Light, Creamy, and Crunchy – This Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole is Texture Heaven!
Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole is totally classic, but I’ve never been a big fan of the traditional marshmallow topping. I’ve always found its cloying sweetness to be a little much – more like a dessert than a Thanksgiving side dish! As a flavor and texture-obsessed cook, my ideal sweet potato casserole is one that allows sweet potatoes’ natural sweetness to shine and has plenty of contrasting textures.
That’s exactly what this Make Ahead Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Casserole delivers. Creamy whipped sweet potatoes are combined with a touch of maple syrup and vanilla, then topped with a next-level buttery brown sugar streusel.
The potatoes are melt-in-your-mouth airy, but the nutty streusel adds an epic crunchy bite. The sweetness pairs perfectly with turkey and classic savory sides like Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, and Green Bean Casserole Bundles – basically the ideal holiday plate.
Plus, you can make this sweet potato casserole up to 3 days ahead of time for even easier dinner prep. Store the components separately to preserve their textures, and on Thanksgiving all you have to do is assemble and pop the casserole in the oven. Super simple and seriously delicious!
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This sweet potato casserole consists of 3 easy components: creamy sweet potato filling, crunchy maple pecans, and brown sugar streusel topping.
Creamy Sweet Potato Filling
Bake and peel the sweet potatoes. Rather than boiling them, baking sweet potatoes ensures the best light texture. Once they’ve cooled a bit, peel and discard the skins for a smooth mash. Tip! ⇢ Be sure to pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork so steam can escape while they bake in the oven.
Mash the sweet potatoes. While you can use an old fashioned potato masher, food mill, or even an electric mixer, using a food processor is my favorite way to create extra-creamy and smooth mashed sweet potatoes! Why? ⇢ This is a total no-no for regular potatoes, but sweet potatoes don’t have the same starches that would cause them to become gummy as they’re mixed.
Season the sweet potatoes. Fold butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and eggs into the mashed sweet potatoes, seasoning generously with salt to make all the flavors pop.
Crunchy Maple Pecan Brown Sugar Streusel Topping
While the potatoes are in the oven, prep the components for the crunchy, buttery streusel topping.
Toast and candy the pecans. Toasting nuts in a skillet gives them more depth of flavor and crunch. Once they’re golden and fragrant, coat the nuts with pure maple syrup. Tip! ⇢ To prevent sticking, cool the maple pecans in a single layer on a piece of parchment paper.
Mix the streusel topping. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add in cold, cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands, work the butter into the mixture just until it begins to stick together when you press it. Why? ⇢ Super cold butter brings the streusel together, forming large crumbs that get crispy in the oven. If you’re using your hands to incorporate the butter and flour, just be sure not to overwork it too much!
How to Store for Later
Storing each recipe component separately helps each maintain its unique textures. To best store your make ahead sweet potato casserole components for later…
- Sweet potato filling. ⇢ Spread the mashed sweet potatoes into an even layer in a lightly greased baking dish. Tightly cover it with plastic wrap and foil, then transfer to the refrigerator and store for up to 3 days.
- Brown sugar streusel topping. ⇢ Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Crunchy maple pecans. ⇢ Once completely cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Can you freeze sweet potato casserole? ⇢ I recommend freezing the mashed sweet potato mixture on its own to help preserve all the textures of this recipe. Once you’ve prepared the sweet potatoes, spread them into a prepared baking dish and freeze them for up to 3 months. Save prepping the maple pecans and streusel topping closer to dinner.
Reheating the Sweet Potato Casserole
You’ll be so grateful for your prepped casserole on Thanksgiving Day! At dinnertime, all you have to do is finish assembly, which takes 5 minutes, tops. From there, the oven does all the work. So easy!
Prep. Let the sweet potatoes come up to room temperature before transferring them to the oven to ensure even baking. This is a great time to finish the topping by tossing the maple pecans into the streusel until they’re all incorporated.
Assemble and bake. Sprinkle the maple pecan streusel topping all over the mashed sweet potatoes, then transfer to the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the streusel is golden brown and slightly crispy.
I can’t wait for you to try this Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole! The textures are seriously next-level, and it’s so simple to make – especially when you prep it ahead of time. We think you’ll love it just as much as we do!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about and seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy Thanksgiving!
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Creamy Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Reheating Time: 40 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 10–12 1x
- Category: Side Dish, Thanksgiving Recipes
- Method: Oven, Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
If you’re wondering whether you can make sweet potato casserole ahead of time for Thanksgiving this year, this Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is perfect for you!
Baked sweet potatoes are whipped with butter, pure maple syrup, vanilla, and warm spices until light, airy, and perfect, then topped with a maple pecan streusel.
In true make-ahead fashion, you can prep each of these components up to 3 days in advance, assembling and baking it off just before dinnertime.
As the casserole bakes, the sweet potatoes take on an almost custard-like quality, while the nutty streusel topping becomes golden and crunchy. The result is a classic sweet potato casserole with balanced sweetness and amazing textures. Everyone at your Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or holiday dinner table will love it!
Be sure to check out the blog post, above, for plenty more tips and tricks, and if you love the idea of a make-ahead Thanksgiving, be sure to check out our complete Make-Ahead Thanksgiving guide. ♡ Happy holidays!
Ingredients
- 5 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- kosher salt, to season
for the maple pecans:
- 1 ½ cups whole pecans
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
for the streusel topping:
- ¾ cup rice flour (can sub all-purpose flour or pastry flour)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- maple pecans (above)
Instructions
- Bake the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean-up as desired. Liberally poke the surface of the sweet potatoes, piercing them well. Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake 60 minutes, or until fork-tender. This is a great time multitask by preparing the maple pecans (Step 3) and streusel topping (Step 4).
- Mash the sweet potatoes: Carefully peel the baked potatoes and transfer to a large bowl, discarding the spent peels. While you can mash the sweet potatoes by hand by using a potato masher, making use of a hand mixer or stand mixer yields extra creamy results and making use of the food processor yields even creamier results yet. Whichever method you choose to use, mash the sweet potatoes until smooth and creamy, then stir in the butter, pure maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and beaten eggs. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Prepare the maple pecans: Meanwhile, as the sweet potatoes bake, prepare the maple pecans. Add the pecans to a large nonstick skillet over medium-low head, spreading them into an even layer. Toast 5-7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent burning. Once the nuts are golden and fragrant, increase heat to medium. Pour in the maple syrup, stirring to coat all of the pecans. Once coated, remove from the heat and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading the pecans apart so they don’t clump together as they cool.
- Prepare the streusel topping: Meanwhile, as the sweet potatoes bake, prepare the streusel topping. To a medium bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add in the cold, cubed butter. Cut the butter into the flour mixture – you can use a pastry cutter or fork, though I typically just use my hands to press the butter into the flour – until the mixture is super crumbly and begins to stick together when pressed gently.
- Store for later: Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish, spreading the potatoes in an even layer. Tightly cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Transfer the streusel topping to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Transfer the cooled maple pecans to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Reheating: Remove the sweet potatoes from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour before you’d like to finish them in the oven. Remove the foil or plastic wrap. Prepare the topping by tossing the maple pecans into streusel topping – it is helpful to add a few pecans at a time to prevent clumping. Sprinkle the maple pecan topping over the sweet potatoes. Transfer to a 350 degree F oven and bake for 40 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are warmed through and the topping is golden.
- Serving: Serve alongside your roast turkey or roast chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage and Reheating: Leftover reheated make ahead sweet potato casserole (i.e. prepared through Step 6 of Recipe Directions, above), will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezer Instructions: You can also freeze leftover sweet potato casserole. Transfer leftover sweet potato casserole to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
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Love the name of your site. But, check the time you posted for the recipe…….did I miss something?
Hi Carol, I’m not sure what you’re referring to with the recipe times. Could you clarify your question? We’d love to help!