The Best Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

In my family, the Best Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is one that’s served up sweet and salty with a delicious, crunchy streusel topping!

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Every family has traditions, and in most cases, you can’t shake things up. Ever.

For instance, Thanksgiving. You are either a plain sweet potato or a mini marshmallows topped sweet potato family. There is no middle ground.

For years, my family was divided. Depending on who hosted Thanksgiving dinner, we either were served gooey, sweet marshmallow sweet potato casserole….or a sweet potato casserole with a little butter and brown sugar.

Those were the only choices. Until now.

Now I host Thanksgiving myself, and it’s my turn to determine how I want to serve my sweet potatoes. And while I love marshmallow topped, and brown sugar…today’s streusel topped sweet potato casserole are hands down, my favorite.

If you’ve ever been to a Ruth’s Chris restaurant you’ll recognize these potatoes! Sweet and crunchy, with a little salt from the pecans. So perfect. And you can enjoy the private dining in your own home!

One of the best things about these sweet potatoes is that you can have them prepped ahead of time so that you only need to bake them on Thanksgiving. 

How to make Sweet Potato Casserole

Start by cooking your sweet potatoes. You can bake them in the oven (my preferred method), at 400 degrees F for an hour. Or you can peel and boil potatoes in a large pot of water (for about half an hour). The third way would be to poke them with a fork and microwave the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes. OR you can pop them in the Instant Pot!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

Once your potatoes are cooked, combine them in a large bowl with the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, and melted butter. Using a mixer, beat them for about 4-5 minutes until fluffy and smooth.

Pour this into a 2 qt casserole dish and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes.

While the potatoes are baking, make your streusel topping. Combine brown sugar with flour, chopped pecans, and melted butter. Stir together with a fork and set aside.

Once your sweet potatoes have cooked, top with streusel (and extra pecans on top if desired) and return to the oven to bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Making ahead of time

There is nothing worse than trying to figure out what goes in the oven, and when. Fortunately, this sweet potato casserole gets it’s “BEST” rating because of the flexibility. 

First, you could bake as written above, if oven space is not an issue.

Or, you could bake the 25 minutes, top with the streusel and refrigerate until the next day. Then you would only need to pop it back into the oven for about 20 minutes.

You could also bake it as directed for entirety and allow to sit on the table for about 30 minutes (covered with foil to keep hot). This gives you time and space to warm up some dinner rolls and get the rest of your food heated and ready.

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What you need – Ruth Chris Steak House Style

• 4 large sweet potatoes (about 3 cups of mashed sweet potatoes)
• granulated sugar and brown sugar
• salt
• vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• chopped pecans
• all-purpose flour
• 2 qt baking dish

Family Favorites – Side Dish recipes for Thanksgiving

Looking for a Classic Stuffing Recipe? My dressing is made with day old bread, vegetables, apples and mushrooms! Easy to make ahead of time too!

This Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole recipe is true comfort food. Made with frozen hash browns and plenty of cheese, I can guarantee your family is going to enjoy this one!

A sweet, fruity side dish, this Frozen Cranberry Orange Salad is great for the holidays. This recipe can be made days in advance!

Looking for something new to serve with Grandma’s green bean casserole this year? Check out this great collection of Thanksgiving side dishes from around the web! Be inspired!

A classic, easy 7 layer Salad recipe served in a trifle bowl. So many options for the seven layers, you choose what you love. Perfect for potlucks!

Don’t forget the Green Bean Casserole! Everyone loves the creamy mushroom soup with the crispy fried onions!

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The Best Thanksgiving Dessert recipes

While you’re here, how about we take a peek into my dessert archives? I’ve got some of the best Thanksgiving treats you could ever want!

Delicious layers of homemade Spice Cake with a Pecan Pie filling. This Pecan Pie cake is topped with a creamy Brown Sugar frosting! Drooling yet?

Smooth and decadent, French Silk Pie is a chocolate lovers dream! You’ll love the flaky pie crust, topped with smooth and silky chocolate!

Easy to assemble Turkey Rice Krispie Treats decorated for Thanksgiving! Loved by kids and adults!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake: two layers of delicious pumpkin cake with a creamy cheesecake center. Frosted with cream cheese frosting!

Look at those beautiful layers in this Pumpkin Magic Cake! This is a must make recipe for the holidays!

Apple Crumble. The comfort of home in an easy, no pie crust recipe!

The best (and easiest) Pumpkin Pie recipe you’ll need this holiday season. Make Thanksgiving dessert in no time at all with this delicious pie recipe!

What to serve with Sweet Potato Casserole

So many dinner ideas pair nicely with these sweet potatoes. Here are a few of my favorites!

• Baked Pork Chop Recipe
• Meatloaf Recipe
• Peach Pork Chops
• Meatball Subs
• French Dip Recipe
• Mississippi Pot Roast
• Instant Pot Turkey Breast
• Mashed Potatoes

I created a fun little group on facebook and I’d love for you to join in! It’s a place where you can share YOUR favorite recipes, ask questions, and see what’s new with Shugary Sweets (so that you never miss a new recipe)! If you’d like to check it out, you can request to join HERE.

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Yield: 12 servings

The Best Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

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The Best Sweet Potato Casserole recipe with a crunchy pecan streusel topping!

Ingredients

For the Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the streusel topping:

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Cook sweet potatoes in desired manner, until soft. See notes.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 2 qt baking dish with nonstick spray (I use coconut oil spray). Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine cooked sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and melted butter. Beat with an electric mixer for about 4-5 minutes, until fluffy and smooth.
4. Pour into prepared dish. Bake for 25 minutes.
5. While baking, prepare streusel topping by combining brown sugar, flour, pecans, and melted butter in a small bowl. Mix with a fork and set aside.
6. Sprinkle the baked sweet potato mixture with streusel and return to oven for about 10-15 minutes until crumble is lightly browned. Serve immediately or cover with foil and serve in 30 minutes.

Notes

For the sweet potatoes you can cook them your favorite way. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for one hour. Or pierce with fork and microwave for 15 minutes (or more depending on size). Or peel and boil them for 30 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 359Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 226mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 26gProtein: 3g

*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.