Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (2024)

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Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - cinnamon and cloves spiced sweet potato casserole with gooey, toasted marshmallow topping. A classic holiday dinner side dish!

Serve this casserole with my Oven Roasted Turkey Breast and Cranberry Relish.

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (1)

CLASSIC SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

A classic sweet potato casserole with toasted marshmallow topping is a must side dish for our holiday dinners. I know my kids always look forward to it because let's be honest, the toasted marshmallow topping is quite irresistible. I make it even more delicious by adding cinnamon and cloves to the sweet potato mixture and adding an extra layer of brown sugar just before the marshmallows. This Classic Sweet Potato Casserole with marshmallow topping is a must side dish for the holiday dinners. It's easy and can be made ahead of time, which is great when you are making it for the holiday dinner.

How to make Classic Sweet Potato Casserole?

Start by cooking the potatoes until soft. Drain well. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, spices, salt, butter, and eggs and whip the mixture with a hand mixer or mash with potato masher. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish and spread the sweet potato mixture in the dish. Top with mini marshmallows and bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden and toasted. Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (2)

How to cook sweet potatoes for a casserole?

The most common way to cook sweet potatoes for a casserole is to peel them, chop them and cook on a stovetop in a pot. Since I had my Instant Pot, I let it do the work and I have the stovetop free to make gravy or the cranberry sauce. You can also cook sweet potatoes baked style, scoop the flesh and mash for the casserole.

Tips for making the best Sweet Potato Casserole:

  • After your potatoes are cooked till soft, it is important to drain them well. Best to do it over a colander and let as much water drip out as possible. It will prevent it from collecting at the bottom of your casserole.
  • Add cinnamon and cloves for added flavor, perfect for the holidays.
  • To make it ahead, cool potatoes after cooking, mix with remaining ingredients and spread the mixture in a buttered casserole dish. Do not top with marshmallows just yet. Wait to do that just before baking. If you chill the casserole in the fridge, let it sit for 30 minutes in room temperature before baking. If you take it from a cold fridge to a hot oven, the dish may shatter.

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (3)

Can I make sweet potato casserole ahead of time?

Cook potatoes till soft, cool completely, then mix with remaining ingredients. Spread mixture in a buttered dish and cover the dish with saran wrap. Store in the fridge. Wait to top it with marshmallows (or pecan brown sugar topping) just before baking, for best results. After you take the casserole out of the fridge, let it sit in room temperature for 30 minutes. If you take it from a cold fridge to a hot oven, the dish may shatter.

MORE THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES:

  • Green Bean Casserole from scratch OR cooked in Slow Cooker
  • Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
  • Homemade Cranberry Sauce
  • Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing
  • Sweet Corn Casserole

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (4)

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (5)

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole

Author: Anna

Cinnamon and cloves spiced sweet potato casserole with gooey, toasted marshmallow topping. A classic holiday dinner side dish!

4.97 from 28 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

  • Start by peeling and chopping sweet potatoes. Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil over medium heat and cook until potatoes are soft. Drain well (see note).

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.

  • Place cooked potatoes in large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, butter, spices, salt, vanilla and eggs and mash with potato masher or whip with hand mixer.

  • Spread the mixture in prepared casserole dish. Top with ¼ cup of brown sugar, sprinkling it evenly over the top.

  • Layer marshmallows in a single layer on top.

  • Bake casserole for 12 to 15 minutes OR until the marshmallows are golden and toasted and the sides are bubbling. I always place it under the broiler for just 2 minutes to toast the topping just a bit more. You have to watch it carefully so it won't burn.

  • Cool casserole for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

To make ahead:Cook potatoes till soft, cool completely, then mix with remaining

ingredients. Spread mixture in buttered dish and cover the dish with saran wrap. Store in

the fridge. Wait to top it with marshmallows (or pecan brown sugar topping) just before

baking, for best results. After you take the casserole out of the fridge, let it sit in a room

temperature for 30 minutes. If you take it from a cold fridge to a hot oven, the dish may

shatter.

Drain cooked potatoes well, to prevent the water from collecting at the bottom of the

casserole.

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 408mg | Potassium: 832mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 32410IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know!

  1. Denise says

    Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (10)
    Absolutely fantabulous!! Made this recipe twice in two days, it went fast, seconds and had really great raves.

    Reply

    • Anna says

      Wonderful! Thank you so much for making my recipe, Denise!

      Reply

  2. Mary Beth Gibson says

    Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (11)
    I love, love, love this recipe. The dish is simply scrumptious and it is easy to make. So good!

    Reply

  3. Courtney says

    Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (12)
    Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! I doubled it and it turned out great! Everyone LOVED it!

    Reply

    • Anna says

      That's fantastic! Thank you so much, Courtney!

      Reply

  4. Trish says

    Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (13)
    We made this for Thanksgiving yesterday and it was perfect! Directions were great, spices were perfect! We’ll be making it every year, thanks so much Anna for sharing your recipe. Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply

    • Anna says

      You are very welcome, Trish! Thank you for giving it a try! I am so glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply

    • Rita says

      Try a little almond extract my girls love it!

      Reply

      • Anna says

        Sounds perfect, Rita!

  5. Missy says

    Hello. I would like to try this recipe it sounds so good. I wanted to know approximately how many sweet potatoes do you use ( I know it says the weight but was wondering how many that generally is)

    Reply

  6. Kelsey says

    Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (14)
    Made this for the first time for Thanksgiving today. Everyone loved it and it was so easy to make. I'm saving this recipe to make for holidays now.

    Reply

    • Anna says

      I am so happy to know you love the dish, Kelsey! Thank you for giving it a try!

      Reply

  7. Adrena says

    Hello ! I’m just wondering if I make the casserole ahead will the cook time be longer than 15 minutes since it was in the fridge ? Or if letting it get room temperature solve it

    Reply

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Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (2024)

FAQs

Why is my sweet potato crunchy? ›

There is nothing worse than an undercooked sweet potato. Instead of being tender and moist, it'll be hard and crunchy.

What does adding eggs to sweet potato casserole do? ›

The egg is the all-important binder in a sweet potato casserole: it enriches and stiffens the mixture without making it heavy. Make sure to cool the mash slightly before adding the egg so it doesn't scramble, and to stir well so there are no streaks of cooked egg white in the finished dish.

Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking? ›

The cold water bath helps rinse the starch off the sweet potatoes so they're a bit more crispy. That said, if you do not have the time, you can still get crispy baked sweet potato fries by using high heat and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Are candied yams and sweet potato casserole the same thing? ›

While both are sweet sides, they are different. Sweet potato casserole involves mashing the potatoes, turning them into a custard of sorts, and then topping them with marshmallows and/or pecans before baking. We don't do any of this when making candied sweet potatoes!

Why is my sweet potato not crispy in the oven? ›

The secret to crispy (instead of soggy) sweet potato fries is to spread them out in an even layer with enough room so that they don't touch. This is especially important if you're making a big batch of fries. Instead of just piling more onto one baking pan, spread them out over two baking pans or cook them in batches.

Why do sweet potatoes not get crispy? ›

I've found that sweet potatoes really need space for a truly roasted, crisped-edge result. Aim for about one inch of space between pieces. This leads to good, dry, hot airflow that will let the potato pieces' moisture evaporate while letting them dry and crisp up more.

How do you make a sweet potato casserole not runny? ›

Eggs and cream help stabilize the dish and prevent it from becoming too runny (a common complaint with many sweet potato casserole recipes). Make it as smooth or chunky as you like!

Why do Americans put marshmallows on sweet potato casserole? ›

Most people point to a 1917 pamphlet by the Angelus Marshmallow Company as the first time sweet potatoes and marshmallows came together. This company is believed to be the first to commercially-produce and sell the squishy white marshmallows we know, roast, and snack on today.

How do you make a sweet potato casserole not stringy? ›

I do two steps to reduce stringiness:
  1. Peel more of the sweet potato than just the outer skin. There's a layer of lighter orange flesh between the skin; keep peeling until you reach the darker orange.
  2. I mash with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer paddle. Don't scrape down the paddle when you're done.
Nov 24, 2023

Should sweet potatoes be soaked in water before baking? ›

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The main secrets to achieving that incredible crispy texture, is to soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps remove the starch from the sweet potatoes so they´re not limp & soggy.

Do sweet potatoes taste better baked or boiled? ›

I've always baked them. Baking them retains more of their natural sweetness, boiling them most of the sugars go in to the water and is typically lost. You can still mash them by scooping the flesh from the backed skin and mashing it to make a casserole.

Should sweet potatoes be peeled before baking? ›

Do You Have to Peel Sweet Potatoes Before Roasting Them? Not at all! However, if you'd prefer to do so you certainly can! The skin of the sweet potato is thicker and tougher than the rest of your sweet potato, so if that's undesirable to you feel free to remove the skin.

What variety of sweet potato is best for casserole? ›

Jewel. With copper skin and deep-orange flesh that's moist and tender when cooked, the jewel is a go-to potato for traditional baking and casseroles.

Can I substitute canned yams for sweet potatoes? ›

You may not want to substitute true yams in your Candied Yams recipe since their flavor isn't the same as the sweet potatoes in the dish. They can be substituted for sweet potatoes in more savory dishes. Treat them like potatoes to make mashed yams or yam fries.

Are canned yams actually sweet potatoes? ›

No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.

Is it okay to eat crunchy sweet potatoes? ›

Yes it is safe to eat uncooked sweet potato.

Can you eat potatoes that are still crunchy? ›

If you are adventurous enough to try eating raw potato, consuming too much at once can cause gastrointestinal distress like vomiting, bloating and diarrhea due to the indigestible resistant starch and other compounds like lectins and solanine.

Can you eat potatoes that are crunchy? ›

Potatoes that are slightly undercooked are generally safe to eat, but they may not be as palatable or easy to digest as fully cooked potatoes.

Is it okay to eat crunchy potatoes? ›

Taking a bite or two of a raw potato is okay, but eating a lot of it isn't recommended. Consuming raw potatoes can lead to digestive issues and discomfort. “If someone accidentally eats a small amount of raw potato, they typically don't need to worry unless they start feeling ill,” says Gaffen.

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