The World’s Best Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
This easy sweet potato casserole recipe is a must-have at our Thanksgiving and Christmas table every year!
The incredible crumbly topping, that is filled with pecans and brown sugar, creates a delicious masterpiece that will quickly become the most requested recipe at your table!
Our Thanksgiving and holiday dinners are always filled with our favorite dishes. In fact, we have the same menu each year. Under strict orders, from my family, I’m allowed to add dishes to our menu, but I am not allowed to take anything away! 😀
It’s A Dessert-Like Side Dish
The crumbly pecan, brown sugar and butter topping for this sweet potato casserole makes it so good, that it almost qualifies as a dessert. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the other savory dishes that will be a part of your holiday traditional meal.
It’s a side dish that is perfect for Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas or any holiday meal, but is simple enough to serve for Sunday supper too!
It Can Be Made Ahead
This recipe for sweet potato casserole can be prepared ahead and refrigerated for up to two days prior to baking. If you do refrigerate it before baking, I suggest removing it from the fridge 30 – 45 minutes before placing it in your preheated oven.
I don’t recommend freezing it though, as that seems to change the texture of the potatoes. The leftovers heat wonderfully in the microwave.
You’ll Love The Convenience
Not only is this the most delicious sweet potato casserole that I’ve ever had, the use of canned sweet potatoes in the recipe makes it super easy to prepare. No need to cook potatoes ahead of time!
This recipe will fill a 9 x 13 size casserole dish and will feed at least 8 people, but you can easily double the recipe and split it between two casserole dishes.
Since this reheats in the microwave so well, I always make an extra casserole to have as leftovers.
I love sweet potatoes just about any way that they can be prepared. I grew up eating plain old baked sweet potatoes with lots of salt and butter and it’s still a favorite way of mine to enjoy them. Believe it or not, leftover baked sweet potatoes are good cold and peeled, straight from the refrigerator. Sweet potatoes have so much natural sweetness, they’re even good plain.
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it is everyone’s favorite, hands-down. It is one of my most requested recipes. I’m happy to finally be able to share it with you!
The World's Best Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
For the casserole
- 3 - 20 oz cans precooked sweet potatoes drained and mashed
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 stick butter softened, (do not substitute margarine)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup canned evaporated milk
For the topping
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 stick butter melted, do not substitute margarine
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, mix mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, eggs, softened butter, vanilla and evaporated milk together. Can be mixed with a mixer on low to medium speed or by hand.
- Place mixture into a 9 x 13 un-greased casserole dish.
- Prepare topping by mixing brown sugar, flour, melted butter and nuts with a fork in a separate bowl.
- Sprinkle topping over casserole, making sure to entirely cover the casserole.
- Bake at 350 fahrenheit for 35 - 40 minutes
Notes
Do not double.
This Sweet Potato Casserole is perfect for any special occasion yet is so easy – you will want to serve it all the time! Make it a family staple!
Yum! I always make sweet potato casserole for Christmas dinner. Yours has a few new twists that I’ll have to try!
Let me know what you think if you give it a try, Shelia. I hope you love it as much as we all do!
My family loves this sweet potatoe recipe! I decided to try it for Christmas Eve and it received raving reviews! I used pecan chips instead of chopped pecans. Now we’re enjoying the yummy leftovers. Thank you for providing this amazing recipe! I can’t wait to share this recipe with my sisters 🙂
That’s very close to the sweet potato casserole I make. It is affectionately called “Heart Attack in a Pan” in my house. Even my husband will eat it (he does not like sweet potatoes) because it is sweet and that crust, when you get it just right – all crunchy and crusty – is oh, so good!
Rita
That’s a great nickname for it, Rita! It’s good enough to have for desert.
Looks amazing!…
We didn’t have any sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving so I am drooling over this Suzy~ I bet the evaporated milk is the secret ingredient that makes this so good? Thanks for sharing, I am putting this on our menu asap!!
I sure do hope you love it as much as I do, Jenna! I guess it’s the evaporated mile that gives the casserole such a wonderful texture.
Sounds quite tasty! I love sweet potatoes and I like them best without marshmallows!
I’m with you, Kate. I love sweet potatoes and I love marshmallows – just not together!
Your sweet potato casserole looks and sounds ambrosial. I’m looking forward to trying your recipe!
PS I just noticed that your recipe is one of the most-viewed this Saturday night. Enjoy your weekend!
This is exactly my recipe also. A family member gave it to me 30 years ago and we all love it. Yes, it is the best!
A nice variety of recipes. I have to try these. Thanks.
It looks delicious! ‘m looking forward to making this recipe to share with my friends at their Thanksgiving table. I love that it is so easy to prepare. I always look forward to receiving your posts! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
This recipe is very similar to one I make. Mine has crushed pineapple in its own juice instead of evarpoated milk. Mine too could be classified more of a dessert than a side dish. Can’t wait to make it soon. Love the name “Heart Attack in a Pan” mentioned above….Ha!
This sweet potato casserole is delicious. It is definitely like a dessert, but oh so good. My southern friends make this all the time.
Looks amazing!! Cant wait to make this. And thanks for sharing!
I am going to try this sweet potato casserole recipe for Thanksgiving! It sounds yummy!
Sounds wonderful, I have one question, can this be made with fresh cooked sweet potatoes?
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Maggie. Yes, it sure can! Just use 3 cups of mashed, cooked potatoes.
Looks delicious and makes such a pretty presentation. I can’t stand marshmallow topping on my sweet potato casserole, either. I do love baked sweet potatoes with a bit of butter, some cinnamon, and brown sugar – fantastic!
I have been using this recipe for a few years now and it’s a winner in my family!
I love sweet potatoes and your recipe looks delish. Can’t wait to try it.
I can’t wait for all those dishes we only have at Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is why they are so special. Your Sweet Potato Casserole is almost identical to the one I cook. Yum, yum. Happy Thanksgiving Dad (and wear elastic pants just for today).
Sounds yummy! I’ve never tried canned sweet potatoes. I’ll have to give this a try!