Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Marshmallows and sweet potatoes are a Thanksgiving classic. This easy sweet potato casserole is a perfect addition to any holiday table. The recipe is versatile and can be made ahead.
How long it takes: just over an hour
Equipment you’ll need: cooking pot, large mixing bowl, electric mixer or potato masher, 9 x 13 inch baking dish
Servings: 14 (makes 7 cups)
Sweet potato casserole is a Thanksgiving classic. Who can resist the combination of sweet potatoes topped with lightly toasted gooey marshmallows?
If you’re looking for more sweet potato recipes, be sure to try my vanilla bean mashed sweet potatoes or twice baked sweet potatoes. My family also enjoys this sweet potato casserole with a crunchy topping (a nut-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free recipe). If you prefer things more on the savory side, these scalloped sweet potatoes with Gruyère cheese and bacon are amazing.
Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
Easy. After combining the cooked sweet potatoes with brown sugar, butter, and spices, you simply spread the mixture into a baking dish, and top it with mini marshmallows near the end of the baking time. Super simple!
Make ahead. I love that this casserole can be made ahead and either frozen or refrigerated until you’re ready to bake it. When you’re busy with dinner preparations whether it’s a holiday or not, a dish that can be made ahead is a real bonus.
Not just for Thanksgiving! Sweet potatoes are available year round and this sweet potato casserole goes well with many meals. It’s a good alternative to regular potatoes. Serve it with classic meatloaf or baked breaded pork chops.
Nut-free. So often sweet potato casserole recipes contain nuts. Even if you’re not worried about nut allergies, I know that many children, and some adults, don’t care for nuts in their food but almost everyone loves marshmallows! However, feel free to substitute a nutty streusel topping instead of the marshmallows if you want.
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need roughly four pounds of sweet potatoes. That’s six to seven medium-sized sweet potatoes. Look for sweet potatoes that are firm and smooth-skinned. If they are wrinkly or have soft spots, they are probably old and should be avoided.
- Butter: I usually use unsalted butter for cooking and baking so I can control the amount of salt added. Butter gives the casserole a rich flavor and creamy texture.
- Brown Sugar: Although sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, brown sugar enhances their flavor. You can easily adjust the amount of added sugar according to your taste.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract subtly rounds out the flavor of this casserole.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg: These warm baking spices are traditionally used to flavor sweet potato casserole giving it almost a pumpkin pie vibe.
- Mini Marshmallows: A gooey melting layer of toasted marshmallows is like icing on a cake. So good, and pretty, too!
Storing Sweet Potatoes
Did you know that it isn’t a good idea to store sweet potatoes in the refrigerator? When refrigerated, uncooked sweet potatoes develop a hard center that doesn’t soften when cooked. It’s best to store uncooked sweet potatoes in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight where they’ll keep for at least a few weeks. A cellar or pantry is a good spot.
Once they are cooked, sweet potatoes should be refrigerated or frozen.
How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Cook the sweet potatoes. You can choose your favorite method to cook the sweet potatoes, whether it’s boiling, baking, or pressure cooking. After testing various methods, we decided that boiling was the easiest. Simply peel and cut the potatoes into chunks and submerge the potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for about ten minutes, depending on how large the chunks are. The potatoes should be fork tender. Drain well.
Mash the potatoes. In a large bowl, combine the cooked potatoes with the butter. Cut the butter into small pieces so it will melt quickly when combined with the hot potatoes. Mash the cooked potatoes until smooth. You can use a potato masher or an electric mixer. We found that using a mixer was the easiest way to achieve a nice smooth texture.
Add remaining ingredients. Mix in the brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add a pinch of salt if you used unsalted butter. I usually taste a spoonful of the sweet potato mixture to check the sweetness and flavor before baking the casserole.
Bake the casserole. Spread the mashed sweet potatoes in a large greased baking dish. Put the dish into a preheated oven (375°F) and bake until it’s heated through, about 25 minutes. If you have something else in the oven that requires a higher or lower temperature (325°F to 425°F), that’s okay. Simply adjust the baking time accordingly.
Add marshmallow topping. Take the baking dish out of the oven and sprinkle an even layer of marshmallows on top. Pop the dish back into the oven and bake for ten minutes or so until the marshmallows are soft and golden brown.
Possible Recipe Variations
- Add a nutty topping. If you’d rather have nuts than marshmallows, add a streusel topping. Add it right away and let it bake the entire time.
- Pumpkin pie! Use pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Make a half batch. Serving a smaller crowd? It’s easy to halve the ingredients of this recipe for a smaller-sized casserole. However, remember you can always divide the casserole into two dishes and freeze one to use at a later date.
- Make handheld mini boats. Instead of using a baking dish, divide the sweet potato mixture into 12 mini soft tortilla taco bowls. Bake for 12 minutes. Carefully add mini marshmallows and bake for 2 more minutes or until marshmallows are puffy. It’s the perfect handheld sweet potato casserole. This recipe was originally posted in this format.
Cook the sweet potatoes the day before so that they are ready to be mashed and combined with the other ingredients. You can also use your Instant Pot to cook them.
Make the casserole ahead of time. If you prefer, prepare the recipe as directed but don’t bake it. Refrigerate up to 48 hours or cover tightly with foil and freeze it. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking. Add topping after the casserole is baked.
Refrigerate/freeze: Store baked sweet potato casserole in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw overnight before reheating.
Reheat: Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave. Bake larger amounts in an oven-proof dish at 350°F until heated through.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. sweet potatoes (6 to 7 medium)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Trim, peel, and wash sweet potatoes. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Put into a large pot of water, cover; bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down to medium, boil potatoes until they are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well.4 lbs. sweet potatoes
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or spray with nonstick spray.
- Transfer the cooked sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into small chunks; add to the sweet potatoes. Mash them with a potato masher or an electric mixer until smooth and butter is melted.¼ cup unsalted butter
- Add brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the mashed sweet potatoes. Stir well to combine.½ cup brown sugar, packed, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Evenly spread the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the edges are slightly golden brown.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the mini marshmallows evenly over the top. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the marshmallows are golden brown and toasted. Serve warm.2 cups mini marshmallows
Notes
- Make ahead: Sweet potatoes can be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated. If using chilled potatoes, melt butter before adding it to the potatoes and mashing. The casserole can also be assembled ahead of time (without marshmallows) and refrigerated or frozen. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
- Cooking sweet potatoes: Choose your favorite way to cook sweet potatoes. They can be boiled, baked (remove peel after baking), or pressure cooked. See Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes.
- Recipe retested and revised 11/2024. Previously published as Handheld Sweet Potato Casserole without Nuts.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
I have made this for Thanksgiving every year for the last few years. Everyone loves them! I can’t usually find the tortilla boats, so I make them in muffin pans with crescent rolls cut to fit and filled with the filling.
That’s a perfect adaptation! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot to me!
Can you make the filling the night before??
Yes! That will work great!
Woooww, looks absolutely awesome. I really need to try this recipe as soon as possible. Looks very authentic and perfect for Thanksgiving!
I think these are the coolest thing ever, too! Such a fun treat.
These are so cute! Great for the holidays!!
Thanks Gina!
What a fun idea for the holidays! I have a feeling my boys would be tempted to eat sweet potatoes if I served them like this.
SO thrilled to see a recipe for sweet potato casserole that is nut free! Making it in individual servings with marshmallows will send my boys over the edge of happiness. Who doesn’t like finger food?