This sweet potato casserole recipe is silky smooth and has both marshmallows and pecans baked into the topping so you don’t have to choose between them.
Can I tell you a secret? I would pick sweet potato casserole over mashed potatoes any day of the week.
Sure, mp’s are great and all, but to me, they’re kind of bland. They need a TON of milk, butter, and salt to be passable. But sweet potato casserole, on the other hand, is an entirely different story.
Sweet potato casserole helps balance out everything salty and savory on your plate with a little something sweet and creamy. I’m all about having a lot of different flavor profiles, especially when I’m eating a meal like Thanksgiving.
I like to have savory (turkey & stuffing), sweet (sp casserole), briney (green bean casserole), and tart/acidic (cranberry sauce) all on my plate at the same time.
So, before I tell you how I make my favorite sweet potato casserole (that has both pecans AND marshmallows, by the way), let’s go over this heavily debated topic…
What’s the difference between yams and sweet potaotes?
I always hear this question start to pop up this time of year. Real yams have a woodier texture to their exterior and are lighter in color on the inside.
Sweet potatoes, have that thin, brown, papery skin and can be orange, white or purple inside. I like to use orange sweet potatoes for this recipe. They tend to be the easiest kind to find, too.
How do you make the sweet potato filling?
Making this casserole is as easy as eating it. First, you’re just going to boil some sweet potatoes. You’ll want to peel and dice them like you would when making mashed potaotes.
Once they’re soft, you whip them with some milk or coconut milk, butter, maple syrup, salt & cinnamon. What could be wrong with that? The silky smooth sweet potato mixture gets spread into a casserole dish and then topped with sugared pecans and marshmallows.
This brings us to the next great debate…
Pecans or Marshmallows for Sweet Potato Casserole?
My answer is…why choose? This recipe coats pecans in brown or coconut sugar and a little bit more butter and lays them over top of the whipped sweet potatoes.
This all bakes off in the oven (or you can use your wood pellet grill/smoker!) for around 20 minutes and THEN, you add a layer of marshmallows.
The result is gooey, sticky, sweet, crunchy and a little bit savory. Every single texture and flavor note you could want from a side dish is hit in this one dish. And for you texture fans, I KNOW how important this is for you.
Pair this with my bourbon pumpkin pie for dessert! Your guests will LOVE you!
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Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans
This sweet potato casserole recipe is silky smooth and has both marshmallows and pecans baked into the topping so you don’t have to choose between them.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Oven/Wood Pellet Grill
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 cups peeled & cubed sweet potato, about 6 medium/large sweet potaotes
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk or full fat coconut milk
- 6 Tbsp. butter or ghee, divided
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. and 1 pinch salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup brown or coconut sugar
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
To make this in the oven:
- Start by preheating the oven to 400F and boiling a large pot of water on the stove (at least 8 cups of water).
- Once the water is boiling, add the sweet potaotes to the water and let them cook and soften for 15 minutes. They should be very soft when touched.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and add them to the bowl of a standing mixer or a large bowl with the milk, 4 tablespoons of the butter, maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the cinnamon.
- Whip the sweet potato mixture together until silky and smooth. Pour it into a large casserole or baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
- In a small, microwave safe bowl, melt the remaining 2 tabelspoons of butter. To the butter, add the remaining salt, pecans and sugar. Mix this nut mixture well and sprinkle it over the top of the sweet potatoes.
- Place the baking dish into the oven to 20 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and cover the top with the marshmallows. Slide it back into the oven for 3-5 minutes, watching it carefully, until the marshmallows are golden brown.
- Remove and serve immediately.
To make this in a wood pellet smoker or Traeger grill:
- Start by preheating the grill/smoker to 400F and boiling a large pot of water on the stove (at least 8 cups of water).
- Once the water is boiling, add the sweet potaotes to the water and let them cook and soften for 15 minutes. They should be very soft when touched.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and add them to the bowl of a standing mixer or a large bowl with the milk, 4 tablespoons of the butter, maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the cinnamon.
- Whip the sweet potato mixture together until silky and smooth. Pour it into a large casserole or baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
- In a small, microwave safe bowl, melt the remaining 2 tabelspoons of butter. To the butter, add the remaining salt, pecans and sugar. Mix this nut mixture well and sprinkle it over the top of the sweet potatoes.
- Place the baking dish into the grill/smoker for 20 minutes and close the lid.
- Remove the dish from the grill/smoker and cover the top with the marshmallows. Slide it back into the grill/smoker for 3-5 minutes, checking it ever 30 seconds or so, until the marshmallows are golden brown.
- Remove and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you want to make this ahead of time, I suggest following the directions until step #5, before you bake it. Set the casserole dish in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. If it’s cold, cover the dish and bake for 10-15 minutes before removing the cover and following the directions as they’re written above. The marshmallow topping is best served fresh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scoop
- Calories: 274
- Sugar: 31 g
- Sodium: 99 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 21 mg
Keywords: sweet potato, casserole, sweet potato casserole, thanksgiving, Christmas, Holiday, side, side dish, potato
This is a family favorite! It will be on our Thanksgiving menu every year!
★★★★★
Ours, too! So glad!