter, and beat on medium-high for a couple of minutes until fluffy.
Scrape bowl and add eggs, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium-high for 4 to 5 minutes until mixture has lightened in color and texture.
Pour sweet potato mixture into prepared baking dish and smooth the top into an even layer. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges with a center that’s set but still slightly jiggly.
While the casserole is in the oven, prepare the topping. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans, flour, and salt until well blended. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine until all of the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.
Sprinkle the topping over the baked sweet potato casserole. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes or until lightly browned. Broil for an additional 1-2 minutes at the end, watching closely. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Video

Notes

Be sure to buy sweet potatoes with orange flesh, such as Jewel, Garnet, or Beauregard.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you may use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer instead.
The topping will turn crunchy and crackly in the oven; however, it will soften if reheated as leftovers.
Instead of the pecan topping, you can opt to top your Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole with a 10-ounce bag of mini marshmallows instead. You’ll need to check the marshmallows at about 7 minutes and watch them closely until your desired golden-brown color is reached. You can broil for the final 1-2 minutes for extra toastiness.
MAKE-AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS (up to 2 days ahead of time): (1) Roast the sweet potatoes and make the sweet potato filling as directed; pour into the prepared baking dish but do not bake; cover and refrigerate. (2) In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans, flour, and salt (but not the melted butter yet); cover and store at room temperature. (3) One to two hours before baking, remove the baking dish from the fridge to the counter and allow it to come to room temperature. (4) Preheat the oven and bake the room-temp casserole as directed. (5) While the casserole is baking, stir melted butter into the pecan mixture to make the topping. (6) Complete the steps in the recipe to add the pecan topping, complete the final bake, and cool.
MAKE-AHEAD FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS (up to 3 months ahead of time): (1) Roast the sweet potatoes and make the sweet potato filling. Pour it into the prepared baking dish but DO NOT BAKE. Tightly wrap the entire baking dish in two layers of aluminum foil and place in the freezer. (2) 24 to 48 hours before serving, transfer the dish from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw. (3) One to two hours before you plan to bake it, remove the sweet potato casserole baking dish from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. (4) Preheat the oven and bake the casserole as directed. (5) While the casserole is baking, stir melted butter into the pecan mixture (which can be prepped a few days ahead of time and stored at room temperature, but not frozen) to make the topping. Complete the steps in the recipe.

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