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Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole

This sweet potato pecan casserole will quickly take a place of honor at any holiday dinner. In fact, it’s so delicious you’ll want to serve it year round.

Sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows

My grandparents had a farm in Mississippi, where my grandfather grew sweet potatoes. They were amazing and undeniably the best sweet potatoes I’ve ever had in my life.

One of the things that made them so good was the fact that the land was so fertile. Another was that my grandmother knew how to cook them to bring out their natural sugar.

That’s why I always preferred my sweet potatoes right out of the jackets they were grown in. However, most people expect a lot of other things on their sweet potatoes during celebrations and holidays.

Many times, whenever I’m baking sweet potatoes for dinner, I’ve added extra potatoes to enjoy the next day for lunch. They’re so good it’s like getting a meal and dessert, all rolled into one.

Sometimes I have a cucumber and tomato salad on the side. But other times, all I have is the sweet potato.

Sweet potatoes and pork go together really well. That’s why I recommend having them with these sesame ginger ribs.

Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole Ingredients

All of the ingredients are things that can be found at most grocery stores. Here is what you’ll need:

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Evaporated milk
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Cinnamon
  • Butter
  • Brown sugar
  • Uncooked oats
  • Pecans
  • Marshmallows (optional)
whole sweet potatoes on a plate
Sweet Potatoes
can of evaporated milk
Evaporated Milk
vanilla extract
Vanilla Extract
ground cinnamon
Cinnamon
cracked raw egg in a bowl
Eggs
Canister of rolled oats
Uncooked Oats

Marshmallows are optional. I prefer this casserole without them, but I usually put them on the top of one side, leaving a corner bare for anyone who prefers not to have them.

How to Make a Crunchy Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole

First, bake the sweet potatoes on a low temperature for a couple of hours. This gives them time to release their natural sugars. Set the potatoes aside and allow them to cool slightly so you can handle them more easily.

After they’re ready, scoop the inside out of the potatoes into a large mixing bowl.

Scooped sweet potatoes

Next, add the milk, vanilla, half of the cinnamon, and the half of the butter. Stir.

Sweet potato mixture

Add beaten eggs to the mixture and stir again.

Beaten eggs

Pour the mixture into your baking pan or casserole dish.

Stir sweet potato mixture

Grind the uncooked oats in your food processor. Combine them with brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Fold in the chopped pecans.

Oats mixed with brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter

Finally, spread this mixture over the sweet potato mixture in the casserole dish.

Sweet potatoes with pecan crunch topping

I also like to add some pecan halves on top. Bake for a half hour.

Remove from the oven.

Sweet potato pecan crunch casserole

If you want marshmallows, sprinkle them on top. I usually leave a corner without marshmallows because I prefer not to have them.

Return to the oven and bake until the marshmallows are a golden brown.

Sweet potato pecan crunch casserole with and without marshmallow topping

Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are as good for you as they are delicious. Here are some of their benefits according to Health.com:

They are loaded with vitamin A and C—both nutrients essential for a healthy immune system, organs, skin, and vision.

Sweet potatoes have antioxidants that have an anti-aging effect and protect you from a number of diseases.

They are also anti-inflammatory, which protects you from many different diseases, including type-2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, which keeps your digestive system functioning properly and helps maintain a healthy weight.

One cup of sweet potato contains more than twice the amount of potassium as a banana. Potassium is essential for heart health and maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

These are all good reasons to add more sweet potatoes to your diet. However, in my world, the fact that they are delicious is all the reason I need.

They are definitely one of my favorite foods. Also check out these pecan recipes for even more scrumptious dishes.

More Recipes

If you enjoy discovering new recipes, check out Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Weekend Potluck at South Your Mouth, and Meal Plan Monday at Southern Bite.

Sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows

Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

This sweet potato pecan casserole is a favorite dish for special occasions and holidays.

Ingredients

  • 3 large baked sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup of evaporated milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup of melted butter (1 stick)
  • 3/4 cup of brown sugar
  • 1 cup of uncooked oats
  • 2/3 cup of chopped pecans
  • 2 cups of mini marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

    1. Bake the sweet potatoes in a 325-degree oven for 2 hours. Allow them to cool to slightly warmer than room temperature to make them easier to work with.
    2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8” x 8” casserole dish or baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
    3. Scoop the insides of the baked sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, vanilla, half of the cinnamon, and the half of the butter.
    4. Beat the eggs and add those to the sweet potato mixture. Mix well.
    5. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the casserole dish or baking pan.
    6. Put the uncooked oats in your food processor and grind them. You can pulverize them until they are the consistency of flour, but I like them a little bit bigger than that.
    7. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the ground oats with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix until the consistency is like clumpy wet sand. Stir in the chopped pecans.
    8. Evenly spread the oat mixture over the sweet potato mixture in the casserole dish. You can add a few more pecans on top if you want.
    9. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the mini marshmallows over the top if you want them. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, until the tops of the marshmallows turn a light golden brown.
    10. Serve warm.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 414Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 82mgSodium 166mgCarbohydrates 51gFiber 5gSugar 30gProtein 7g

The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.

Did you make this recipe?

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Miz Helen

Saturday 31st of August 2019

We just love a yummy Sweet Potato Casserole and your addition of pecans will make it very special! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,447 this week. Hope you have a great Labor Day Weekend and come back to see us real soon! Miz Helen

Julie

Friday 30th of August 2019

These look delicious! I love sweet potato casserole.

southernhomeexpress

Friday 30th of August 2019

Thanks, Julie! We like sweet potato casserole too!

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