You know that one side dish that everyone fights over at Thanksgiving dinner? This sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is THAT dish! I've been making this recipe for years, and honestly, it's become such a tradition that Emily asks about it in October (yes, really!).
What makes this different from every other sweet potato casserole recipe out there? The secret's in the double topping – a buttery pecan streusel layer that goes under those gooey, toasted marshmallows. Trust me on this one.
Last year, I forgot to make it for Thanksgiving because I was trying something new, and my family literally staged a mini-revolt. So yeah, this recipe isn't going anywhere! If you're looking for more crowd-pleasing sides, you'll want to check out my old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese – another family favorite that disappears fast.
The best part? You can make this whole thing ahead of time, which is a total lifesaver during the holiday chaos (more on that later).
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Sweet Potato Casserole
- Ingredients For The Best Sweet Potato Casserole
- How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
- Storage And Reheating Sweet Potato Casserole
- Tips For Making The Perfect Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole
- Variations You Can Try
- Frequently Asked Questions About Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
- Recipes You May Like
- Final Thoughts On This Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Why You Will Love This Sweet Potato Casserole
- Two amazing toppings in one dish – the crunchy pecan streusel adds so much texture before those marshmallows even enter the picture
- Takes just 20 minutes of hands-on prep – the oven does most of the work while you handle everything else
- Make it days ahead – assemble everything up to 3 days early and just pop it in the oven when you're ready
- Naturally sweet but not too sweet – the brown sugar and cinnamon bring out the sweet potatoes' natural flavors without going overboard
- Feeds a crowd easily – this 9x13 dish serves 10 people, so it's perfect for holiday gatherings
- Kids actually ask for seconds – Emily's friends always want the recipe, which honestly makes me feel like a kitchen rockstar
Ingredients For The Best Sweet Potato Casserole
For The Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes, cleaned (about 3-4 sweet potatoes)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon table salt
For The Topping
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
Preparing The Sweet Potatoes
- Cook the sweet potatoes by roasting or boiling them. To roast: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, then place them on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft. Larger sweet potatoes may take longer to cook.
- To boil: Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks, then boil them in a large pot with enough water to cover them for 10 minutes until fork tender rather than roasting them in the oven. Drain well then proceed as directed in the recipe.
Making The Sweet Potato Filling
- If you have roasted the potatoes, let them cool and scoop out the insides into a large bowl. Alternatively, transfer boiled potatoes straight to a large bowl and gently mash.
- Add the butter, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla, and salt to the bowl. Mash with a potato masher or beat using a hand mixer until smooth. I prefer using a hand mixer because it gets everything super creamy!
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to it and smooth them out evenly using a rubber spatula.
Creating The Pecan Streusel Topping
- In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, and chopped pecans. Mix them together with a fork until everything's well combined.
- Sprinkle this pecan streusel mixture over the top of the mashed sweet potatoes in an even layer. Don't skip this step – it's what makes this casserole stand out from all the others!
Baking And Adding Marshmallows
- Increase the oven temperature to 375° F. Bake the sweet potato casserole for 25-30 minutes, until heated all the way through and the topping begins to brown.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle with the miniature marshmallows in an even layer across the top.
- Set the oven to broil, then return the casserole to the oven. Cook just long enough for the marshmallows to toast on top – usually about 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully as this can happen VERY quickly (I learned this the hard way when I walked away for 30 seconds and came back to charcoal!).
- Serve immediately and watch everyone's faces light up!
Storage And Reheating Sweet Potato Casserole
Honestly, leftovers rarely happen with this dish, but when they do, I store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
For reheating, you've got options. The microwave works fine for quick portions – just heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through. But if you want to revive that crispy pecan topping, pop it in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.
The marshmallows won't look as pretty after reheating (they get a little deflated), but everything still tastes amazing. Sometimes I'll add a few fresh marshmallows on top and give it a quick broil to freshen things up.
Tips For Making The Perfect Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole
Here's what I've learned from making this thanksgiving sweet potato casserole more times than I can count:
Choose the right sweet potatoes. I always go for the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (sometimes called yams in stores, even though they're not technically yams – who came up with that confusing system?). They're sweeter and creamier than the white-fleshed variety.
Don't skip the eggs. I know it seems weird to add eggs to a side dish, but they help bind everything together and give the filling a soufflé-like texture that's just wonderful.
Toast those pecans first if you want. Sometimes I'll toast the chopped pecans in a dry skillet for 3-4 minutes before adding them to the streusel. It brings out their flavor even more, though the recipe works great without this extra step too.
Use miniature marshmallows. They melt and toast more evenly than the large ones. Plus, you get better coverage across the whole casserole.
Add the marshmallows at the end. Never bake them for the full time – they'll just melt into nothing. The quick broil at the end gets them golden and gooey without disappearing.
Let it rest for 5 minutes. After pulling it from the oven, give the casserole a few minutes to set up. Makes serving so much easier!
Want to make this ahead? Assemble the whole thing with the pecan streusel up to 3 days early and keep it covered in the fridge. When it's time to bake, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake as directed and add those marshmallows at the end.
Variations You Can Try
Skip the pecans if you've got nut allergies in the family. The streusel topping still works without them – just increase the flour to ¾ cup.
Add orange zest to the sweet potato mixture for a citrusy twist. About 1 tablespoon of fresh orange zest works perfectly.
Try different nuts. Walnuts or even sliced almonds can replace the pecans if that's what you have on hand.
Make it lighter. Swap the butter for coconut oil and use almond milk instead of regular milk. Honestly tastes pretty similar!
Go savory instead. Skip the marshmallows entirely, double up on the pecan streusel, and add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the filling. It's a totally different vibe but really good.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
Yes! Assemble the casserole with the filling and pecan streusel up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate, or freeze for up to 3 months. Add marshmallows just before baking.
Yes, you can substitute with about 3-4 cups of drained canned sweet potatoes. Skip the cooking step and proceed directly to mashing with the other ingredients.
Marshmallows toast very quickly under the broiler. Watch them constantly and remove the casserole as soon as they turn golden brown, usually within 1-2 minutes.
Absolutely! You can omit the pecans for a nut-free version, or substitute with chopped walnuts if preferred. The streusel topping will still be delicious.
Recipes You May Like
- Baked Creamed Corn Casserole – Another holiday side dish that's always a hit at our table
- Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes – Perfect for anyone who needs a dairy-free option at Thanksgiving
- Brussels Sprouts With Bacon – Because you need some green vegetables to balance out all this sweetness!
Final Thoughts On This Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
I'm telling you, this sweet potato casserole with marshmallows has become my go-to for every single holiday dinner. The combination of that buttery pecan streusel and those perfectly toasted marshmallows creates something really special.
What I love most is watching people take their first bite. There's always this little moment of surprise when they hit that crunchy pecan layer underneath all those marshmallows. That's the magic right there!
The make-ahead option is a total game-changer too. During Thanksgiving week when I'm running around like crazy, being able to pull a prepared casserole out of the fridge and just bake it? That's the kind of help I need.
So go ahead and make this for your next holiday gathering. Take a picture before everyone digs in (because it'll be gone fast), and maybe save this to Pinterest so you can find it again next year. You're going to want to make this every single time!
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking dish
- Potato masher or hand mixer
Ingredients
For the mashed sweet potatoes
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes cleaned (about 3-4 sweet potatoes)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter melted
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon table salt
For the topping
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- salt Pinch of
- 6 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potatoes by roasting or boiling them. To roast: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, then place them on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft. Larger sweet potatoes may take longer to cook. To boil: Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks, then boil them in a large pot with enough water to cover them for 10 minutes until fork tender rather than roasting them in the oven. Drain well then proceed as directed in the recipe.
- If you have roasted the potatoes, let them cool and scoop out the insides into a large bowl. Alternatively, transfer boiled potatoes straight to a large bowl and gently mash. Add the butter, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla, and salt, and mash with a potato masher or beat using a hand mixer until smooth.
- Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to it and smooth them out evenly using a rubber spatula.
- In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, and chopped pecans. Mix them together with a fork, then sprinkle over the top of the mashed sweet potatoes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 375° F. Bake the sweet potato casserole for 25-30 minutes, until heated all the way through and the topping begins to brown.
- Remove the sweet potato casserole from the oven and sprinkle with the marshmallows. Set the oven to broil, then return the casserole to the oven and cook just long enough for the marshmallows to toast on top. Watch carefully as this can happen very quickly.
- Serve immediately.
