Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel

This sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel is a side dish favorite around the holidays and features sweet mashed sweet potatoes baked with a buttery pecan streusel on top.

You look like you need a killer sweet potato casserole recipe up your sleeve! With extra streusel on top, of course.

Everyone knows that sweet potato casserole kind of falls into that category of more-of-a-dessert-than-side-dish, but holiday dinners are one of the few places you can get away with that!

So let’s get you all squared away with the best sweet potato casserole that’s simple, classic, and holds its own on the side dish table.

I mean, I don’t think it’s a secret that we’re going very heavy on the pecan streusel with this casserole, because let’s be honest: the topping is the shining star of any sweet potato casserole.

And if you’re a die-hard marshmallow fan…keeping reading, cause you can absolutely include them here!

This Sweet Potato Casserole features…

• A creamy, decadent mashed sweet potato base
• Lots of buttery brown sugar pecan streusel baked on top
• Minutes to make with lots of make-ahead options for holiday dinners

Making the Sweet Potato Casserole

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Sweet potatoes
• Unsalted butter
• Brown sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• 2% or skim milk
• Kosher salt
• All-purpose flour
• Chopped pecans
• Ground cinnamon

Tips for Perfect Sweet Potato Casserole

1. Cut sweet potatoes in uniform size – aim for 1-inch uniform cubes so they all cook evenly.
2. Boil sweet potatoes until tender – pierce sweet potatoes with a fork to determine doneness.
3. Mash sweet potatoes before adding other ingredients – this will make it much easier to fold in the other ingredients if your sweet potatoes are mashed prior.
4. Beat eggs – it’s important you beat your eggs prior to adding to the sweet potatoes otherwise you may end up with scrambled egg chunks.
5. Bake casserole in 9-inch pan – we like the depth baking in this size pan gives the casserole, but you can also use a 9×13 pan as well! Be aware that cook time will likely be a bit shorter if you go this route.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this sweet potato casserole.

• Add marshmallows – you can do a mix of mini marshmallows with the pecan streusel or skip the streusel entirely and just do marshmallows, totally your call!
• Try a different nut – walnuts or sliced almonds would be great replacements for the pecans.
• Do a mix of squash and sweet potatoes – feel free to do half butternut or acorn squash and half sweet potatoes for a fun twist.

Make Ahead Instructions

Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.

• Cook sweet potatoes – cook, mash, and store the sweet potatoes in refrigerator up to 3 days before assembling casserole.
• Assemble casserole – store assembled casserole in refrigerator up to 3 days before baking. If baking from cold, add an additional 5-10 minutes to bake time.
• Reheat leftovers – we recommend reheating leftovers either in the oven or individual servings in the microwave.

Truly, you can stop your search for the best-ever sweet potato casserole because this recipe is it right here! The mashed sweet potato portion is perfectly sweet and creamy while the pecan topping adds just the right amount of buttery crunch.

Yeah, yeah we all know it’s kinda more of a dessert than a side dish but we are still HERE for it!

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

Watch this casserole made step-by-step on Google web stories.

Try these other incredible sweet potato recipes!

• Harissa Roast Sweet Potato Wedges
• Three Cheese Au Gratin Sweet Potatoes
• Black Bean Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls

This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 10/23/23.