Easy Classic Sweet Potato Casserole

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Easy classic sweet potato casserole made with only 6 ingredients. Topped with mini marshmallows and perfectly sweet, this recipe is sure to be a family favorite.

Sweet potato casserole has always been my favorite dish! My mom made it at least three times a year growing up and I was always a huge fan. Her version has a brown sugar pecan topping (see my healthy sweet potato casserole) but Isaac grew up with traditional sweet potato casserole with mini marshmallows on top.

Without fail, every year Isaac requests the classic version so I finally decided to give it a go and… whoa, it turned out to be so delicious! I am honestly kind of surprised at how much I liked this version. Usually I’m all about the crunch of the pecan topping. That said, the marshmallows actually get a little crisp with this version so maybe that’s why I’m a fan.

Sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows.

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients

You only need 6 simple ingredients for this traditional sweet potato casserole! I didn’t make any healthy subs for this recipe… well, except for the coconut sugar! I did use real deal (organic) butter and regular mini marshmallows, but you could easily make this dairy-free and vegan by using vegan butter (or coconut oil) and vegan marshmallows.

  • sweet potatoes 
  • coconut sugar – light brown sugar works too.
  • unsalted butter – use vegan butter or coconut oil if needed.
  • sea salt
  • vanilla extract
  • miniature marshmallows – I used regular, but vegan marshmallows will also work. Try the Dandie’s brand.

Buying & Storing Sweet Potatoes

When shopping for sweet potatoes, look for firm, unwrinkled skins. Sweet potatoes come in all different colors – creamy white, deep orange and purple. I usually buy Beauregard, Jewel or Garnet sweet potatoes just because those varieties are typically available at my local grocery stores. That said, Beauregard sweet potatoes tend to be stringier so when given the option I go for Jewel or Garnet.

Store you sweet potatoes in your pantry or on the counter top at room temperature. They’ll last about a week before they start to go bad (which usually means getting wrinkly and soft).

Mixing bowl with sweet potato mixture for sweet potato

4 Ways to Cook Sweet Potatoes Before Mashing

  • Bake – Pierce the sweet potato 4-6 times with a fork. Place potato on a baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for about 45-65 minutes.
  • Boil – Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Place in a large saucepan and add water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, uncovered until tender. It should take about 15 minutes depending on the size.
  • Microwave – Pierce the sweet potatoes 3-4 times with a fork. Place potatoes in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for five minutes, flipping halfway through. If your potatoes aren’t tender after 5 minutes, microwave for 30 second increments until softened. I personally don’t recommend this method because microwaved sweet potatoes don’t taste great, in my opinion.
  • Instant Pot – Add one cup of water to the bottom of your Instant Pot. Place the trivet on top and then the sweet potatoes on the trivet. Cook for 18 minutes on high pressure (for medium-sized potatoes), let naturally steam naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure.
Side by side photos of sweet potato casserole with marshmallows before being baked and after being baked.

How to make Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole

Classic sweet potato casserole is so dang easy to make. Here’s how:

  1. Cook sweet potatoes – Use any of the methods listed above to cook your sweet potatoes prior to mashing. Measure out 6 cups of mashed sweet potato.
  2. Combine – Place the mashed sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add sugar, softened butter, salt and vanilla. Stir to combine or use a stand mixer to mix well.
  3. Bake – Transfer the sweet potato mixture into a 9 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Use a spoon to spread mixture evenly. Top with marshmallows and bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown.

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole Ahead of Time

You can certainly prep this sweet potato casserole ahead of time to make things easier for holiday meals!

  • One option is to cook your sweet potatoes in advance. Once cooked, let cool and store in the fridge for up to 3 days before making the casserole.
  • Another option is to prep the recipe according to the instructions through step four, cover the casserole dish with foil or plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. On the day of serving, bring the dish out and let it come to room temp (about 10-15 minutes), top with marshmallows and bake ins 375°F oven for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are warm and marshmallows are golden.
Sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows. A spoon is in the casserole scooping a portion out.

More Holiday Sides:

More Sweet Potato Recipes to Try:

4.45 from 9 votes

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole

Easy classic sweet potato casserole made with only 6 ingredients. Topped with mini marshmallows and perfectly sweet, this recipe is sure to be a family favorite.
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 16

Ingredients  

  • 6 cups mashed sweet potatoes, about 4 large sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar, or brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows

Instructions 

  • Bake sweet potatoes: Heat oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork several times. place sweet potatoes on baking sheet. Roast 1 hour or until tender. Let cool and remove skin from the sweet potatoes and discard. Place flesh into medium bowl, mash with a fork and measure 6 cups. Save any extra for another use.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 375° F.
  • Combine: Place mashed sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add sugar, softened butter, salt and vanilla. Stir to combine. You can do this in a stand mixer if you’d like.
  • Transfer sweet potato mixture into a 9 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Use a spoon to make sure the mixture is evenly distributed.
  • Bake: Top with marshmallows and bake for 20-25 minutes or until marshmallows are golden. Serve warm.

Notes

  • You can also boil the sweet potatoes if you prefer. To do so, peel and cube sweet potatoes. Place in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 15 minutes, depending on size. Drain potatoes, mash and measure 6 cups for the recipe.
  • If you’re like me and love pecans, you can sprinkle 1/4 cup pecans on top of the sweet potato mixture with the marshmallows.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 159mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sweet potato casserole
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About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was surprising easy and very tasty dish to make. Made it for the family as I had bought too many sweet potatoes last week and needed to use them. IT turned out perfect.

    1. So glad this dish was a hit, Anita! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I appreciate it. 🙂

  2. I am making your Classic Sweet Potato Casserole for Thanksgiving along with your quinoa stuffing (will let you know!). I have made your Crunchy Asian Chopped Salad and Blueberry Corn Chicken Salad from your salad download and my family is raving!

    1. Ahh yay, I love hearing that! Definitely let me know how the sweet potato casserole + stuffing turns out. 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    Soooo yummy! Made this today along with the healthy sweet potato casserole to decide which to make for thanksgiving. The kids LOVED this one! Perfect balance of sweet and savory and pretty easy to put together. Highly recommend this one!

  4. 5 stars
    We added pecans instead of marshmallows and a touch of baking powder to make the potatoes fluffy and it was deeeelicious! Thanks!

    1. Ah yay! So happy to hear this sweet potato casserole was a success, Misty! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out. I really appreciate the feedback!

  5. 5 stars
    Made this for Thanksgiving and everyone absolutely loved it, especially me. Sweet potato casserole is always a highlight for me and I’m happy I found your page and tried this one out!

    1. Yay!! This makes me so happy to hear. So thrilled this sweet potato casserole was a success, Lindsay. Thanks so much for the review!

    1. Ah yay! So happy to hear this recipe was a hit over Thanksgiving, Brigitte! Thanks so much for making it and coming back to leave a review. It means so much to me!