Paula Deen's Sweet Potato Casserole is a decadent Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish with creamy sweet potatoes and a crispy, crunchy brown sugar pecan topping. Perfect holiday side dish to accompany a savory turkey or ham holiday dinner.
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When it comes to classic holiday side dishes, you can't go wrong with Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Corn Casserole, and Mac & Cheese.
But if you're in the mood for something a little more indulgent, you have to try Paula Deen's sweet potato casserole recipe. The creamy sweet potato base is luscious and decadent with a crunchy brown sugar pecan topping. It's ridiculously delicious and the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any family gathering.
Plus, you can make it a day or two ahead of time or even freeze it so you can start prepping your holiday sides way in advance.
Keep reading, and I'll show you exactly how to make it. And If you're more of a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows kind of person, I'll show you how easy it is to make sweet potatoes with a gooey marshmallow topping.
Why You’re Going to Love This Recipe
- Delicious family favorite side dish for the holidays
- Easy sweet potato casserole to make or freeze ahead of time
- Luscious creamy sweet potato bake with crunchy pecan topping
Ingredients
See recipe card for the full list of ingredients.
Cooked sweet potatoes. Boil, bake, roast, or microwave the sweet potatoes, let them cool, and mash them. I prefer to bake them in the oven or microwave. You can also use canned yams, which don’t need to be cooked.
Butter. You'll need one stick of melted butter, which is divided between the filling and the pecan topping.
Large eggs. Eggs help hold the filling together and give it structure.
Cinnamon and nutmeg. This sweet potato side dish has a pumpkin pie vibe with these cozy, warm spices.
Heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk. Even more creaminess!
Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds rich molasses flavor to the crunchy topping. I love dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar works, too.
Pecans. Paula Deen's recipe calls for chopped pecans or walnuts. I use pecans and toast them for even more nutty flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Bake the sweet potatoes. Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 60 minutes or until soft.
Scoop the flesh from the cooled potatoes into a large bowl.
Step 2: Make the sweet potato filling. Add granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to the sweet potatoes. Mix on medium to medium-high speed with an electric mixer until combined and smooth. Add the cream or milk and mix to combine.
Pour sweet potato mixture into a 1 ½ quart prepared baking dish.
Step 3: Make pecan topping. In a medium bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and chopped pecans.
Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the sweet potato casserole.
Step 4: Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set and the internal temperature is 165. If desired, broil for 1-3 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn.
Let the sweet potato casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Variation: Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
You can easily adapt this recipe for sweet potato casserole with marshmallows instead of the pecan topping.
- Prepare the sweet potato filling as directed above.
- Bake without topping until it is set, about 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle ⅔ cup toasted pecans and 2-3 cups of mini marshmallows over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the marshmallows are lightly browned and the internal temperature is 165.
Expert Tips
- Leave the skins on when baking or microwaving whole sweet potatoes. When cooled, you can just scoop out the flesh. No peeling!
- Instead of baking, you can also boil or roast the potatoes.
- Let the sweet potatoes cool before mixing them with the rest of the ingredients — especially the eggs. You don’t want scrambled eggs in your sweet potato casserole.
- For sweet potatoes with a chunkier texture, mash them with a fork or potato masher.
- Add a splash of orange juice, if desired, to the sweet potato filling. Paula Deen does sometimes!
Recipe FAQs
Pierce potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave for 5 minutes for one sweet potato, adding two minutes for each additional sweet potato. Turn halfway through and cook until soft.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Yes. Prepare the filling a day ahead of time and spread it in a casserole dish, but do not bake it. Cover with foil and refrigerate. The next day, take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Add the topping and bake as directed.
Yes. For best results, freeze unbaked. Prepare filling and place in freezer-safe casserole. Wrap in double layer of foil. Place pecan topping in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge 24 hours. Bring to room temp 30-60 mins. No need to thaw pecan crumble. Add topping and bake, adding more cooking time as needed.
Leftovers are also freezer-friendly. Store in airtight container, freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in fridge 24 hours.
Let the casserole sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Cover it with foil and heat in a 350 degree oven until warmed through. Remove the foil for 5-10 minutes to crisp up the topping, if desired. You can also crisp the topping under the broiler for 1-3 minutes. Cook to an internal temperature of 165.
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📖 Recipe
Paula Deen Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
For Sweet Potato Casserole Filling
- 3 cups sweet potatoes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream, half and half. or whole milk
For Pecan Topping
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Bake the sweet potatoes. Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Place potatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 60 minutes or until soft. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the potatoes into a large bowl. Let the sweet potatoes cool before mixing with the rest of the ingredients to keep the eggs from scrambling.
- Preheat the oven to 325 and spray a 1 ½ quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Make the sweet potato filling. Add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 5 tablespoons of melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to the sweet potatoes. Mix on medium to medium-high speed with an electric mixer until combined and smooth. Add the cream or milk and mix to combine. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Make pecan topping. In a medium bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and chopped pecans. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the sweet potato casserole.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set and the internal temperature is 165. If desired, turn the oven to broil for an additional 1-3 minutes to brown the topping. Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Instead of baking, you can also boil or roast the potatoes.
- Leave the skins on when baking or microwaving whole sweet potatoes. When cooled, you can just scoop out the flesh. No peeling!
- For sweet potatoes with a chunkier texture, mash them with a fork or potato masher instead of a mixer.
- Add a splash of orange juice, if desired, to the sweet potato filling. Paula Deen does sometimes!
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