There’s a special kind of magic that fills the air during the holidays, often accompanied by the comforting aroma of dishes emerging from warm ovens. For many, that scent evokes memories of rich, buttery sweet potatoes, crowned with toasted marshmallows that melt into a golden, gooey perfection. This classic Southern Sweet Potato Casserole is more than just a side dish; it’s a cherished tradition, a taste of home passed down through generations. After countless hours of testing and refining, this recipe ensures every spoonful delivers that timeless comfort from its Southern roots. The filling is impeccably smooth and bursting with flavor, never bland or watery, while the topping achieves that irresistible caramelized sweetness everyone craves.
This recipe was originally published in 2021 and has since been updated for enhanced flavor and clarity.
Table of Contents
Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole Ingredients
Crafting the perfect Southern sweet potato casserole begins with a selection of fresh, high-quality ingredients that combine to create a symphony of flavors and textures. Each component plays a vital role in achieving that rich, creamy filling and perfectly toasted topping.
- Sweet Potatoes: The star of the show. Choose firm, unblemished sweet potatoes for the best flavor and texture.
- Brown Sugar or Sweetener: Adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness. Light brown sugar is often preferred for a classic taste.
- Eggs: Act as a binder, giving the casserole its structure and helping achieve a smooth, custardy consistency. Room temperature eggs are crucial for a light and fluffy result.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the sweetness and adds a warm, aromatic note that complements the other spices beautifully.
- Butter: Essential for richness and flavor. Unsalted butter allows you to control the overall saltiness of the dish.
- Cinnamon: A quintessential fall spice that brings warmth and depth to the sweet potato mixture.
- Nutmeg: Provides a slightly peppery and sweet aroma, perfectly pairing with cinnamon to create that signature holiday flavor.
- Marshmallows: The crowning glory! Mini marshmallows are recommended for their even melting and beautiful golden-brown finish.
- Salt: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and brings out the natural flavors of the sweet potatoes and spices.
For me, there’s a distinct difference between a traditional Sweet Potato Casserole and Candied Sweet Potatoes (often mistakenly called Candied Yams). While both are delicious, Sweet Potato Casserole, especially with marshmallows, leans more towards a decadent dessert in my opinion. It’s surprisingly simple to prepare, making it a perfect addition to any holiday meal.
The addition of marshmallows elevates this dish, transforming it into a truly sweet and satisfying treat. While you can certainly serve it as a side, its rich, sweet profile often makes it feel like a dessert. This distinction is what I frequently emphasize when comparing the two recipes.
If you prefer a version without marshmallows, be sure to explore our Sweet Potato Casserole Without Marshmallows recipe for a savory alternative.
How to Make Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Making a show-stopping Southern Sweet Potato Casserole is easier than you might think. Follow these straightforward steps to create a dish that will impress everyone at your table. Detailed measurements and full instructions are provided in the comprehensive recipe card below.
- Prepare Your Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). This ensures the casserole bakes evenly and the marshmallows toast beautifully.
- Grease Your Dish: Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. This crucial step prevents the delicious sweet potato mixture from sticking and makes for easy serving.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine your prepared mashed sweet potatoes (cooled), eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, brown sugar or sweetener, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt.
- Blend Until Smooth: Use a hand mixer on medium speed to thoroughly blend all the ingredients until the mixture is smooth and creamy, with no lumps. You can also achieve this by hand with a sturdy whisk or a powerful blender for an exceptionally silky texture.
- Transfer to Baking Dish: Carefully pour the sweet potato mixture into your greased baking dish, spreading it out evenly with a spatula.
- Add Marshmallow Topping: Generously top the sweet potato mixture with mini marshmallows. Aim for a full, even layer to ensure every serving gets that delightful gooey, caramelized topping. You might need a few extra marshmallows to completely cover the surface.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the marshmallows are beautifully browned, puffed, and wonderfully gooey. Keep a close eye on them during the last few minutes to prevent burning.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the casserole to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. This resting period helps the casserole set, making it easier to portion and ensuring the flavors are perfectly melded.
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Brandi Crawford
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15 minutes mins
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Side Dish, Dessert
Southern, American
6 cups
163 kcal
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Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- 9×13 Baking Dish
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 ½ -3 pounds sweet potatoes Cooked, mashed, and cooled.
- ½ cup brown sweetener or sugar Light
- 2 eggs Must be at room temperature.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Measured solid, this is ¼ cup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mini marshmallows You may need a handful more to completely cover the casserole.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish to prevent sticking.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, brown sugar or sweetener, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients at medium speed until smooth. You can also mix by hand or use a blender for an extra creamy texture.
- Pour the sweet potato mixture evenly into the greased baking dish.
- Top generously with mini marshmallows, ensuring the casserole surface is fully covered for a perfect golden crust.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the marshmallows are beautifully browned and gooey.
- Cool before serving to allow the casserole to set.
Video
Notes
- You can bake, air fry, or boil the sweet potatoes. For the best flavor and texture, I advise against boiling them as it can lead to a watery casserole.
- For Air Frying: Wash and scrub sweet potatoes clean. Lightly spritz with olive oil and rub over the entire potato. Air fry for 35-40 minutes at 400°F (200°C) until tender.
- For Oven Baking: Bake sweet potatoes for 60-70 minutes at 400°F (200°C) until soft.
- For Boiling: Place sweet potatoes in a pot, covered with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 30-40 minutes until soft. Drain thoroughly to avoid excess moisture.
- Using a hand mixer or blender ensures a perfectly smooth and creamy filling.
- Feel free to omit the marshmallows for a less sweet, more traditional sweet potato side dish.
- Canned sweet potatoes can be used as a convenient alternative; just be sure to drain them extremely well.
- Many variations include pecans or other nuts. You can add your preferred nuts to the sweet potato mixture or sprinkle them over the top before adding the marshmallow layer.
- You can use either dark or light brown sugar. I often opt for brown monk fruit sweetener, which measures 1:1 like refined sugar, offering a zero-calorie and zero-carb option.
- Room temperature eggs are essential for a light, airy texture in the casserole.
- If doubling the recipe, use a larger baking dish. The cook time should remain approximately the same, but monitor closely.
- Nutritional information assumes the use of monk fruit sweetener. Please use your preferred nutrition calculator with your specific ingredient brands for the most accurate data.
Nutrition
Calories: 163kcal
Carbohydrates: 22g
Protein: 2g
Fat: 6g
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Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Southern Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Tips for Success
Achieving that perfect, soul-satisfying Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with marshmallow topping requires a few key techniques. These tips will help you create a dish that’s rich, smooth, and utterly delicious every single time.
Ensure Your Potatoes Are Velvety Smooth. The foundation of a great casserole is a perfectly smooth sweet potato filling. Lumps can detract from the creamy experience. Use a hand mixer, a sturdy potato masher, or even a food processor to achieve a velvety, consistent texture. This is crucial for that classic Southern comfort.
Always Taste Before You Bake. Sweet potatoes can vary in natural sweetness, and your chosen sweetener might also affect the flavor profile. Before the mixture goes into the oven, give it a taste. This allows you to adjust the sugar, spices (like cinnamon and nutmeg), or even a touch more salt to achieve your desired balance of flavors.
Never Skimp on the Butter. This is Southern comfort food at its finest, and richness is paramount. Butter not only contributes incredible flavor but also helps create a luscious, tender filling that holds its structure beautifully after baking. Use real unsalted butter for the best results.
Embrace Warm Spices for Classic Flavor. A thoughtful blend of warm spices is what truly distinguishes this dish. Cinnamon and nutmeg are staples, but don’t hesitate to add a tiny pinch of allspice or ginger for an extra layer of complexity. These spices transform a simple sweet potato dish into a truly holiday-worthy masterpiece.
Opt for Mini Marshmallows for Even Toasting. While large marshmallows can work, mini marshmallows are a superior choice for the topping. Their smaller size ensures they melt and brown more evenly, creating a beautiful, consistently golden and gooey crust across the entire casserole. Remember to keep a close watch during the final baking stage to prevent them from burning.
Bake in a Shallow Dish for More Topping Surface. If you love a generous amount of toasted marshmallow, choose a wider, shallower casserole dish over a deep, narrow one. A larger surface area means more space for those delicious marshmallows to spread, melt, and caramelize, maximizing every indulgent bite.
Allow a Resting Period Before Serving. Patience is a virtue, especially with casseroles. After taking it out of the oven, let your sweet potato casserole rest for at least 10-15 minutes. This allows the filling to settle and firm up slightly, making it much easier to scoop and ensuring a cleaner, more appealing presentation.
How to Thicken Your Sweet Potato Casserole
If you find your sweet potato casserole mixture a bit too thin or watery, here are some strategic tips to achieve a perfectly thick and creamy consistency:
Cool the Potatoes Before Mixing. It’s critical that your mashed sweet potatoes are cooled down before you incorporate ingredients like eggs and butter. If the potatoes are too hot, the eggs can begin to cook prematurely, and the overall mixture might not set properly, potentially leading to a looser consistency in the final baked product.
Blend Until Smooth, But Avoid Overmixing. While a smooth filling is desirable for an even bake, be mindful not to overmix the sweet potato base. Excessive blending can incorporate too much air or break down the starches in a way that actually results in a looser, rather than thicker, texture. Mix just until creamy and lumps are gone.
Ensure Sufficient Baking Time. A common reason for a watery or loose casserole is insufficient baking. The eggs and starches need enough time in the oven to fully set and bind the ingredients together. Make sure the casserole is thoroughly baked and firm in the center before removing it from the oven. A good test is to gently shake the dish; the center should jiggle only slightly.
Storing Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole
Proper storage ensures you can enjoy your delicious Southern Sweet Potato Casserole for days to come. After it has cooled completely, cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, you can use the microwave for individual servings or warm it in an oven preheated to 350°F (175°C) until heated through.
Freezing Instructions
For longer storage, sweet potato casserole freezes beautifully. If freezing, prepare the casserole up to the point of adding marshmallows. Tightly cover the dish first with a layer of plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the sweet potato mixture to prevent freezer burn. Then, add a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, add the marshmallows and bake as directed until golden and gooey.
Frequently Asked Questions and Pro Tips
In most American grocery stores, the terms “sweet potato” and “yam” are used interchangeably, which can be quite misleading. What are commonly labeled as yams in the U.S. are almost always a type of sweet potato, typically with reddish-brown skin and moist, orange flesh. True yams, on the other hand, are distinct root vegetables. They possess a rough, bark-like brown skin and have a starchier, drier texture, often with white or purple flesh. These true yams are native to Africa and Asia and are rarely found in typical American supermarkets. Their flavor profile and cooking properties are very different. The mislabeling likely originated decades ago in the Southern United States, particularly in Louisiana, where producers started referring to their orange-fleshed sweet potatoes as “yams” to distinguish them from the paler, drier varieties. For this Southern Sweet Potato Casserole, you should always use what your grocery store labels as sweet potatoes, often the Beauregard or Jewel varieties. You can delve deeper into The Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes for more comprehensive information.
For this recipe, mashed sweet potatoes are essential. It’s crucial to allow them to cool completely after cooking before mixing them with the raw eggs, as hot potatoes can cause the eggs to curdle. There’s often a debate about the best cooking method for sweet potatoes in a casserole: boiling or baking/roasting? While both methods are viable, I personally prefer roasting (or air frying) the sweet potatoes. Boiling them can sometimes result in potatoes that absorb too much water, leading to a watery casserole filling. Roasting concentrates their natural sugars and prevents excess moisture.
To use the air fryer: Wash and scrub your sweet potatoes thoroughly. Lightly spritz them with olive oil and rub it into the skin. Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 35-40 minutes, or until they are perfectly soft and easily pierced with a fork.
To use the oven: Bake whole sweet potatoes at 400°F (200°C) for 60-70 minutes, or until they are tender throughout.
To boil: Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover them with enough water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until they are soft. Remember to drain them very thoroughly after boiling to minimize water content.
Absolutely, canned sweet potatoes can be a convenient shortcut, especially when time is short. However, it is paramount to drain them meticulously before mashing and incorporating them into the recipe. Excess liquid from canned sweet potatoes will make your casserole watery, compromising its desired creamy texture.
You have options for sweetening this casserole. Traditional recipes often call for light or dark brown sugar, which imparts a lovely caramel note. Personally, I enjoy using brown monk fruit sweetener. It’s a fantastic zero-calorie, zero-carb alternative that measures 1:1 like refined table sugar, making it incredibly easy to substitute in any recipe without needing to adjust quantities. Feel free to use your preferred brown sugar or sweetener in the same measurements indicated in this recipe.
While both large and mini marshmallows can be used, I highly recommend mini marshmallows for the topping. Their smaller size allows them to melt more evenly and consistently, creating a beautiful, golden-brown crust across the entire casserole. Large marshmallows tend to brown faster on the outside while the inside remains less melted, and they can burn more easily if not watched carefully. For that perfect gooey and toasted finish, mini marshmallows are the way to go.
Absolutely! Many Southern Sweet Potato Casserole variations include a delightful crunchy element. Pecans are a classic choice and add wonderful texture and nutty flavor. You can mix your favorite chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or even almonds) into the sweet potato filling, or sprinkle them over the surface before adding the marshmallow layer. This ensures they toast nicely beneath the gooey topping.
For an even more elaborate topping, consider a streusel. To prepare a delicious streusel, combine ½ cup of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup of rolled oats, ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar or sweetener in a small bowl. Then, pour in 4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle this streusel mixture over the sweet potato filling before you add the final layer of marshmallows for a delightful textural contrast.
Yes, this Southern Sweet Potato Casserole is an excellent make-ahead dish, perfect for busy holiday preparations. You can assemble the sweet potato base completely, pour it into your baking dish, and store it tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The key is to hold off on adding the marshmallows until just before you plan to bake and serve. When you’re ready, simply take the casserole out of the fridge, let it come closer to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then top with marshmallows and bake according to the recipe instructions until the marshmallows are beautifully golden and gooey.
What to Serve With Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole
This delightful Southern Sweet Potato Casserole, with its sweet and savory balance, makes a fantastic pairing for a variety of main courses, especially during holiday feasts. Here are some perfect accompaniments that complement its rich flavors:
- Southern Baked Ham with Pineapple
- Cajun Spiced Roasted Turkey
- Baked Turkey Wings
- Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Scalloped Corn
- Seafood Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Turkey Legs
- Southern Turnip Greens
More Sweet Potato Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re a fan of sweet potatoes, there’s a world of delicious possibilities beyond this casserole. Explore these other fantastic sweet potato recipes, from savory sides to sweet desserts:
- Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Purple Sweet Potato Recipe
- Healthy Sweet Potato Pie
- Stovetop Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Candied Sweet Potatoes (Yams) with Marshmallows
- Sweet Potato Oatmeal
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar
Don’t forget to check out our collection of Best Soul Food Thanksgiving Recipes and the Best Authentic Soul Food Recipes, including Southern Cooked Cabbage, and Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce for a complete holiday spread.
