Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

This easy and rich Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans has a creamy base topped with crunchy pecans and gooey marshmallow topping, making a comforting and delicious gluten-free side for the Holidays. 

Why You'll Love This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

• Easy to prepare: It doesn't require any special cooking skills. You can even save time by using canned yams instead of fresh sweet potatoes. 
• Comforting: The dense sweet potatoes, warm spices, brown sugar, pecans, and marshmallows make the perfect combination, delivering the cozy flavors that we crave at this time of the year!
• Holiday-ish: You can make it either for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
• Versatile: You can serve either as a side dish or a dessert! 
• It's gluten-free and can be low-carb, nut-free, and dairy-free though. 

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Thanksgiving will be arriving sooner than you think, folks! Among the dishes, are a juicy turkey and many dessert options.

Of course, the classic sweet potato casserole is part of our festive menu. However, we also offer a twist on the classic in the form of a toasted meringue topping. 

This is a gluten-free holiday side dish made with ingredients you may already have in your pantry and is a real crowd-pleaser. In addition, it doesn't require any special cooking skills and can be partially made-ahead to be put together on Thanksgiving Day. Don't you love dishes like that?

You can also choose either to boil the sweet potatoes or microwave them, like I did, to reduce cooking time by up to 50%.

For an even faster prep, use canned yams!

Of course, we also make sure those on a low-carb, nut-free, or dairy-free diet can have a portion of it by easily replacing some ingredients.  

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this easy sweet potato casserole, you'll need:

For the Mashed Sweet Potato Base:

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, washed (about 3-4 large sweet potatoes)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for making it dairy-free, use dairy-free butter or coconut oil)
• ⅓ cup half-and-half (or whole milk which is full fat). NOTE: To make it dairy-free, replace it with almond milk but you may have to reduce the amount of liquid slightly to not make your mashed sweet potato base watery. A full-fat liquid helps with a thick consistency and a richer flavor.   
• ½ cup light brown sugar (You may use Brown Swerve for a low-carb or sugar-free dish!)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon table salt

For the Topping:

• ½ cup light brown sugar (or Brown Swerve to make it sugar-free or low-carb)
• ¾ cup oat flour (If you don't have oat flour you can make your own by grinding rolled oats in a food processor until obtaining a flour texture). NOTE: If you aren't a celiac, you may replace oat flour with ½ cup of all-purpose flour.  
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of table salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (you may use coconut oil if you prefer to make it dairy-free)
• 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans (for a nut-free casserole, use sunflower seeds instead) 
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows (you may replace them with the toasted meringue topping below. Of r for a low-carb/sugar-free version, use sugar-free marshmallows)

Alternative Topping (Toasted Meringue):

• 2 eggs, separated (yolks from whites)
• ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ cup powdered sugar

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole

1. COOK THE SWEET POTATOES: You can cook them either in the microwave or boil them.

• To Microwave: Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place them in a microwave-safe dish. Cook them on full power for about 8-12 minutes (depending on the microwave potency) or until they turn out soft. Then, peel them by gently scrubbing the peel with a pairing knife. Alternatively, cut them lengthwise and scoop all the flesh out of the peel using a spoon or cookie scoop. Just be careful to avoid burning your hands!
• To Boil: Peel them first, cut them into 1-inch chunks, and place them into a pot filled with cold water (never boiling water; otherwise they won't cook evenly). Bring to a boil and let cook for about 12-15 minutes or until soft. Drain!

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375º F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter. 

3. MASH: Using a potato masher, mash the sweet potatoes and stir in melted butter, half-and-half, brown sugar, spices, eggs, vanilla, and salt until creamy and smooth.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth it out evenly using a rubber spatula.

5. PREPARE THE PECAN TOPPING: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, oat flour, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, and chopped pecans. Mix them well together with a fork or using your hands until combined. Sprinkle over the top of the mashed sweet potatoes.

6. BAKE: Bake the sweet potato casserole until heated all the way through and the topping begins to brown about  25-30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and sprinkle it with the marshmallows.

7. BROIL THE MASHMALLOWS: Set the oven to broil, then place the baking dish about 6-8 inches away from the top broiler heating source. Let it broil just long enough for the marshmallows to toast on top without burning. TIP: Watch it carefully!

8. Serve it right away and enjoy!

NOTE: OR TOP WITH THE TOASTED MERINGUE TOPPING INSTEAD: Alternatively, If you prefer a toasted meringue topping instead of a marshmallow topping, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar in the bowl of a mixer until foamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat again until stiff, about 1-2 minutes.

Increase heat to 400 degrees F. Remove the baked sweet potato casserole from the oven, spoon the meringue on top, and bake on the top rack of the oven for an additional 6-7 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Serve immediately!

Chef's Tips for Making Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows  

• Sweet potatoes: Wash their skin well to remove excess dirt. Use a brush to scrub it!
• Using Real Yams: They are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes. Therefore, not good for mashing! If you prefer to use real yams in this casserole, wash, peel, and cut them into chunks. Then, boil them until tender and mix them with butter, brown sugar, spices, vanilla, and salt. Omit the half-and-half and the eggs. Top with the pecan and marshmallow topping following the directions in the recipe. 
• Swapping with Canned Yams: Commercialized canned Yams are actually cut sweet potatoes in syrup. Drain the syrup and either mash the chunks to prepare the dish according to our recipe or use the chunks mixed with all the ingredients except the eggs and the half-and-half. 
• Toppings: Only broil the marshmallows or bake the meringue topping on the day you will serve the dish. Otherwise, you will have a soggy mess! 
• Make-Ahead Tip: If you don't intend to bake sweet potato casserole on the same day that you are making it, prepare sweet potato mixture and pecan streusel, and then spread them into a greased casserole dish. Then, wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator for 3 days. When ready to bake it, remove it from the fridge, uncover it, and bake as directed. Always remember that either the marshmallow topping or the meringue has to be prepared on the day the casserole will be baked and served. Why? Otherwise, the marshmallows will become soggy. Furthermore, the egg whites in the meringue topping can separate after a while although the cream of tartar mostly helps to stabilize them.
• Freezing Tips: To freeze sweet potato casserole, prepare the sweet potato mixture and pecan topping and spread them into a greased casserole dish. Let mixture cool, wrap tightly, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed above. However, either marshmallows or the meringue should not go into the freezer.

Variations

• Southern Sweet Potato Casserole: It has a pecan streusel topping on a creamy sweet potato base. No marshmallows are added! Ruth’s Chris has a famous one!
• With Canned Yams: It calls for canned yams instead of fresh sweet potatoes. The syrup is drained and the yams are baked either mashed or chunky.
• With Candied Yams: Fresh sweet potatoes or canned yams in chunks are baked with a sprinkle of sugar, spices, and pats of butter until tender and syrupy. Then, return to the oven to brown the chopped pecans and marshmallows that are added later on.
• With Apples: It calls for chunks of apples mixed with chunks of yams baked in the oven.
• Vegan: Make the classic recipes using vegan baking substitutions.

What to Serve with

If serving this versatile dish as a side, here are some  great options that pair well with our sweet potato casserole: 

Main Dishes:

• Roast turkey made with best turkey brine 
• Instant Pot Turkey Breast
• Beef Brisket 
• Smoked Beef Tenderloin
• Slow Cooker Ham
• Honey Glazed Ham
• Pork Tenderloin 
• Crockpot Pork Loin
• Roasted Cornish Hen
• Best Roast Beef Recipe
• Smoked Turkey Legs

Other Sides:

• Keto Cranberry Sauce
• Gluten-Free Turkey Gravy
• Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
• Butternut Squash Salad
• Mexican Cornbread Casserole

Leftovers

You can re-purpose this sweet potato casserole with marshmallows by simply serving on toasted slices of hard-crust bread such as a baguette, or by using them to make sandwiches along with other Thanksgiving leftovers such as sliced turkey and cranberry sauce, or with a chutney.

If you would rather have it as a dessert, serve it with vanilla ice cream on the side. 😉

FAQs

How to Store

• Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days though. 
• Freezer: Store sweet potato casserole (without marshmallows or meringue topping), unbaked or baked, and then completely cool, in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight!
• To reheat, cover it and reheat it in the microwave just until heated through though.  

Other Sweet Potato Recipes

• Sweet Potato Pound Cake
• Sweet Potatoes Cupcakes
• Southern Sweet Potato Pie
• Sweet Potato Brownies
• Sweet Potato Soup
• No Bake Sweet Potato Flan
• Sweet Potato Crème Brulee
• Sweet Potato Chorizo Hash

PIN AND ENJOY!

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5 from 6 votes

Best Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

This easy and rich Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans has a creamy base topped with crunchy pecans and gooey marshmallow topping, making a comforting and delicious gluten-free side for the Holidays.

Course:Side Dish

Cuisine:American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories324.1 kcal

Author Denise Browning

Cost $ 0.75 per person

Equipment

• 1 Baking dish 9x13-inch
• 1 pot or microwave-safe dish
• 1 Mixing bowl
• 1 potato masher
• 1 oven
• 1 stovetop or microwave

Ingredients

For the Mashed Sweet Potato Base:

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes washed (about 3-4 large sweet potatoes)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (for making it dairy-free, use dairy-free butter or coconut oil)
• ⅓ cup half-and-half or whole milk which is full-fat. NOTE: To make it dairy-free, replace it with unsweetened soy milk or almond milk but you may have to reduce the amount of liquid slightly to not make your mashed sweet potato base watery. A full-fat liquid helps with a thick consistency and a richer flavor.
• ½ cup light brown sugar Use Brown Swerve for a low-carb or sugar-free dish!
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon table salt

For the Topping:

• ½ cup light brown sugar or Brown Swerve to make it sugar-free or low-carb.
• ¾ cup oat flour , certified gluten-free. If you don't have oat flour you can make your own by grinding rolled oats in a food processor until obtaining a flour texture. NOTE: If you aren't a celiac, you may replace oat flour with ½ cup of all-purpose flour.
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch table salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (you may use coconut oil if you prefer to make it dairy-free)
• 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans for a nut-free casserole, use sunflower seeds instead
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows you may replace them with the toasted meringue topping below. Or for a low-carb/sugar-free version, use sugar-free marshmallows.

Alternative Topping (Toasted Meringue):

• 2 eggs separated (yolks from whites)
• ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ cup powdered sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• COOK THE SWEET POTATOES: You can cook them either in the microwave or boil them.
• To Microwave: Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place them in a microwave-safe dish. Cook them on full power for about 8-12 minutes (depending on the microwave potency) or until they turn out soft. Then, peel them by gently scrubbing the peel with a pairing knife. Alternatively, cut them lengthwise and scoop all the flesh out of the peel using a spoon or cookie scoop. Just be careful to avoid burning your hands!
• To Boil: Peel them first, cut them into 1-inch chunks, and place them into a pot filled with cold water (never boiling water; otherwise they won't cook evenly). Bring to a boil and let cook for about 12-15 minutes or until soft. Drain!
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375º F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
• MASH: Using a potato masher, mash the sweet potatoes and stir in melted butter, half-and-half, brown sugar, spices, eggs, vanilla, and salt until creamy and smooth.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth it out evenly using a rubber spatula.
• PREPARE THE PECAN TOPPING: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, oat flour, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, and chopped pecans. Mix them well together with a fork or using your hands until combined. Sprinkle over the top of the mashed sweet potatoes.
• BAKE: Bake the sweet potato casserole until heated all the way through and the topping begins to brown, about  25-30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and sprinkle it with the marshmallows.
• BROIL THE MASHMALLOWS: Set the oven to broil, then place the baking dish about 6-8 inches away from the top broiler heating source. Let it broil just long enough for the marshmallows to toast on top without burning. TIP: Watch it carefully!
• Serve it right away and enjoy!
• OR TOP WITH THE TOASTED MERINGUE TOPPING INSTEAD: Alternatively, If you prefer a toasted meringue topping instead of a marshmallow topping, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar in the bowl of a mixer until foamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat again until stiff, about 1-2 minutes. Increase heat to 400 degrees F. Remove the baked sweet potato casserole from the oven, spoon the meringue on top, and bake on the top rack of the oven for an additional 6-7 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Serve immediately!

Recipe Notes

The nutritional facts were calculated using unsweetened soy milk, erythritol, and sugar-free marshmallows. The meringue topping was not included in the calculation because it is optional and alternative. 

How to Store

• Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. 
• Freezer: Store sweet potato casserole (without marshmallows or meringue topping), unbaked or baked, and then completely cool, in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight!
• To reheat, cover it and reheat in the microwave just until heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 324.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.5g | Protein: 5.4g | Fat: 19.2g | Saturated Fat: 7.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 52.4mg | Sodium: 256.2mg | Potassium: 479.5mg | Fiber: 5.2g | Sugar: 5.4g | Vitamin A: 16440.2IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 64.5mg | Iron: 1.5mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

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This post was first published on October 23, 2018.