This Southern sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is a classic side dish that makes an appearance on just about every holiday table! Sweetened with a touch of brown sugar, the creamy mashed potatoes are topped with crunchy pecans and fluffy marshmallows for an easy and convenient make ahead recipe.
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If you’re looking for even more holiday sides, don’t miss this winter salad, this popular Jiffy corn casserole, an easy green bean casserole with frozen green beans, and this classic ambrosia salad, too!
This is the BEST sweet potato casserole recipe around! Family members ask me to make this for family get togethers and family dinners. It’s a favorite for everyone in my bunch!
– Amariah
Video: How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Whether you’re planning the Easter menu, preparing Christmas dinner, whipping up a buffet of Thanksgiving sides in November, or simply serving a Sunday supper, you cannot go wrong with an easy sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and pecans. While some might prefer a dish with no nuts, and others might love a streusel topping or Corn Flakes on top, there’s no denying that a Southern sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is always a crowd favorite!
A Few Tips Before You Get Started
- While yams and sweet potatoes are technically different root vegetables, in the United States, canned sweet potatoes and long fresh sweet potatoes are often labeled as “yams.” In other words, in American grocery stores, “yams” and “sweet potatoes” are actually the same thing and can be used interchangeably in most recipes. You’ll notice that beautiful bright orange flesh!
- To avoid a watery sweet potato casserole, this recipe uses a technique that I first discovered in a Cook’s Illustrated book years ago. Cream, butter, salt, and brown sugar cook in a pot with the sweet potatoes. This way you don’t have to boil and drain the potatoes, so they’re not watery at the end!
- Slice the potatoes in uniform widths. This will help them cook evenly so that you don’t have some potatoes that are still firm while others are soft.
- Bring the cream to room temperature before adding it to the potatoes. This will prevent the cream from separating or curdling when heated.
Directions
You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Peel, quarter, and cut your sweet potatoes into ¼-inch thick slices.
- Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot. Add butter, cream, light brown sugar, and salt.
- Cook the potatoes, covered, for about 35 minutes, or until they’re fall-apart tender. Stir occasionally so that the potatoes cook evenly.
- Add a little bit more cream and the vanilla extract. Mash or whip the potatoes until they’re smooth and fluffy. You can do this with a hand mixer for a smooth, whipped consistency, or you can use a potato masher to achieve a slightly more rustic, chunky texture.
- Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Sprinkle pecans and mini marshmallows over top of the mashed sweet potatoes.
- Bake the casserole, uncovered, in a 375°F oven for about 15 minutes, or just until the marshmallow topping is golden brown. It doesn’t take long, since the potatoes are already nice and warm!
What to Serve with Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
This easy sweet potato casserole is the perfect addition to almost any meal. Serve it alongside a pork sirloin roast, grilled beef tenderloin, London broil marinade, pineapple-glazed ham, oven baked ham, bourbon glazed ham, or maple-glazed roasted turkey breast.
While sweet potato casserole is typically served as a side dish on a holiday table, adding marshmallows on top makes it feel decadent enough to pass as an easy dessert! For a truly sweet treat, try serving the warm casserole with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a nice change from the usual pumpkin pie!
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole 1-2 days in advance. First make the sweet potato filling, and then smooth it into the baking dish. Do not add the topping. Cover and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake the casserole, take it out of the fridge and allow the dish to come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes. Cover and bake at 375°F for about 10-15 minutes (or until the potatoes are nice and warm). Remove the cover, add the pecans and marshmallows on top, and return the casserole to the oven for about 15 more minutes (or until the marshmallows are golden brown).
- How to Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- How to Freeze: I recommend freezing the casserole before baking and without the topping. First make the filling, and then smooth it into the baking dish. Do not add the topping. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight. Allow it to come to room temperature for 30-60 minutes on the counter before baking. Cover and bake at 375°F for about 10-15 minutes (or until the potatoes are nice and warm). Remove the cover, add the pecans and marshmallows on top, and return the casserole to the oven for about 15 more minutes (or until the marshmallows are golden brown).
- How to Reheat: Allow the dish to sit on the counter for about 30-60 minutes to come to room temperature. Cover loosely with foil (to prevent the marshmallows from burning) and bake in a 300°F oven just until warmed through (about 15-20 minutes). You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds.
I’ve made this for the last 2 years! Its amazing and always gone!
– Stacey
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- ¼ cup room temperature heavy cream, divided
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (light brown sugar and dark brown sugar are both fine)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Combine sweet potatoes, butter, 2 tablespoons cream, sugar, and salt in a large pot. Cook, covered, over low heat until potatoes are fall-apart tender (about 35-40 minutes).
- Remove from the heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons cream and vanilla extract; mash the potatoes with a potato masher or, for a fluffier, smoother texture, transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and beat on high speed with an electric mixer. Taste and season with extra sugar for added sweetness, extra salt, or warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg, if desired.
- Transfer the mashed potatoes to a 2-quart baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle pecans over the potatoes and add marshmallows on top.
- Bake, uncovered, in a 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until marshmallows are golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Prefer your Southern sweet potato casserole with no nuts? Just omit the pecans and use only marshmallows on top.
- To serve a larger crowd, double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
- If you would like some warm spices in your casserole, you can add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the sweet potatoes at the same time that you add the vanilla extract. You might also like to use pumpkin pie spice for a convenient blend.
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams: if you prefer to make your filling with canned yams, see this recipe for those instructions.
- Swap out the brown sugar and use maple syrup for added sweetness.
- Instead of marshmallows, finish your sweet potato casserole with a pecan streusel.
More Potato Recipes to Try
Party Potatoes
1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Easy Potato Casserole (3 Ingredients!)
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Originally published in March, 2020, this post was updated in December, 2024.
My favorite dish from thanksgiving!! Thank you!
Wonderful!! Thanks, Shay! That makes me so happy. ๐
Sounds yummy!
Thanks so much for all the great recipes and love the beautiful scenery photos in your posts!
Blessings!
Thank you, Helen!!
I’ve made this for the last 2 years! Its amazing and always gone!
Yay! So happy to hear that, Stacey! Have a great Thanksgiving. ๐
Are you using already cooked sweet potatoes for the first step?
Hi, Anne! No, you start with uncooked, peeled, sliced sweet potatoes. They cook in the pot along with the cream, etc. So easy!
Thank you! I thought they would burn before cooked. I will give it a try! They sound delicious! I look forward to your email every Sunday:)
Can this casserole be made ahead of time?
Hi, Darla! Yes, ma’am — here are the make-ahead instructions:
You can prepare the sweet potato casserole 1-2 days in advance. First make the filling and smooth into your baking dish. Do not add the topping. Cover and refrigerate.
When youโre ready to bake the casserole, take it out of the fridge and allow the dish to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Cover and bake at 375ยฐF for about 10-15 minutes (or until the potatoes are nice and warm). Remove the cover, add the pecans and marshmallows on top, and return the casserole to the oven for about 15 more minutes (or until the marshmallows are golden brown).
This is the BEST sweet potato casserole recipe around! Family members ask me to make this for family get togethers and family dinners. Its a Favorite for everyone in my bunch! Lol
Thank you, Amariah! That makes me so happy!
I plan to make this for Christmas. Will it feed 10 people as written or do I have to double the recipe. If I do what size casserole dish is used. Thank you.
Hi Ellen! It feeds 8 people comfortably as written. To serve a larger crowd, double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same. We hope you enjoy!