Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole (EASY + Real Ingredients)

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole with topping of toasted pecans in crockpot.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole (EASY + Real Ingredients)

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole is a creamy, delicious, easy Thanksgiving side dish made with real ingredients and topped with toasty pecans that also frees up valuable oven space when cooking a big holiday meal!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 15

Servings to 12 servings

Calories 309kcal

Author Samantha Skaggs

Equipment

Ingredients

4 pounds sweet potatoes washed, peeled, & cut into 2-inch chunks
1 ½ cups water
1 cup whole milk warm
4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ cups chopped pecans toasted

Instructions

Place sweet potato chunks in the bottom of a large (5 ½- to 7-quart) slow cooker; pour in water. Cover and cook for 6 to 7 hours on LOW (or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH) or until tender. Drain water from slow cooker.
Using a potato masher, mash the sweet potatoes right in the slow cooker. Mash in the milk, butter, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until smooth and well-combined. Cover and cook for 15 to 30 more minutes until heated through.
Just before serving, stir the sweet potatoes and smooth the surface. Evenly sprinkle with toasted pecans.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Video

Notes

SERVING: This Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole may be served straight out of the crockpot (set to WARM) or transferred to a serving dish. If using a serving dish, sprinkle the pecans on top after transferring the mashed sweet potatoes.
TO TOAST PECANS: Preheat oven to 350°. Spread chopped pecans on sheet pan and bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted, watching carefully to prevent burning.
MAKE-AHEAD: Pecans may be toasted up to two weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature
This recipe may be finished earlier in the day and kept on WARM for up to 3 hours before serving. In that case, don't add the pecans on top until just before serving!
ALTERNATIVE TOPPINGS: Chopped candied pecans may be used in lieu of toasted pecans. Or you can sprinkle the sweet potato casserole with mini marshmallows and then carefully toast them using a kitchen torch right before serving.
ALLERGY-FREE OPTIONS: This recipe naturally does not contain gluten. To make it DAIRY-FREE as well, use unsweetened almond milk in place of the whole milk and a dairy-free "buttery spread" (such as Earth's Balance Olive Oil) in place of the butter.

Nutrition