Can’t decide between marshmallows and pecans on your sweet potato casserole? You don’t have to. This baked sweet potato casserole is creamy and fluffy, topped with a buttery brown sugar pecan crumble and toasted mini marshmallows, layered so every scoop gets a little of both. Even better, you can make it up to 2 days ahead. That frees up your oven (and your brain) on Thanksgiving Day.
Love a great casserole side dish for your holiday meal? If you’re team pecan, try our Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole with its crunchy pecan crust. And don’t miss our Healthy Green Bean Casserole.
Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Casserole
- Both toppings. Crunchy pecan crumble and gooey toasted marshmallows in every bite.
- Make-ahead friendly. Prep the filling and crumble up to 2 days before.
- Real texture. Fresh sweet potatoes mashed by hand, so it’s fluffy, never gummy.
- Scales for a crowd. Easy to bump up to a 9×13 pan.
What You Need to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
For the sweet potato filling
- Sweet Potatoes – I don’t recommend buying canned yams or sweet potatoes. Buy fresh sweet potatoes from the produce section. They will make a huge difference in the quality and texture of your potatoes.
- Brown Sugar – you can use light or brown dark sugar. If you’re looking to reduce the refined sugar content, I recommend using Swerve Brown Sugar alternative, which is great for baking!
- Half and Half – Half and half consists of half cream and half milk. This will make your potatoes wonderfully creamy.
- Butter – either unsalted or salted butter is helpful in creating creamy sweet potatoes.
- Egg – the egg will provide the necessary binding to help the potatoes hold their shape and not be runny when baked.
- Vanilla – good vanilla extract is great for the flavor of the potatoes.
- Salt – salt is essential for seasoning and bringing out the flavor of the potatoes.
For the pecan crumble and marshmallow topping
- Chopped pecans: Buy pre-chopped or chop pecan halves yourself.
- Brown sugar: Gives the crumble its candied pecan flavor.
- Flour: Helps everything stick together into a crumble.
- Butter: Melted butter creates the ideal gravel-like texture. I prefer salted.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: Warm spice for the topping.
- Mini marshmallows: Mini or full-size both work. I like mini because they cover the surface more evenly.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe. Thanks!
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans
1. Cook the sweet potatoes
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Add them to a large saucepan, cover with cold water by about an inch, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until fork-tender, 14–18 minutes. Drain well, then return the potatoes to the warm pan and let them steam dry for 2–3 minutes. This small step is your best defense against a runny casserole.
2. Mash the filling
Add the brown sugar, butter, half and half, egg, vanilla, and salt to the cooked sweet potatoes. Mash until nearly smooth. Small lumps are okay.
What’s the best tool for mashing sweet potatoes?
A manual potato masher. I don’t recommend a hand mixer or food processor, as they tend to overprocess the potatoes. They become gummy or slightly watery and lose their texture.
Love cooking with sweet potatoes? Check out our Sheet Pan Maple Glazed Chicken Thighs and our Sheet Pan Chicken and Sweet Potatoes recipes.
3. Bake the base
Spread the filling in a lightly greased 9–10 inch oval or 8×8 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 35–40 minutes, until the edges are set and the center no longer looks wet.
4. Make the pecan crumble
While the base bakes, stir together brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour in the melted butter and stir until crumbly and gravel-like.
5. Layer and finish
Sprinkle half the pecan crumble over the hot casserole, then the mini marshmallows, then the rest of the crumble. Bake 10–15 minutes more, until the pecans are toasted and the marshmallows are lightly browned. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving.
How do I make pecan topping for sweet potato casserole?
To make a brown sugar pecan crumble topping for sweet potato casserole, you’ll need brown sugar (or Swerve brown sugar), flour, chopped pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and melted butter. Mix all of these together in a bowl until the mixture becomes crumbly and gravel-like.
Once the sweet potato casserole has baked for the initial 35-40 minutes, remove from the oven. Top the casserole with half of the pecan crumble, then mini marshmallows. Top with the remainder of the pecan crumble.
Alternating the toppings allows for the pecan crumble and marshmallows to evenly cover the casserole.
Bake the casserole for another 10-15 minutes, allowing the pecans to toast and the marshmallows to lightly brown.
The Layering Trick (and How to Keep Marshmallows from Burning)
Layering the crumble, then marshmallows, then more crumble lets both toppings cover the whole casserole evenly. The pecans on top shield some of the marshmallows, so they toast instead of scorching.
- Check at 10 minutes. Marshmallows go from golden to burnt fast.
- Want darker marshmallows? Broil for 30–60 seconds at the end. Don’t walk away.
- Pecans browning too fast? Tent loosely with foil for the last few minutes, keeping it lifted off the marshmallows.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole Ahead of Time
This is one of the best Thanksgiving sides to make ahead. Keep the filling and toppings separate until baking day so the crumble stays crunchy.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 days before | Make the pecan crumble. Refrigerate in an airtight container. |
| Up to 2 days before | Make and mash the filling. Spread it in the baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate unbaked. |
| Thanksgiving morning | Take the dish out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking. |
| About 1 hour before dinner | Bake the base uncovered 40–50 minutes (a cold dish needs a little extra time). Add the crumble and marshmallows and bake uncovered 10–15 minutes more. |
Tip: Don’t cover the casserole with foil once the marshmallows are on. They’ll stick to the foil and won’t brown.
Can You Use Canned Yams?
Fresh sweet potatoes give the best flavor and texture, and canned yams tend to be softer and mushier. But if canned is what you have, it works in a pinch.
- Use about two 29-ounce cans of cut yams (sweet potatoes) in place of 3 pounds fresh.
- Drain them very well and skip the boiling step.
- Canned yams are usually packed in syrup, so reduce the brown sugar in the filling to about ⅓ cup.
- Start with half the half and half and add more only if the mash looks dry.
How to Keep Sweet Potato Casserole from Getting Runny
- Drain well and steam dry. Extra water is the number one cause of a soupy casserole.
- Don’t skip the egg. It sets the filling as it bakes.
- Mash by hand. Mixers and food processors break down the starch and release water.
- Bake the base until set before adding toppings. The center should look matte, not wet.
Ingredient Substitutions
| Swap | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brown sugar | Swerve Brown Sugar alternative | Saves calories and refined sugar. I’ve used it in many recipes and it bakes well. |
| Half and half | Whole milk or cream | Use whichever you have. Cream makes it richer. |
| Extra spice | 1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice | Stir into the filling for a pumpkin pie-like flavor. |
| Pecans | Walnuts, or old-fashioned oats for nut-free | For nut-free, use the same amount of oats in the crumble. |
| All-purpose flour | 1:1 gluten-free flour blend | Check your marshmallow label too. |
How Many Does It Serve? Pan Sizes for a Crowd
| Pan | Recipe | Serves | Base bake time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9–10″ oval or 8×8 | 1× (as written) | 8 | 35–40 min |
| 9×13 | 1.5× | 12 | 40–45 min |
| Two 9×13 pans | 3× | 24 | 40–45 min each |
Bake times vary with depth, so go by the center being set rather than the clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both. This is a hotly contested question. Ingredients for sweet potato pie and sweet potato casserole are identical. One is considered a side and the other a dessert. Both pie and casserole contain quite a bit of sugar and sweetness, therefore making it a reasonable contender for a dessert.
Sweet potatoes will have a reddish skin and bright orange flesh. Yams have a dark brown skin and have a lighter beige colored flesh. Yams will also grow much larger in size than a sweet potato. With this being said, sweet potatoes and yams are often sold as the same thing in many grocery stores.
Yes. Freeze the unbaked filling in the baking dish, wrapped tightly (I like press-and-seal wrap), for up to 1 month. Freeze the pecan crumble separately. Thaw both in the fridge overnight, bake the base, then add the crumble and fresh marshmallows and finish baking. Skip freezing the marshmallows, which turn sticky and weepy.
If you’re reheating the entire casserole from being refrigerated, do it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and cover loosely with foil. Reheat in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until heated through completely. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to crisp up the top crust.
If you’re reheating an individual serving of sweet potato casserole, I recommend simply reheating in the microwave. Heat on 30 second increments until heated through completely.
Yes. Swap the pecans for old-fashioned oats to keep the crumble crunchy, or skip the crumble and top with marshmallows only.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Casserole
Need more Thanksgiving and holiday side dishes? Here are some of our favorites:
- Mashed Potatoes with Boursin Cheese
- Cranberry Fluff Salad
- Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
- Everything Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Paula Deen’s Corn Casserole
- Cranberry Citrus Salad with Pecans
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apricots and Orange
- Cranberry Apple Salad
- Sauteed Carrots
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
- Healthy Green Bean Casserole
Planning the whole menu? See our full list of what to serve with mashed potatoes.
Need some ideas for your holiday Turkey? Here are our top turkey recipes perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas:
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Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans
Equipment
- Potato Masher A manual potato masher is ideal for this recipe.
- Sauce Pan This Circulon A1 Series non stick saucepan includes a glass straining lid. A great piece of cookware!
- Glass Mixing Bowls Ideal for cooking and baking, and great for anything that needs to go into a microwave.
- Oval Baking Dish This Staub 9" Oval baking dish is perfect for cobblers, crumbles, casseroles and more!
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Filling:
- 3 lbs. sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1" pieces
- 3/4 cup brown sugar or Swerve Brown sugar alternative
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pecan Crumble and Marshmallow Topping:
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 oz. mini marshmallows about 1/2 of the 5 oz. package
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium baking dish, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. (An oval or rectangular baking dish is ideal (about 9 – 10").
- Wash, peel, and cut the sweet potatoes into 1" pieces. Place in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until fork-tender, 14–18 minutes. A piece should break apart easily when pierced with a fork.
- Drain well. Return the potatoes to the warm pan and let them steam dry for 2–3 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, half and half, butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Small lumps are okay.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared dish. Bake uncovered for 35–40 minutes, until the edges are set and the center no longer looks wet.
Pecan Topping:
- While the casserole bakes, prepare the pecan topping. In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir together to combine. Pour the melted butter into the brown sugar mixture, and stir until crumbly.
- Remove the casserole from the oven. Sprinkle with half the pecan crumble, then the mini marshmallows, then the remaining crumble.
- Bake for another 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees to allow the pecans to toast and the marshmallows to lightly brown. Check at 10 minutes.
- Let the casserole rest at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make ahead: Refrigerate the unbaked filling (covered) up to 2 days and the crumble up to 3 days. Bake the cold base 40–50 minutes, then add toppings and bake uncovered 10–15 minutes.
- Freeze: Freeze the unbaked filling up to 1 month and the crumble separately. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Add marshmallows fresh at bake time.
- 9×13 pan: Multiply the recipe by 1.5 and bake the base 40–45 minutes.
- Canned yams: Use two 29-oz cans, drained well. Skip boiling and reduce the filling brown sugar to ⅓ cup.
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