Sweet potato casserole crumble topping without nuts

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Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping — This is the BEST sweet potato casserole ever!! The sweet potatoes are tender and creamy, while the streusel topping adds a delightful buttery crunch thanks to the pecans! 

I love sweet potatoes and have a ton of recipes using them from bread to enchiladas, but I was missing a classic: sweet potato casserole. It was about time I made it and we loved every bite because this isn’t just any ole sweet potato casserole recipe. The crunchy butter pecan crumble topping really sets it apart. 

This sweet potato casserole with pecans is an easy recipe to make and assemble before baking it off, especially if you’re cooking it for a holiday meal like Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve dinner. 

When cooking a holiday meal it’s so helpful to have as many things in the ‘ready to pop into the oven’ stage as possible, and this easy sweet potato casserole is one of those dishes. I’d prep it the night before, cover, and refrigerate if you’re planning on prepping in advance.

The mashed sweet potatoes are so tender, creamy, and fluffy while the crumbly, streusel topping adds a buttery, brown sugary crunch thanks to the pecans. 

The brown sugar caramelizes in the oven with the butter and the topping is irresistible. I kind of want to put this topping on everything now.

I originally posted this recipe in November 2016 and it’s become a reader and family favorite and holiday staple over the years. You and your family will absolutely adore it!

Ingredients 

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy sweet potato casserole with pecan topping:

• Sweet potatoes
• Eggs
• Unsalted butter
• Milk
• Light brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Ground nutmeg and cinnamon
• All-purpose flour
• Fisher pecan halves

I used Fisher Pecan Halves. Fisher Nuts are preservative-free and non-GMO Project Verified, making them an excellent choice for cooking and holiday baking. The resealable bag helps keep the nuts fresh for longer. 

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole

I’m not even remotely exaggerating when I say this is the best sweet potato casserole recipe! To make it, you’ll first need to boil the sweet potatoes in a large pot until fork tender. 

Then, add the cooked sweet potatoes to a large bowl along with the eggs, butter, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Once combined (I like to use a potato masher!), turn the sweet potato mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. 

Once the sweet potato base is done, you can move onto the pecan crumble topping. Melt the butter, then toss with the brown sugar, flour, salt. You’re looking for the mixture to resemble crumbs. Stir in the pecans, then sprinkle the crumble topping over the sweet potatoes. 

Bake the sweet potato casserole with pecan topping until the top is lightly golden brown, the edges are set, and the center is mostly set. 

Can I Make This Recipe in Advance? 

Yes! You can assemble the entire casserole the night before, cover it with foil, and refrigerate it until ready to bake. Baked the prepped casserole straight from the fridge and add 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time. 

How to Reheat Sweet Potato Casserole

If you need to reheat this sweet potato casserole with pecans, I recommend covering it with foil so the pecan topping doesn’t burn and then placing it in a warm oven. It’ll likely need to be in the oven for a good 15 to 20 minutes, possibly more if the oven is cooler than 300ºF. 

How to Store Leftovers 

If stored in an airtight container, this easy sweet potato casserole will last up to a week in the fridge. 

Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Casserole? 

Yes, you can assemble the sweet potato layer, bake, let cool, then freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat the prepped casserole, thaw overnight in the fridge. Make a fresh batch of topping, sprinkle it over the casserole, and bake until done. 

Pro Tips and Tricks

Milk: You’re welcome to use any unsweetened milk you’d like in this sweet potato casserole recipe (dairy or non-dairy milk will work). I used an unsweetened cashew milk, but use whatever you have on hand. 

Bake time: My sweet potato casserole took 50 minutes to bake because I started with it cold from the fridge (I prepped it the night before). Note that baking times will vary based on the pan used (glass or ceramic baking dishes will bake for longer than metal pans), your oven, climate, ingredient variances, etc. To be safe, start checking your sweet potato casserole with pecan topping at 30 minutes.

Amount of sweet potatoes: Lastly, a few readers have asked how many sweet potatoes equal 4 pounds. My best advice is to weigh your potatoes at the grocery store to see how many you’ll need. The number of sweet potatoes needed will vary depending on their size. 

Ingredients

Filling

• 4 pounds raw sweet potatoes, diced into large chunks and boiled
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened cashewmilk)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

Topping

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 cup Fisher Pecan Halves

Instructions

Make the Filling

1. To a large stockpot, add the sweet potato chunks, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 2.5 to 3-quart baking dish or a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
3. To the large bowl with the sweet potatoes, add the eggs, butter, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, optional nutmeg, optional cinnamon, and beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed until combined and fluffy.
4. Turn out into baking dish, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula; set aside.

Make the Topping

1. To a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
2. Add the brown sugar, flour, salt, and toss with a fork or your fingers until moist crumbs form.
3. Add the pecans and toss to incorporate.
4. Evenly turn topping out over filling.
5. Bake the sweet potato casserole for about 45 minutes (or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours if you’re prepping it in advance), or until top is lightly golden browned, set on the edges, and mostly set in the center. Mine took 50 minutes because I started with it cold from the fridge because I prepped it the night before. Baking time will vary based on pan used (glass or ceramic baking dishes will bake for longer than metal pans), oven, climate, ingredient variances, etc. Start checking at 30 minutes.
6. Serve immediately. Extra will keep airtight for up to 1 week in the fridge.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

More Thanksgiving Recipes:

Honey-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey-Cinnamon Dip – The honey glaze and the creamy cinnamon dip make these potatoes irresistible!!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad — Goodbye mayo-loaded, mushy, boring potato salad. Hello to a Mexican-inspired potato salad full of flavor and texture with corn, black beans, peppers, and cilantro!

Easy Foolproof Roasted Turkey — Learn how to make juicy, flavorful herb-roasted turkey that’s not dry! This turkey has all the flavor that grandma’s used to have, minus the hassle. 

The Best Mashed Potatoes — Buttery, creamy, PERFECT mashed potatoes that rival your favorite restaurant’s version but EASY and ready in 45 minutes!!

Classic Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing — Nothing frilly or trendy. Classic, amazing, easy, homemade stuffing that everyone loves! Simple ingredients with stellar results! It’ll be your new go-to recipe!

Slow Cooker Stuffing with Sausage — This sausage stuffing is super easy to make since the slow cooker does all the hard work for you! There’s no sauteing or browning required at all! 

Cabernet Cranberry and Blueberry Sauce – Make your own cranberry sauce with amazing depth of flavor in 30 minutes! The best cranberry sauce you will EVER have, guaranteed!

Honey Butter Pumpkin Dinner Rolls –  Big, soft rolls brushed with honey butter are the best! Everyone loves them and they disappear so fast!

Honey Dinner Rolls – My favorite all-around dinner roll recipe (that doesn’t have pumpkin in it)!

No-Knead Make Ahead Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter – An amazingly easy dinner roll recipe that you don’t even have to knead!

Cranberry, Apple, and Blue Cheese Salad with Cranberry-Apple Cider Dressing — All the flavors of fall in one gorgeous, hearty, and healthy salad!! The easy, tart-and-sweet dressing is just bursting with flavor!!

Herb-Roasted Tri-Colored Carrots — Lightly caramelized around the edges, crisp-tender in the center, and seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and parsley!! A trusty side that you’ll make again and again for holidays or easy weeknight dinners!

Post is brought to you by Fisher. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own. #ThinkFisher

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fisher nuts. The opinions and text are all mine.

Originally posted November 2016 and reposted with updated text November 2019.

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