This Sweet Potato Casserole is a traditional Thanksgiving side dish topped with marshmallows, and you can add chopped pecans, too!
There are always a few staples at every Thanksgiving table, and we typically have mashed potatoes and a sweet potato casserole. You can top this potato casserole however you’d like, but we go traditional with mini marshmallows. You can also add things like chopped pecans.
As traditional as this dish is, we also serve holiday favorites like Scalloped Potatoes, Vegan Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Green Bean Casserole, Fresh Cranberry Sauce, and Stuffing from Scratch.
Some may even top it without marshmallows and use brown sugar and nuts.
Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients:
- Sweet Potatoes – We use traditional orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, but you could also make this with purple sweet potatoes for a fun twist.
- Brown Sugar – This helps sweeten the mixture. You can also use an alternative sugar.
- Butter – If you’re dairy free you can swap for your favorite vegan butter.
- Milk – To make dairy free, you can use your preferred dairy free milk.
- Vanilla Cinnamon, Salt, and Pepper – This helps flavor the sweet potato casserole.
- Mini Marshmallows – You can find vegan marshmallows at most grocery stores. We like Dandies.
How to make Sweet Potato Casserole
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, grease an 8×11″ casserole dish, and then set aside.
Fill a pot with the chopped sweet potatoes and cover with water. Cook until they’re fork tender, around 13-15 minutes.
Drain the sweet potatoes and place them into a large bowl. Add in the butter, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
Mash and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spread the mashed sweet potatoes into the casserole dish, then top with the mini marshmallows. You can also add some chopped pecans or walnuts to the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes and the marshmallows are slightly golden on top.
Recipe Tips and Alterations:
- Swap the butter and milk for plant based alternatives to make this a dairy free sweet potato casserole.
- To make it vegan sweet potato casserole you can also swap the marshmallows for vegan marshmallows.
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the top if preferred.
- For a fun twist try using purple sweet potatoes.
Storage and reheating tips:
- Refrigerate: Store any leftover sweet potato casserole in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Prep the casserole in an aluminum pan and follow the directions up until baking. Then cover with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
- How to reheat: You can use the oven, but a quick 2 minutes in the microwave will also reheat it.
How to serve:
We traditionally serve sweet potato casserole on Thanksgiving, but it can be enjoyed any time of the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, swap out the butter and milk for dairy free alternatives.
Swap out the butter, milk, and marshmallows for vegan alternatives.
Yes, prep as instructed and cover without baking. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Hold off on the marshmallows until before baking.
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Sweet Potato Casserole
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Print Pin SaveIngredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1/3 cup milk more or less as needed for desired consistency
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2-2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease an 8×11″ casserole dish and set aside.
- Place the chopped sweet potatoes into a pot full of water, bring to a boil and cook until they’re fork tender, about 13-15 minutes.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and add to a large bowl.
- Mash the sweet potatoes with the butter, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and then salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the mashed sweet potatoes into the prepared casserole dish and then top with the marshmallows. You can also use chopped pecans or walnuts if you’d like.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the marshmallows are lightly golden on top.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
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Nutrition
The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.
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