Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping is one of the best sides for any holiday meal! It's got smooth mashed sweet potatoes on the bottom and a crunchy, buttery pecan topping - yum!!
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I always say that "a party without cake is just a meeting".....well when it comes to my family's Christmas gathering, it wouldn't be the same without Aunt Cathy's sweet potatoes! Though we have way too much fun to call it a meeting, ha!
This side dish is one of my favorites, probably because it could also be considered a dessert (hello, sweet tooth!). Any dessert (or side dish) with a crumb topping is hard for me to resist....and with the pecan streusel on this one, it's the perfect Thanksgiving side dish!
Please do yourself a favor and whip this up for your family and friends for the holidays or any special occasions coming up!
Ingredients Needed
- Canned Sweet Potatoes - I use the sweet potatoes/cut yams in syrup. Be sure to drain these!
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Eggs
- Heavy Whipping Cream - If you don't have heavy whipping cream, you can use 6 tablespoons milk + 2 tablespoons melted butter as a substitute.
- Pecans
- Brown Sugar - Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- All Purpose Flour
- Butter - I use salted butter.
- Cinnamon - Optional, but I love the warm spiced notes the cinnamon brings!
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping (Full recipe in the recipe card below)
Make the Sweet Potato Filling.
Add the drained sweet potatoes and the sugar to a large mixing bowl and mash. There are several ways to do so - you can use a potato masher, a hand mixer, a stand mixer or even a food processor.
Once they're mashed, you'll stir in the remaining filling ingredients and pour it into a greased casserole dish.
Make the Pecan Crumble
In a medium bowl, you'll add all of the topping ingredients. You can either use a fork or your hands to mix the ingredients and make it into a nice streusel topping.
The mixture will then be sprinkled over the sweet potatoes and baked in the preheated oven.
Once the casserole comes out of the oven, it's important to give it a chance to set up. 10-15 minutes should be enough time to ensure that your casserole won't be runny.
To make this ahead of time, go ahead and make the sweet potato mixture and pour it in to the baking dish; cover and refrigerate. Make the crumb topping and keep it separate until you're ready to bake. Simply top with the crumb topping and bake.
Please note that when you start with cold casserole (rather than room temperature), it might need a little more time to bake. (If the crumb topping is starting to brown before the sweet potatoes are hot, you can put aluminum foil over the pan to keep it from browning more.)
Yes! You'll need about 6 medium-sized sweet potatoes. Peel and cube, then boil in water until they're fork tender. Remove them from the water and mash well.
It might seem strange, but YES. The egg necessary to help bind the ingredients together and keeps it from being runny.
Didn't finish the entire casserole on day one? No worries. Let the casserole cool off, then place it in an airtight container. You can either refrigerate them (good for 3 days) or freeze for up to a month.
Other Family Favorite Side Dishes
Cornbread Pudding - A creamy side dish with sweet corn mixed into a cornbread-like batter - easy to make and perfect for the holidays!
Green Bean Casserole - Who doesn't love this classic?! My friend Brandie made this into a Crock Pot side dish and it's just as tasty!
Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots - They're easy to make, full of flavor and have just the right amount of sweetness!
Butterhorn Rolls - Every holiday meal needs some sort of dinner roll, right?! These are one of my faves!
I hope you enjoy one of our family favorite side dishes and make it a tradition for your Thanksgiving dinner, too! Happy holidays from our family to yours! <3
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Equipment
- One 9x13" baking dish
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- Two 40-ounce cans sweet potatoes drained
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Pecan Topping
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray.
- Add the drained sweet potatoes and sugar to a large bowl and mash until smooth.
- Add the vanilla, eggs and heavy cream and stir until combined; pour into the prepared baking dish.
- In another bowl, add the pecans, brown sugar, flour, softened butter and cinnamon (optional).
- Use a fork (or your fingers) to mix until small crumbles form.
- Evenly distribute the crumb topping over the sweet potatoes and bake for 50-60 minutes.
- Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
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