Looking for a Thanksgiving sweet potato recipe that will have your holiday guests swooning? Our simple sweet potato casserole with a crunchy pecan crumble, inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction, will be the holiday side dish that makes your family and friends forget there’s a turkey on the table.
Featuring a rich, creamy sweet potato filling deliciously topped with a crunchy, nutty pecan and brown sugar crumble, this casserole is simple yet tastes deceptively complex. Every forkful offers a bite of unforgettable comfort food that delivers butter, sugar, spice, and a notably nice contrast in textures.
ALSO TRY: Maple brown butter mashed sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are good, but fat and flavor make them better. These must-eat tubers are delicious all by themselves, but at Thanksgiving, they deserve to come to the table all dressed up.
Cook the sweet potatoes
Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
Beat the sweet potatoes
Use a handheld mixer to beat the sweet potatoes until relatively smooth. Leave a few chunks for texture. Stir in butter, brown sugar, eggs, cream, vanilla, and salt.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a casserole dish
Spray a 9×12-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer the sweet potato mixture into the dish, using a spatula to evenly spread the sweet potatoes.
Make the crunchy pecan crumble topping
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Using a spatula, fold in the melted butter and pecans until well-combined.
Top the sweet potato mixture with the crumble
Evenly spread the pecan topping over the sweet potatoes.
Bake the sweet potato casserole
Bake the casserole at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Garnish and serve
Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh rosemary, freshly grated nutmeg, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Serve warm.
Toasty crunchy pecans make this dish!
Who wouldn’t want to dig into these sweet potatoes?
Ready to be devoured
Simple sweet potato casserole with a crunchy pecan crumble
Yield 8 servings
Ingredients
Casserole:
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into large pieces
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping:
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups pecans: 1 cup whole, 1 cup chopped
- Fresh rosemary, minced for garnish
- Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
- Sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover completely with cold water. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the water and allow the sweet potatoes to cool for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Transfer the sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
- Using a handheld mixer, beat the sweet potatoes until they are relatively smooth, leaving a few chunky pieces.
- Add the butter, brown sugar, eggs, cream, vanilla, and salt. Stir until
- blended.
- Transfer the sweet potato mixture into a greased 9x12-inch baking dish.
- For the topping: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, and
- cinnamon together. Using a spatula, fold in the melted butter and pecans until the mixture is well combined.
- Spread the pecan topping over the sweet potatoes.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Allow the casserole to cool for 5 minutes, then top with fresh rosemary, nutmeg, and a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Serve warm.
Courses Sides
