Sweet Potato Casserole
Updated Nov. 6, 2023
- Total Time
- 2 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- ½cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
- 6large sweet potatoes (about 4 pounds), scrubbed
- 2large eggs, at room temperature
- 1(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- ¼cup granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 1cup finely chopped pecans
- 1cup lightly crushed cornflakes (optional)
- ½packed cup light or dark brown sugar
- ½cup all-purpose flour
- ¼cup unsalted butter (½ stick), melted
- 2cups mini marshmallows, plus more to taste
For the Filling
For the Topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
714 calories; 32 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 101 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 62 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 448 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Prepare the filling: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Step 2
Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on the baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 1 hour; let cool.
- Step 3
When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them using a knife, then add the flesh to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) and mash with a potato masher or fork. (The sweet potatoes can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days at this point.)
- Step 4
Add the ½ cup butter, eggs, condensed milk, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt to the bowl. Combine well with a hand mixer or a stand mixer on medium speed. Add the mixture to the prepared baking dish and, using a spatula, smooth out the top.
- Step 5
Prepare the topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the pecans, cornflakes (if using), brown sugar, flour and butter until thoroughly combined. Spoon the topping evenly over the sweet potatoes.
- Step 6
Bake the casserole until slightly browned, about 35 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and add the marshmallows in an even layer. Return to the oven and bake until marshmallows are toasty and melted, about 5 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Buffy
Can this be prepared a day ahead?
molly
Could you skip the sweetened condensed milk and do coconut milk instead? What else would be a similarly textured substitute? I feel like skipping the extra sweetness would be fine and I’m not sure I can find the canned condensed milk around me, anyway.
Jayne Ann
Can't imagine condensed milk in sweet potatoes. Too sweet. I'm from the Deep South. We use dark Karo or brown sugar. I live in the UK now. Fortunately, we have USA sweet potatoes, aromatic and fine fleshed. I add cinnamon, ginger, fresh grated nutmeg, a pinch of clove, grindings of white pepper. Sweet and savoury. Lots of melted butter. Tbl whisky or Bourbon. No eggs. Mini marshmallows on top when I can find them. (From the 50's, I should think.) Guess it's a different recipe!!
Kassi
To make this in advance, I would prepare the sweet potato mixture, spread in pan, cover and refrigerate. Then make the pecan topping and refrigerate in a separate bowl.
Todd
OMG. Please don't complicate a simple recipe. Here's how to do it: 2 to 3 sticks of salted butter 3 to 6 sweet potatoes based on the size of the casserole dish you're using 1 large bag or 2 boxes of dark brown sugar 2 bags of mini marshmallows 1. Peel and cut the potatoes into lengthwise into thick strips 2. Cut the butter into patties and place over the potatoes 3. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes until it looks like the La Brea Tar Pits 4. Cover with marshmallows and cook until brown
Hilary Elkins
I actually like to make this with apple cider or orange juice instead of the condensed milk- just enough to moisten it.
Coby Baby
Swapped coconut cream (for condensed milk), frosted flakes (for cornflakes), roasted salted almonds (for pecans), brown sugar (option in topping) and vegan marshmallows (for minis). My dish won first place at the Friendsgiving potluck! *Not everything's a competition, Coby*
Jane
Can I make this (without the topping) and freeze it?
kswl
This recipe made with condensed milk is cloying and destroys the natural sweetness of the vegetable itself. If someone in your family demands this heavy pudding masquerading as a potato casserole, at least replace the sweetened condensed milk with heavy cream or a mixture of cream and apple cider or orange juice.
Windhorst Chandler
We made a half portion of this in an 8 inch round and deep enough porcelain dish, just right for a family of four with a few days of minor leftover nibbling. We didn't have cornflakes but the pecans themselves offered a toasty crunch that was more than sufficient. I used my judgement with the condensed milk and stopped at about 4oz, which looked and felt both moist and sweet enough. It was a huge hit and we plan to make it again next year.
BJ Williston
Trader Joe's has amazing vegan marshmallows.
Jazmin
Like many others, I omitted the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in the filling. It was perfect. USE THE CORNFLAKES! The topping is magical!
Phoebe
This casserole was delicious! The toppings were the best, definitely use the corn flakes. It was a huge hit at our friendsgiving, everyone was asking for the recipe. It will become a staple in our thanksgivings moving forward.
Juanito
I eliminated the granulated sugar altogether and halved the brown sugar in the topping and this dish was perfect. You get all the sweetness you need in the condensed milk. This will be a Thanksgiving tradition from now on!!
Jody Hamilton
Marshmallows are not vegetarian. They have gelatin in them.
Elena
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times exactly as written. It is not too sweet with the condensed milk and is now one of the family’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes.
GreginGolden
We have sweet potatoes every Thanksgiving and Christmas, this was by far the best version we had in a long time, everyone like them. Used walnuts instead of pecans due to an allergy. Made the sweet potato mixture the day before, refrigerated and added the topping right before baking the day of.
Nikki G
I also left out the sugar for the filling, the condensed milk is enough and not too sweet. Two years in a row this has been a hit across the board. Highly recommend.
Dean LP
Just did a variation on this recipe. Not wanting to use milk from a can (snob, snob) I substituted it with one part heavy cream and two parts whole milk. I'm sure it gave the dish more body and a richer flavor.
SaraMac
Have made this just as written - twice. It is well received by children and adults alike, even those who usually think sweet potato casserole is too sweet. A winner!
Lynn
This was delicious and the leftovers were even better the next day.
Lisa
the family loved this recipe -- it's a new Thanksgiving staple!
baking notes
Way too sweet, even without adding the sugar it called for. Won’t make it again.
Cristina
This was the talked-about dish this Thanksgiving! So creamy and delicious. A bit sweet, but this made up for the fact that we didn't have our pumpkin pie made yet. We used coconut cream instead of sweet condensed milk, and a different crunchy cereal for the topping. This will definitely be on our table next year.
David
Easy to make, very enjoyable. Very sweet but not cloying. Personally, I would prefer it without the marshmallows but I was outvoted by my family. I added a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and the zest/juice of 2 oranges. I would definitely make this recipe again.
DMV in TN
Based on the comments, I too omitted the white sugar. We all loved the flavor of rhe sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, so good!
Colleen P
I actually thought this was going to be a joke, crazy overdone sweet potatoes. I didn’t use the pecans since my sister in law is allergic. Otherwise I followed the recipe ~ and it was AWESOME, everybody loved it, it was the Thanksgiving favorite. Don’t skip the Corn Flakes! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
MARGARET G.
I used light brown sugar but added 1 Tbsp molasses to compensate for not using dark brown sugar
Paige
After reading the comments, I decided to go halfway and only add the sweetened condensed milk, leaving out the white sugar. In my opinion it was still too sweet. I recommend adding the sweetened condensed milk a bit at a time and tasting periodically to get the right sweetness before baking.
Plain Jane
These were by far the best sweet potatoes ever! I didn't want the extra sweetness of condensed or evaporated milk, so I substituted light cream. If I had had coconut milk on hand, I might've tried that. I didn't have corn flakes, so I added more nuts. Making it ahead worked out well, putting it in while the bird rested. Our Thanksgiving guests raved about it, even the pickiest eater. Of all the fabulous leftovers in the fridge this morning, this was the first thing we had for breakfast.
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