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Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel

This sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel is the Thanksgiving side dish dreams are made of — a silky, cinnamon-spiced sweet potato base tucked under a buttery, crunchy brown-sugar pecan crumble that bakes up golden and caramelized. It tastes like dessert but earns its place at the dinner table, and it can be fully assembled a day ahead.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 348 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pounds sweet potatoes about 5 large, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • Place the sweet potato chunks in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are completely tender and falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain very well and let sit in the strainer 2 minutes so excess moisture steams off.
  • Transfer the hot sweet potatoes to a large bowl and mash until smooth (a hand mixer makes this fast and lump-free).
  • Whisk in the melted butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon salt until completely smooth and creamy. Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
  • Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly into the buttered baking dish and smooth the top.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the chopped pecans, flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour in the melted butter and toss until every crumb is coated and the mixture clumps together.
  • Sprinkle the pecan streusel evenly over the sweet potato filling, covering the surface completely — crumble any large clumps with your fingers so the topping bakes up crisp all over.
  • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the streusel is deep golden brown and the edges of the casserole are bubbling.
  • Let rest 10 minutes before serving — the streusel sets and gets even crunchier as it cools.

Notes

Dry potatoes make creamy casserole. After draining, let the chunks steam in the colander for a couple of minutes — watery potatoes dilute the filling and the streusel goes soggy.
 
Mash the sweet potatoes while they're hot. Cold sweet potatoes resist mashing and leave lumps; hot ones turn silky with almost no effort.
 
Make it ahead: assemble the filling and streusel separately (or the streusel right on top), cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add 10 extra minutes to the bake time if it goes in cold.
 
Toasty, not burnt: the brown sugar in the streusel caramelizes fast. If the topping is browning too quickly before the filling is hot, tent the dish loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
 
Swap or skip: walnuts stand in for pecans in a pinch; for a marshmallow twist, skip the streusel and top with mini marshmallows for the last 10 minutes of baking — but honestly, the pecan crumble wins every vote.
 
Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge. Reheat covered at 350°F with a spoonful of milk stirred into the filling, and the streusel crisps right back up.