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Best Sweet Potato Casserole with Easy Pecan Streusel

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This best sweet potato casserole with crunchy pecan streusel is the perfect holiday side dish. Creamy, caramelized sweet potatoes are topped with a buttery, crunchy pecan streusel that will have everyone asking for seconds.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4–5 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup milk (whole milk or 2%)
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Cook the sweet potatoes: Place peeled and chopped sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by about an inch. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain well.
  2. Mash the sweet potatoes: Return drained sweet potatoes to the pot or transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher until smooth, or use a hand mixer for ultra-creamy texture. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
  3. Make the filling: To the mashed sweet potatoes, add melted butter, milk, packed brown sugar, beaten egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir until well combined and uniform in color.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
  5. Assemble the base: Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top with a spatula.
  6. Make the pecan streusel: In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold, cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Gently stir in the chopped pecans.
  7. Top and bake: Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the sweet potato mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is bubbly around the edges and the topping is golden brown and fragrant. If the streusel is browning too quickly, tent the dish loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
  8. Rest and serve: Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes after coming out of the oven before serving.

Notes

To make ahead: Assemble the casserole (without streusel) up to 48 hours in advance and refrigerate. Store streusel separately. When ready to bake, add streusel and bake for 35-40 minutes (add 10 minutes for cold filling). For dairy-free: Use plant-based butter and unsweetened oat milk or canned coconut milk. For gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Toast pecans before using for deeper flavor.

Nutrition

Keywords: sweet potato casserole, pecan streusel, holiday side dish, Thanksgiving, easy sweet potato casserole

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