Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping AND Melted Marshmallow Drizzle

This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans and Marshmallows is the best of both worlds: a crunchy, buttery pecan topping and a gooey, golden marshmallow drizzle. Roasted sweet potatoes are whipped until silky smooth and sweetened just enough, then topped with a crunchy streusel and finished with a warm, creamy marshmallow topping. It's a beloved Thanksgiving and Christmas side dish with a delicious twist!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Two toppings in one! Can't decide between pecans or marshmallows? You don't have to.
• Roasted sweet potatoes have a deep, caramelized flavor.
• Perfect texture combo: Creamy base, crunchy topping, soft marshmallow finish.
• Make-ahead friendly: for stress-free holidays.
• Crowd favorite: this dish disappears fast every time!

Ingredients You'll Need

For the Sweet Potato Base

• 5 medium sweet potatoes
• Cooking oil
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Pecan Topping

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter, very soft
• 1 cup chopped pecans

For the Marshmallow Drizzle

• 2 tablespoon butter
• 10 regular-sized marshmallows

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans and Marshmallows

Roast the Sweet Potatoes

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Rub each sweet potato with a little oil and prick them several times with a fork.
• Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for about 1 hour, or until very soft.
• Remove from the oven, let them cool, then remove the skins and discard.

Prepare the Sweet Potato Mixture

• Place the peeled sweet potatoes in a bowl.
• Add the sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, butter, vanilla, and salt.
• Use a hand mixer until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
• Spread the mixture evenly into a greased baking dish.

Make the Pecan Topping

• In a small bowl, mix the flour and brown sugar.
• Cut in the butter with a fork until small pea-sized crumbles form.
• Stir in the chopped pecans.
• Sprinkle the pecan mixture over the sweet potato mixture.

Bake

• Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes, until hot and lightly golden on top.

Add the Marshmallow Drizzle

• Melt the marshmallows and butter in a saucepan over low heat until smooth.
• Coat the inside of a heat-resistant resealable plastic bag (you can find these online) with cooking spray, then CAREFULLY pour in the hot marshmallow mixture. You will likely need oven mitts or heat-resistant gloves as the mixture will be VERY HOT.
• Snip one corner of the bag and drizzle the mixture over the baked casserole.
• Serve warm.

Tips for Success

• Roasting vs. boiling: Roasting concentrates flavor and keeps potatoes from becoming watery.
• Don't skip the salt: It balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor.
• Use room-temperature ingredients for easier blending.
• To save time, you can roast and mash the sweet potatoes up to 3 days ahead.

Make Ahead Instructions

• Prepare the sweet potato filling and spread into the baking dish.
• Mix the pecan topping and store separately in an airtight container at room temp.
• Refrigerate the sweet potato base up to 3 days.
• When ready to bake, bring to room temp, add the pecan topping, and bake as directed.
• Prepare and drizzle the marshmallow topping just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned sweet potatoes?
Fresh roasted sweet potatoes are best for texture and flavor, but canned sweet potatoes (drained and mashed) can work in a pinch.

What size baking dish should I use?
A 9x13-inch dish or 2-quart baking dish works great for this recipe.

Can I use mini marshmallows instead of a drizzle?
Yes! Simply sprinkle them on top during the last 5 minutes of baking instead of using the melted drizzle.

Can I make it nut-free?
Absolutely. Just leave off the pecans or substitute with oats or crushed pretzels for crunch.

If you're building out your holiday menu, I've got a few more showstoppers! For a classic appetizer that never fails to impress, try these Oysters Rockefeller - they're incredible and always disappear fast. And Beef Wellington Bites are elegant and bite-sized.

For the main course, these Braised Beef Short Ribs are simmered in red wine and garlic, and they're a very popular recipe on this site. A couple of other popular recipes are this Boneless Prime Rib with a Garlic-Herb Crust or a this Rib Roast with a Wet Rub - both are very simple to make and practically fool-proof! And if you're going the traditional route, don't miss my guide on How to Cook a Spiral Ham, complete with a sweet and savory ham glaze recipe that's holiday magic.

Continue to Content

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Pecan Topping

Yield: 8-12 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

This sweet potato casserole recipe is sprinkled with a delicious marshmallow pecan topping for crunchy and soft contrast. It's a traditional Christmas AND Thanksgiving side dish at our dinner table.

Print

Ingredients

For the sweet potatoes

• 5 medium sweet potatoes
• vegetable or canola oil
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 5- ounce can evaporated milk
• ¼ cup butter, very soft
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Pecan Topping

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter, very soft
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

For the Marshmallow Drizzle

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 10 regular-sized marshmallows

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Rub each potato with a small amount of oil. Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Place on sheet pan lined with foil. Roast potatoes for approximately one hour or until soft (time depends on size of potatoes). Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
3. Remove skins from potatoes and discard. Place potatoes in medium-sized bowl then add sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, butter, vanilla extract and salt. Use a hand mixer to thoroughly whip. Pour into greased baking dish, leveling top.
4. Make the topping: Mix together flour and sugar in small bowl. Cut in butter with a fork until only small pea-sized clumps remain. Stir in pecans. Spread topping over sweet potato mixture, covering casserole completely.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and topping is lightly browned.
6. Melt marshmallows and butter in a saucepan until smooth. CAREFULLY place marshmallow mixture into a resealable plastic bag coated with cooking spray on the inside (CAREFUL!! MIXTURE WILL BE VERY HOT!!). Using a hot pad to protect your hands, snip one corner off of the bag and drizzle mixture over pecan topping.
7. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Piercing the potatoes allows the steam to escape when baking.

• Instead of removing skins you can also slice each one in half and use a big spoon to scoop the insides out.
  

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 217mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 3gSugar: 24gProtein: 5g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

• Author
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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is a five-time cookbook author, travel writer, and culinary instructor who has been developing recipes for national brands since 2009. A former personal chef, she learned to cook from her mother and grandmother before refining her skills at the Culinary Institute of America’s Boot Camp.

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