Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

Mashed sweet potatoes blended with eggs, pure maple syrup, and cozy fall spices topped with a crunchy and sweet walnut streusel topping. This southern style sweet potato casserole will be the star of your Thanksgiving holiday dinner!

Sweet potato casserole is a staple during the fall and holiday season, especially for Thanksgiving. This recipe is similar to Ruth Chris' sweet potato casserole with the crunchy pecan topping, but tastes even better!

This preparation without marshmallows is one of the most popular ways to make sweet potato casserole in the south and it is exactly how I grew up eating it in Mississippi! If you're looking for more delicious Thanksgiving side dishes, check out our Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese and Creamy Pumpin Risotto next!

Jump to:

• What You Need To Make This Recipe
• How To Make This Recipe
• What Is Sweet Potato Casserole?
• What Is The Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?
• Do I Have to Put Eggs In Sweet Potato Casserole?
• Best Way To Store This Casserole
• Can I Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?
• What To Serve With Sweet Potato Casserole
• Variations and Substitutions
• Recommended Tools for This Recipe
• More Fall and Thanksgiving Recipes You Will Love!
• 📖 Recipe

What You Need To Make This Recipe

Mashed Sweet Potato Ingredients:

• Four medium-sized sweet potatoes. We need 3 cups of peeled and chopped sweet potatoes for this recipe. If your sweet potatoes are larger, you may only need three. To prepare them for the casserole, the chopped sweet potatoes are boiled in water until fork tender.
• Granulated sugar. A combination of granulated sugar and pure maple syrup is used to sweeten this casserole. You may also use brown sugar instead if you prefer a more caramel-like flavor.
• Pure maple syrup. Be sure your maple syrup is good quality, pure maple syrup, and not maple-flavored syrup.
• Two large eggs. The eggs will act as a binder in this casserole.
• Vanilla extract. This ingredient lends a great depth of flavor and also brings out the other flavors in the casserole.
• Salt. Adding a small amount of salt to sweet recipes highlights the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Ground cinnamon. This spice provides warmth and subtle spiciness to the casserole.
• Ground nutmeg. A little bit of this spice adds a warm, nutty flavor to the casserole.
• Ground cardamom. This spice has a complex flavor with spicy, sweet, citrusy, minty, and herbal notes combined. It really adds something special to this dish and plays beautifully with the other flavors in this casserole. A little of this ingredient goes a long way.
• Buttermilk. The buttermilk adds creaminess to the sweet potatoes and also adds the most delicious, subtle tanginess to the dish. If you prefer, you can also use regular whole milk instead.

Streusel Topping Ingredients

• Brown sugar

• Unsalted butter

• All-purpose flour

• Chopped Walnuts

• Salt

• Ground cinnamon

How To Make This Recipe

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray or butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
• Add the sweet potatoes, sugar, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the potatoes together with the other ingredients. Once the potatoes are mashed, add the buttermilk and use a wire whisk to mix all of the ingredients until well combined.
• Transfer the sweet potato mixture to your prepared baking dish and set it aside while you make the streusel topping.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, melted butter, flour, chopped walnuts, salt, and ground cinnamon. Using a fork, mix the ingredients together until all of the flour is moistened and a crumbly texture is formed.
• Spoon the streusel topping over top of the sweet potato mixture and spread out into an even layer. Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the casserole is golden and bubbly.

What Is Sweet Potato Casserole?

Surprisingly enough, sweet potatoes weren’t present on the first Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes are native to Central and South America and colonists from Europe introduced the spuds to the new world. The first time sweet potatoes and marshmallows are mentioned together is in 1917, in a recipe booklet published by the Angelus Marshmallow company.

Sweet potato casserole with pecans is a recipe that originated in the South, and early variations of the recipe included different ingredients like cream or milk. This sweet potato casserole recipe is a variation of the Southern version, made with pure maple syrup and chopped walnuts.

What Is The Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?

While you may see "yams" for sale in many American markets, they are almost always sweet potatoes that are labeled yams. Real yams are mainly used in Caribbean and West African cooking.

Real yams are entirely different root vegetables from sweet potatoes that are more like yucca in texture and flavor. They have bumpy, tough brown skin with starchy, not sweet flesh.

Do I Have to Put Eggs In Sweet Potato Casserole?

Sweet potato casserole does need eggs to add structure and sturdiness to the dish. If you omit the eggs, you will end up with a runny sweet potato mash.

Be sure your sweet potatoes have cooled and are not still hot when combined with the eggs so that the eggs do not scramble.

Best Way To Store This Casserole

Leftover sweet potato casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

You can also freeze leftover casserole by transferring it to a zip-top freezer bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing. Wrap the freezer bag tightly in plastic wrap and store it in a lying-down position in the freezer. The casserole will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Can I Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?

You can prepare and bake this sweet potato casserole as directed up to two days before, wrap it in plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator. Reheat the casserole in the oven, covered in foil, for 20 minutes the morning of. Remove the foil for the last minutes to crisp the top.

You can also prepare and bake the sweet potato mixture up to two days before, then top the casserole with the walnut crumble mixture, and bake it uncovered for 20 minutes the morning of.

What To Serve With Sweet Potato Casserole

So many other side dishes and dinner recipes pair wonderfully with this southern sweet potato casserole! Here are a few of my favorites from the archives:

• One-Pan Sage Butter Chicken and Orzo
• Brown Sugar Glazed Chicken
• Authentic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
• Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
• Cajun Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage

Variations and Substitutions

You can really get as creative as your imagination allows here as there are countless variations of sweet potato casserole out there and they're all delicious!

• Add marshmallows to the topping for a more classic version of this dish.

• Use heavy cream instead of milk in the mashed sweet potatoes for a more rich casserole.

• Substitute butternut squash for the sweet potatoes in the casserole or use a combination of both.

Recommended Tools for This Recipe

• 9x13 baking dish
• Mixing bowls
• Potato Masher

More Fall and Thanksgiving Recipes You Will Love!

• Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
• Browned Butter Praline Poke Cake
• Spiced Apple Crumb Cake
• Sweet and Spicy Turnip Greens
• Southern Cornbread Dressing
• 1-Hour Honey Butter Dinner Rolls

📖 Recipe