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    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

    October 21, 2020 Updated: March 15, 2022 By Katie Crenshaw 9 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    This delicious Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans makes a lovely side dish to any meal. The sweet and crunchy pecan crust tops a creamy rich sweet potato filling. This family recipe is a favorite Thanksgiving side dish tradition in our home.
    This delicious Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans makes a lovely side dish to any meal. The sweet and crunchy pecan crust tops a creamy rich sweet potato filling. This family recipe is a favorite Thanksgiving side dish tradition in our home.
    This delicious Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans makes a lovely side dish to any meal. The sweet and crunchy pecan crust tops a creamy rich sweet potato filling. This family recipe is a favorite Thanksgiving side dish tradition in our home. #sweetpotatocasserole #easysweetpotatoecasserole

    This delicious Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans makes a lovely side dish to any meal.

    The sweet and crunchy pecan crust tops a creamy rich sweet potato filling.

    This family recipe is a favorite Thanksgiving side dish tradition in our home.

    Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

    What ingredients do you need?

    For this recipe, you need the following ingredients:

    • canned sweet potatoes or yams- you can use roasted or baked sweet potatoes
    • eggs
    • sugar
    • butter
    • vanilla
    • pecans
    • brown sugar
    • flour

    Watch sweet potato casserole video

    Steps

    Making sweet potato casserole is super easy! Just follow these steps:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, blend sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, ½ cup butter, and vanilla until smooth.
    2. Add to a 9×13 baking dish. 
    3. In a mixing bowl, mix pecans, flour, and brown sugar. Add the melted butter and stir until the pecans are completely covered in flour mixture.
    4. Add pecan topping to casserole.
    5. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

    Note

    Note: My mother-in-law cooks this recipe in a 9×13 pan. It will be a thinner version than a typical sweet potato casserole. You can double the recipe in the 9×13 pan or cook it in an 8×8 pan if you want the casserole to be thicker. 

    Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

    Can you use yams?

    Canned sweet potatoes are often labeled as yams in the grocery store. Therefore, you can use either.

    This Southern sweet potato casserole recipe is easy because it uses canned sweet potatoes.

    However, you can roast fresh sweet potatoes for this recipe.

    Just make sure that you bake them until they are completely softened.

    Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

    Can you freeze sweet potato casserole?

    You can freeze sweet potato casserole. Follow these steps:

    • Make sweet potato casserole according to directions without the topping.
    • Wrap with plastic wrap and aluminum foil to keep the freshness, then freeze.
    • Completely thaw out casserole before baking.
    • Make your crunchy pecan crust topping when ready to bake and continue baking according to directions.
    Patricia Crenshaw
    Patricia Crenshaw with my nephew Collin, my daughter Caroline, and my son Joseph.

    Growing up, I had never even heard of sweet potato casserole with pecans.

    My mother is from Wisconsin, and she didn't make very many casseroles on Thanksgiving.

    It wasn't until I shared my first Thanksgiving with my husband's family, that I was introduced to the tasty variety of casseroles that Southerners enjoy making such as vegetable casserole, green bean casserole, Cranberry Apple Casserole, and broccoli and cheese casserole.

    This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is my mother-in-law's (Patricia Crenshaw) recipe.

    One bite of that crunchy sweet pecan topping with a buttery, sweet potato filling is like heaven in your mouth.

    Patricia makes it every year, and it disappears quickly in our household!

    It is one of my favorite dishes I look forward to on Thanksgiving.

    My Mother-In-Law is as sweet as this Sweet Potato Casserole.

    My children absolutely adore her.She also is a big support to me and is always there for me when I need her.

    I am so lucky to have such a loving, thoughtful mother-in-law.

    It brings me joy to share this beloved recipe of hers so that my children may one day have it to make it in their home.

    For more casserole side dishes, try:

    • Southern Cornbread Dressing
    • Southern Spicy Tomato Grits Casserole
    • Hash Brown Casserole
    • Cranberry Apple Casserole
    • Jalapeno Cheese Grits
    • Southern Cornbread

    When you make this baked sweet potato casserole, tell me what you think in the comment section! I would love to hear back! My readers will too.

    Also post your picture of your sweet potato casserole on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale and use #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!

    Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

    Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

    This delicious Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans makes a lovely side dish to any meal. The sweet and crunchy pecan crust tops a creamy rich sweet potato filling. This recipe is a favorite Thanksgiving side dish tradition in our home.
    5 from 21 votes
    Print Pin Save Recipe Saved! Rate
    Course: Casserole, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Southern
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 491kcal
    Author: Katie Crenshaw

    Ingredients

    • 29 oz canned sweet potatoes or yams drained
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup sugar
    • ½ cup butter melted
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Pecan Topping

    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 1 cup pecans chopped
    • ⅓ cup flour
    • ⅓ cup butter melted

    Instructions

    • In a large mixing bowl, blend 29 oz canned sweet potatoes or yams, 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.
    • Add to a 9x13 baking dish. 

    Pecan topping

    • In a mixing bowl, mix 1 cup pecans, ⅓ cup flour, and 1 cup brown sugar. Add the ⅓ cup melted butter and stir until the pecans are completely covered in flour mixture.
    • Add pecan topping to casserole. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

    Video

    Notes

    My mother-in-law cooks this recipe in a 9x13 pan. It will be a thinner version than a typical sweet potato casserole. You can double the recipe in the 9x13 pan or cook it in an 8x8 pan if you want the casserole to be thicker. 

    Nutrition- Nutrition info is based on estimation only.

    Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 640IU | Vitamin C: 14.2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.2mg
    Tried this recipe? I want to see it!Mention @aForksTale or tag #aForksTale!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Catherine Brown

      November 13, 2018 at 1:34 am

      5 stars
      THIS sweet potato casserole looks delicious! So happy it's not drowning in marshmallows!

    2. Alexandra Shunk

      November 13, 2018 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      Wow this looks awesome! I just love every ingredients in this dish! I must give it a try!!!

    3. Beth Neels

      November 13, 2018 at 3:34 pm

      5 stars
      Sweet potatoes are my all time favorite vege! I love this pecan topping!

    4. Alexis

      November 13, 2018 at 5:07 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe looks amazing! I'm going to add this to our Thanksgiving meal plan.

    5. Anna

      November 13, 2018 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      I love the simplicity of this sweet potato casserole. Adding the crunchy pecan topping gives it that special holiday touch!

    6. Nikole Berg

      November 13, 2018 at 11:15 pm

      5 stars
      Girl, you had me at Southern! Wouldn't be Thanksgiving without this classic!

    7. Chelsey

      October 28, 2019 at 3:43 am

      5 stars
      This sweet potato casserole looks so yummy! My family loves sweet potatoes so I know this would be a hit at my house. Definitely a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving dinner!

    8. SUSAN MILTON

      November 17, 2019 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      I love this sweet potato casserole..I'm going to double it..how much longer do you cook it..double the time???

    9. Katie Crenshaw

      November 17, 2019 at 10:53 pm

      It should cook the same amount of time. You might need to add 5 to 10 minutes because of the thickness, but no more.

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