Description
This Decadent Sweet Potato Casserole is a comforting and richly flavored dish featuring creamy mashed sweet potatoes topped with a buttery, crunchy pecan streusel. Baked to golden perfection, it’s an ideal side for holiday dinners or cozy family meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Base
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk or non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Topping
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat and Bake Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking. Place them directly on the oven rack and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a knife. Once done, remove from oven and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and place the flesh in a large mixing bowl.
- Prepare the Sweet Potato Mixture: To the peeled sweet potatoes, add the melted butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, milk, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Mash everything thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
- Transfer to Baking Dish: Spread the mashed sweet potato mixture evenly into a 9×13 inch baking dish, creating a smooth surface for the topping.
- Make the Topping: In a separate bowl, combine the flour and the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix until the mixture becomes crumbly and sandy in texture.
- Add Pecans to Topping: Stir in the roughly chopped pecans to the flour and sugar crumb mixture until they are evenly distributed.
- Assemble and Bake: Evenly sprinkle the pecan crumb topping over the sweet potato layer in the baking dish. Bake in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from the oven and let the casserole cool for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to set and the hot steam to dissipate.
Notes
- You can substitute the pecans with walnuts if preferred.
- For a vegan version, use non-dairy milk and a plant-based butter alternative.
- To save time, sweet potatoes can be cooked in advance and refrigerated before preparing the casserole.
- This casserole is best served warm but can be reheated covered in the oven.
- Adjust the cinnamon and vanilla to taste for a sweeter or spiced variation.
