Paula Deen Sweet Potato Casserole

5 from 2 votes

Paula Deen Sweet Potato Casserole

This Paula Deen Sweet Potato Casserole is irresistibly creamy, buttery, and sweet, with a crunchy brown sugar pecan topping that caramelizes in the oven. Prefer marshmallows? Use them instead for a gooey, toasted topping. It's an easy make-ahead side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 525kcal

Author: Cara Lanz

Ingredients

For Sweet Potato Casserole Filling

3 cups sweet potatoes 3-4 medium-sized 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 (oven or microwave). Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork.
Oven: Place potatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 60 minutes or until soft.
Microwave: Microwave for 5 minutes for one sweet potato, adding two minutes for each additional sweet potato. Turn halfway through and cook until soft.
When cool, scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Let 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. An 8-inch, 9-inch, or 11x7 baking dish will work.
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

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.
Double the recipe in a 9 x 13 pan. Triple it in a deep lasagna pan or between two 8-inch, 9-inch, or 11x7 pans.
For marshmallow topping, bake filling until set, 20 minutes. Top with ⅔ cup toasted pecans and 2-3 cups mini marshmallows. Bake 10 more minutes or until lightly browned.

Make Ahead & Freezing

Make Ahead: Prepare sweet potato filling up to 1 day ahead, cover, and refrigerate. When you're ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes, add the pecan topping, and bake as directed.

Freezing: For the best texture, freeze the unbaked casserole in a double layer of foil and keep the pecan topping separate. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then bring it to room temperature, add the topping, and bake.

Nutrition