This Sweet Potato Casserole is easy to make with flavorful candied pecans and golden marshmallows! It’s oven baked  until your kitchen smells amazing, with the best combination of sweet and savory!

Be sure to serve this with my Green Bean Casserole, Sausage Stuffing, and Dinner Rolls!

A wooden spoon scooping Sweet Potato Casserole from a white casserole dish.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This casserole has definitely earned a spot on my top five favorite Thanksgiving recipes of all time! I really hope you give it a try- here’s why:

The sweet potatoes are gently boiled with chicken bouillon cubes which really enhance the savory flavor in the filling. The candied pecan topping adds the best holiday flavor and crunch! And the mini marshmallows are perfectly toasted and add just the right touch of color and flavor.

Don’t miss my PRO TIPS below!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Gently boil sliced sweet potatoes in water with chicken bouillon cubes and salt for added flavor. Drain and top with butter. Mash, then stir in brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add half and half and eggs and stir to combine. Mash a little more if desired.

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A pot of sliced sweet potatoes with butter on top next to a pot of mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar and seasonings.

Transfer to a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Combine chopped pecans, melted butter, maple syrup, flour, and vanilla extract and sprinkle it over the sweet potatoes.

Sweet mashed potatoes in a casserole dish next to a casserole dish with it topped with pecans and a brown sugar mixture.

Top with marshmallows. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20 minutes. Check every few minutes from there and remove once the marshmallows begin to brown. Let sit for 5 minutes prior to serving. 

Sweet Potato Casserole with marshmallows on top in a baking dish before and after baking.

Aim for Garnet Sweet Potatoes

  • Yams and Sweet Potatoes are often labeled interchangeably in the US, although real yams are actually brown or black.  
  • I recommend using orange or red skinned sweet potatoes for this casserole. I love to use garnet sweet potatoes.

Using Canned Sweet Potatoes/Yams

  • If you’re in a pinch, an equal amount of canned sweet potatoes/yams can be used for this recipe, but note that the consistency is wetter than if you’re using fresh potatoes. (And the flavor won’t be as good.)
  • I recommend using less half and half to avoid a soupy filling, perhaps just 2 tablespoons.
  • You also won’t need to boil the potatoes, just be sure to drain them well. 

Pro Tips

  • Add cool water to the potatoes and gradually bring them to a gentle boil. This ensures they cook evenly and don’t fall apart.
  • Adding Chicken Bouillon to the water that the potatoes cook in enhances their flavor, I use 4 tsp. Better Than Bouillon.
  • Mini marshmallows add a warm and toasty visual appeal to this casserole, and also enhance the sweet flavors.
    If preferred, you could make double the pecan crumble topping and leave out the marshmallows.
  • Let the mashed potatoes cool before you add the whisked eggs to ensure that they don’t start to cook when added. Eggs are an important binding agent that helps the filling hold up in this casserole.
  • Let it stand for 5 minutes prior to serving to allow the filling to firm up and the topping to crisp even more.
  • Be sure to try my Sweet Potato Soup recipe next!

Make-Ahead Method

  • Assemble the potato filling as outlined and let it cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days ahead of time.
  • Prepare the pecan crumble topping and store in an airtight container. Don’t top the casserole with it or with the marshmallows until ready to bake.
  • Cover and bake the casserole for 10 minutes, remove cover and add the topping, then bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the marshmallows are toasted.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Overhead view of Sweet Potato Casserole in a baking dish with a wooden spoon on the side.

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A wooden spoon scooping up sweet potato casserole from a baking dish.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 people
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This Sweet Potato Casserole is easy to make with flavorful candied pecans and golden marshmallows! It's oven baked, make-ahead friendly, and has the best combination of sweet and savory!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Sweet Potato Filling

  • 3 lbs. sweet potatoes
  • 4 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 5 tablespoons salted butter, at room temp
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • 2 eggs, whisked

Topping

  • 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows, about ½ of a 10 oz. bag

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Peel the potatoes and cut into ¾-inch slices. Submerge them in cool water so that they’re covered by 1-2 inches. Gradually bring them to a gentle boil. Add the chicken bouillon cubes and salt once a gentle boil is reached. Cook for 20 minutes or until very fork tender. Drain and return them to the warm pot they cooked in.
  • Add the butter and let it melt while the steam escapes from the potatoes for 5 minutes. Mash with a potato masher.
  • Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
  • Combine the whisked eggs and half and half and add it to the potatoes. Stir to combine, then mash a little more if desired, but leave some texture. Transfer to a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
  • Combine the chopped pecans, flour, melted butter, syrup, and vanilla extract. Layer them evenly over the potatoes, then top with marshmallows.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. From there, check on them every few minutes. Remove once the marshmallows begin to brown. (Mine takes just under 24 minutes.)
  • Let it sit for 5-10 minutes prior to serving. This allows the filling to firm up and the topping to crisp even further.

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Add cool water to the potatoes and gradually bring them to a gentle boil. This ensures they cook evenly and don't fall apart.
  • Adding Chicken Bouillon to the water that the potatoes cook in enhances their flavor, I use 4 tsp. Better than Bouillon.
  • Mini marshmallows add a warm and toasty visual appeal to this casserole, and also enhance the sweet flavors.
    If preferred, you could make double the pecan crumble topping and leave out the marshmallows.
  • Let the mashed potatoes cool before you add the whisked eggs to ensure that they don't start to cook when added. Eggs are an important binding agent that helps the filling hold up in this casserole.
  • Let it stand for 5 minutes prior to serving to allow the filling to firm up and the topping to crisp even more.
  • Be sure to try my Sweet Potato Soup recipe next!
Make-Ahead Method
  • Assemble the potato filling as outlined and let it cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days ahead of time.
  • Prepare the pecan crumble topping and store in an airtight container. Don't top the casserole with it or with the marshmallows until ready to bake.
  • Cover and bake the casserole for 10 minutes, remove cover and add the topping, then bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the marshmallows are toasted.
Storage
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 8 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 470kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Sodium: 1575mg, Potassium: 689mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 24619IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 2mg
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie