Description
A homemade sweet potato casserole featuring fresh roasted roots mashed with butter, cream, and maple syrup, topped with a crunchy brown sugar pecan crumble. This seasonal dish is make-ahead friendly and naturally gluten-free.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 pounds (1.3 kg) Sweet Potatoes (Garnet or Jewel varieties)
- 4 tablespoons (57g) Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60ml) Heavy Cream
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) Maple Syrup (Grade B or dark)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ cup (100g) Light Brown Sugar (packed)
- 3 tablespoons (42g) Unsalted Butter (melted)
- ½ cup (40g) Old-Fashioned Oats
- ½ cup (60g) Chopped Pecans
- Pinch of Salt
- Mini Marshmallows (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Wash sweet potatoes and poke them with a fork. Roast directly on the rack or on a lined sheet pan for 45-60 minutes until soft and skins are wrinkled. Let cool.
- Peel the roasted sweet potatoes and place the flesh in a food processor or large bowl. Add room-temperature butter, heavy cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pulse or mash until smooth.
- In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, oats, chopped pecans, and a pinch of salt until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Transfer the sweet potato mash to a 9×13 inch baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the pecan topping over the surface. (If using marshmallows, layer them under the topping).
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes until the topping is golden brown and bubbly. If using marshmallows, broil for the last 2 minutes to toast them.
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving warm.
Notes
Roast, don’t boil, the sweet potatoes to concentrate flavor. Use room temperature butter for the mash to ensure smooth incorporation. Toast pecans for better flavor. The mash can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge. Freeze the mash without the topping for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the casserole
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 4
Keywords: sweet potato casserole, autumn recipe, thanksgiving side dish, gluten-free side, pecan topping, seasonal cooking, make-ahead recipe