Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans and Marshmallows

Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans and Marshmallows is a Thanksgiving tradition and family favorite. Whether for a special occasion or just Sunday supper, it’s the perfect side dish for any meal.

Why you’ll love this Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans

Of all the sweet potato recipes on the site, this one has got to be my favorite- and it’s perfect for Thanksgiving Day.

• Great for a holiday meal – You can’t plan your Thanksgiving menu without including sweet potato casserole, right?
• Classic flavors – When you think of fall, winter and the holiday season, this casserole encompasses them all!
• Easy to make – Follow the simple steps below for making the best sweet potato casserole you’ve ever had!

Recipe Essentials

You might have a lot of these simple ingredients already on hand! A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.

• Large sweet potatoes – I like using fresh sweet potatoes rather than frozen or canned. They taste so much better

How to Make a Sweet Potato Souffle (Step-by-Step)

You can have this whole casserole on the holiday table in just oven an hour!

1. Prepare sweet potatoes. Preheat your oven and bake the sweet potatoes until easily pierced with a fork. Remove and allow to cool until able to handle. Cold sweet potatoes will take longer to bake, so don’t allow to cool fully. You can also make sweet potatoes in the microwave.
2. Scoop sweet potatoes. Cut sweet potatoes in half, scoop out sweet potato mixture and add to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. You could also use a large bowl with a potato masher or hand mixer.
3. Prepare oven and baking dish. Raise the temperature of the oven and coat your casserole dish with cooking spray.
4. Combine rest of ingredients. Add butter, mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each. Add milk, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Place potato mixture into prepared baking dish and bake.
5. Pecan topping. Meanwhile, prepare pecan topping. Cream together butter and sugar. Add pecans. 
6. Marshmallow topping. Top sweet potatoes with marshmallows, return to oven until marshmallows start to melt. Remove from oven.
7. Add pecan topping. Top marshmallow layer with creamed butter, sugar and pecans by using two forks and evenly placing over marshmallows. Return to oven.
8. Top with corn flakes. Finish by topping this classic sweet potato casserole recipe with corn flakes, gently pushing them into the mixture. Allow to rest before serving. 

Variations

While we like this easy recipe exactly as written, there are plenty of ways you can make this classic Thanksgiving side dish your own.

• Toppings – There are a number of options for toppings. A pecan streusel, gooey marshmallows, crunchy pecans, brown sugar streusel or any combination of the three would be the perfect addition.
• Sweet potatoes – You could use different root vegetables, canned sweet potatoes or even cooked whole sweet potatoes to make this classic side dish.
• Flavor – Add a splash of maple syrup, vanilla extract, fresh orange juice or even a little bourbon to take the flavor up a notch.

Sweet Potato Souffle vs Casserole

Really the difference between most sweet potato casseroles and sweet potato souffle is negligible with the exception of the name. Use whichever you prefer.

Both are light, fluffy and topped with crunchies and something sweet. In this case it is corn flakes cereal, pecans, marshmallows and a generous helping of butter.

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

Lastly, let’s talk about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams. A sweet potato is not a yam. Epicurious summed it up beautifully:

They’re two different plants. The sweet potato is in the morning glory family, while yams are related to palms and grasses.

And they grow in different parts of the world: yams in Africa, where they originated, and also Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Central America. Sweet potatoes in the United States, with North Carolina leading the way in production.

So at a typical supermarket, what you’re buying is an American-grown sweet potato. True yams are imported and a rare find outside of ethnic grocery stores.

Needless to say, we need sweet potatoes for this creamy sweet potato casserole.

Sweet Potato Souffle with Marshmallows

More Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

If you’re like me, you could eat Thanksgiving food all year round. Here are some of my favorites.

Cakes + Cupcakes

Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake

4.91 from 66 votes

Fruit Desserts

Best Apple Pie

4.72 from 14 votes

Turkey Main Dishes

Orange Sage Turkey Breast with Creamy Sherry Sauce

5 from 14 votes

Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe

4.94 from 44 votes

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is the ultimate sweet potato souffle recipe using fresh sweet potatoes, pecan topping and marshmallows.

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

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Servings: 12 people

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Equipment

• 3- Quart Casserole Dish
• Stand Mixer
• Potato Scrubber
• 9×13 Baking Dish

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes:

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Pecan Topping:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 cups corn flakes
• 1 cup pecans , roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Remove and allow to cool until able to handle.
• Cut sweet potatoes in half, scoop out potato flesh and add to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Add butter, mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each. Add milk, sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Bake 15 – 20 minutes @400 degrees. 
• Place potato mixture into prepared 9×13 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove. 
• Meanwhile, prepare pecan topping. Cream together butter and sugar. Add pecans.  
• Top sweet potatoes with marshmallows, return to oven for 5 minutes or until marshmallows start to melt. Remove. 
• Top marshmallow layer with creamed butter, sugar and pecans by using two forks and evenly placing over marshmallows.Finish by topping with Corn Flakes, gently pushing them into the mixture. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.
• Remove and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. 

Video

Notes

Storage: You can store any leftovers of this best sweet potato casserole recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Sometimes casseroles even taste better the next day!

Freezing: It also freezes well. Check out my tips for how to freeze a casserole here!

Nutrition

Calories: 573 kcal, Carbohydrates: 68 g, Protein: 7 g, Fat: 31 g, Saturated Fat: 14 g, Cholesterol: 100 mg, Sodium: 483 mg, Potassium: 715 mg, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 32 g, Vitamin A: 24990 IU, Vitamin C: 6.1 mg, Calcium: 130 mg, Iron: 3.6 mg

Author: Chef Jessica Formicola

Calories: 573

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sweet potato casserole

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