Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecan Brown Sugar Topping
The sweet potatoes in this Sweet Potato Casserole bake up soft and fluffy and the crunchy topping makes it irresistible. Serve as a side dish or dessert!
Servings 12
Calories 390kcal
Useful Equipment:
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes (about 1 ¾ pounds)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup half-n-half or milk
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Topping:
- ¼ cup butter melted (½ stick)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour optional (leave out to make gluten-free)
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
Roast the sweet potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Set aside.
- Use a vegetable brush to wash the potatoes under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels. And place on the prepared baking sheet. Pierce each potato with a fork a few times (keeps the potato from exploding in the oven). Bake until tender; 45 minutes to an hour, turning the potatoes over about halfway through.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool. Slit them open to cool if using right away; about 30 minutes.
Prepare the Sweet Potato Filling:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- When the potatoes are cool, scoop the sweet potato out of their skins and into a large mixing bowl. Discard the skins. Mash the potatoes up with your hands or a potato masher. Use an electric mixer on low, blend the potatoes until they start to smooth out. Add in the sugar, eggs, half-n-half, sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Mix well until smooth.
- Grease an 8x8 casserole dish with butter. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the casserole dish and spread out into an even layer. Set aside.
Prepare the Topping:
- In a separate small mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, flour, and pecans. Using a fork, toss the mixture with melted butter, breaking up any large clumps that may form.
- Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potato mixture in an even layer.
Bake the Casserole:
- Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and the topping begins to brown; about 35 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Notes
There are several methods to roasting sweet potatoes, but to me the easiest way is to roast them in the oven as you would a regular baking potato. This concentrates the flavor and you can do this ahead of time if needed.
- Roast Ahead: Roast sweet potatoes a day in advance to save time on the day of baking. This comes in handy when the oven in busy baking up other holiday favorites.
- Smooth Filling: Use an electric mixer to make the mashed sweet potatoes extra creamy.
- Check Doneness: Use a fork or toothpick to ensure sweet potatoes are fully tender before mashing.
- Don’t Overbake: Remove the casserole when the topping is golden brown to avoid burning. Brown sugar will burn in a heartbeat!
- Make it Gluten-Free: Skip the flour in the topping or use a gluten-free flour blend.
- Add Crunch: Toast pecans lightly for extra flavor in the pecan crumble topping.
- Flavor Boost: Let the filling sit for a few minutes before baking to allow spices to blend.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 12374IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you try this recipe? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Give it a star rating and leave a comment below to let us know how it turned out for you. If you’d like, share a photo of your dish on Instagram, don’t forget to mention @TheMountainKitchen or use #TheMountainKitchen!