Description
This Best Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar Topping is ultra-creamy inside with a crisp, buttery pecan crumble on top. Perfect for holidays and Sunday suppers—sweet, cozy, and irresistibly crowd-pleasing.
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Filling
- 3 cups canned sweet potatoes, drained (or 4–5 fresh, baked or boiled and mashed)
- ½ cup melted butter
- ⅓ cup milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 beaten eggs
- Pinch of salt
Brown Sugar Pecan Topping
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecan pieces, chopped
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes until smooth.
3. Stir in melted butter, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, eggs, and a pinch of salt until creamy and well combined.
4. Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and chopped pecans until a crumbly topping forms.
6. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato layer.
7. Bake uncovered for 25–35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the edges bubble slightly.
8. Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving for cleaner slices.
Notes
Make-Ahead: Assemble up to 1 day ahead (keep topping separate for best crunch). Refrigerate; add topping just before baking. If baking from cold, add 5–10 minutes.
Storage: Cover leftovers and refrigerate 3–4 days. Reheat at 325°F until warmed through.
Freezer Option: Bake, cool completely, wrap well, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight; reheat at 325°F.
Variations: Sub half the granulated sugar with maple syrup; add ½ tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the topping; swap pecans with walnuts.
Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in the topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square (1/12 of pan)
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: sweet potato casserole, brown sugar pecan topping, holiday side dish, Thanksgiving sweet potatoes