Our delicious and Easy Sweet Potato Casserole only requires 6 real, simple ingredients and is perfect for your next holiday meal! This traditional side dish recipe is family favorite that we continue to serve year-after-year!
The Best Sweet Potato Casserole
This is the best sweet potato casserole recipe because it is so versatile! Dress it up with marshmallows for a special holiday side dish OR skip the marshmallows and it is a delicious paleo side dish for any meal! A big part of the holiday season is traditional family recipes and eating those special things and enjoying them with your family is our favorite part. Sometimes a classic recipe should left as-is and there there are times when you can easily make a few tweaks towards the healthier side. This traditional sweet potato casserole is an example of making a traditional holiday side dish “healthy-ish” – we use real maple syrup to sweeten it, ghee to make it buttery and some cinnamon to make it festive – simple, real-food ingredients. This classic Thanksgiving side dish is going to make a great addition to your Thanksgiving table!
What You Will Need
- fresh whole yams – many times you will find yams and fresh sweet potatoes right next to each other at the grocery store, feel free to grab either!
- ghee – option to sub with plant-based butter, coconut oil, or regular butter. Use what works for you.
- ground cinnamon – a classic spice that screams Fall and holiday recipes!
- real maple syrup – perfect for a touch of natural sweetness.
- kosher salt – a simple seasoning that is always a must!
- mini marshmallows – this is an optional topping, but, in our opinion, you should go for it!
How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole
The first steps to making this easy recipe are to cut the yams in to large, 1-inch chunks and then boil them until they become very soft. Carefully drain them and place them in a large mixing bowl with all the other ingredients. Use an electric mixer to mash everything together, creating a perfectly smooth texture. Now spread this sweet potato base in to a prepared baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Sprinkle some mini marshmallows on top of the casserole and bake for another 5 minutes.
Best Ways To Serve An Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
This homemade sweet potato casserole is a traditional holiday recipe for us. Therefore, we serve it with a roasted turkey, wild rice stuffing, green bean casserole, apple cranberry sauce, and, of course, pumpkin pie! If you don’t use the mini marshmallows, it would make a great Whole30/Paleo side dish to serve with a main dish for a dinner any night of the week!
Recipe FAQ
- Optional toppings: the recipe card notes mini marshmallows as an optional topping, which we highly recommend, but some pecans might also be delicious and add some crunch.
- Prep ahead of time: as we all know, the holidays are busy so if there is ever an opportunity to prep something ahead of time – we are in! The sweet potato mixture can easily be prepped and spread in the baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Before baking, let it sit out to come to room temperature, and then bake according to the directions.
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Other Sweet Potato Recipes You Might Like
Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Approx. 12 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy Sweet Potato Casserole – a delicious side dish recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner that’s made with only 6 real, simple ingredients!
Ingredients
- 4–5 large yams, washed and cut into large chunks
- 4 tablespoons ghee (sub with butter, vegan butter, or coconut oil for Whole30)
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1–2 cups mini marshmallows (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a deep baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Bring a large saucepan or stock pot of water to a boil and then carefully add cubed yams.
- Let simmer until yams are cooked through and fork tender. Drain in a colander.
- Place cooked yams in a large bowl.
- Add ghee, ground cinnamon, maple syrup and salt.
- Use hand mixer to fully combine.
- Taste and add any additional maple syrup or cinnamon, as desired,
- Place sweet potato filling in a prepared casserole dish and spread out evenly.
- Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes.
- (Optional Step) Add mini marshmallows on top in a single layer. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or so.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make Ahead: make the sweet potato mixture the night before and place in your baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake for about 30 minutes and then add marshmallows as directed above.
- Hand mixer: option to use a potato masher or stand mixer instead.
- Storage: leftover sweet potato casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 132
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 35.4 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.2 g
- Protein: 0.9 g
- Cholesterol: 10.2 mg
Elise says
Hi, Erin! I don’t see in your instructions that you peel your yams. Is that correct? Thanks!
Erin says
Hi Elise! Sorry about that – I prefer to peel them, but you can really do it either way. It will be more creamy if you peel them!
Emily Thompson says
Can this be made ahead of time and then baked the day of?
Erin says
Hi, Emily! Yes! You could definitely make it ahead of time. I would suggest just making the sweet potato mixture the day before and then just bake that in the oven longer (about 30 minutes or so) to make sure it is fully re-heated and then add the marshmallows (if desired).