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Maple Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecan Crunch Topping

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This maple sweet potato casserole recipe has a smooth sweet filling topped with crunchy pecan and oat goodness. It goes perfectly with turkey or ham, making it a fabulous addition to your holiday menus.

Forkful of maple sweet potato casserole topped with oats, pecans and brown sugar ready to eat.

Fall and winter holidays call for sweet potatoes. They are definitely a Thanksgiving staple but also go well with a Christmas ham. 

Come to think of it, they’re delicious with an Easter ham. But sweet potatoes also go perfectly with a pork loin, roasted chicken and more.

Ingredients ready to be made into an oatmeal and pecan topped sweet potato casserole.

Leading into Thanksgiving, our family always has the debate between whether to serve the sweet potatoes with marshmallows like my baby sister wants or the kind with the pecans like my grandpa wants.

So we normally do the sensible thing and have both!

Last year I was in charge of the sweet potato casserole for the big family Thanksgiving. MiMi made the kind with marshmallows. 

Of course I couldn’t just follow a recipe. I wanted it to be different.

So I added maple syrup instead of sugar to give those warm maple notes. Then I added oats to the topping.  The results were phenomenal!

There are usually two to three dozen people, so the recipe I made filled a lasagna pan. I couldn’t wait to make it again this year, but we had a much smaller gathering.

Plus only a couple of us normally eat the sweet potatoes. While I love eating the leftovers, a lasagna pan full seemed like overkill.

square casserole dish pile high with oatmeal and pecan crunch topping showing.

So I scaled back the recipe and adjusted the filling to topping ratio a bit, because more topping never hurt a thing! I must say the results were scrumptious.

How does your family eat sweet potatoes at holidays? Do you have a debate over how to fix them?

Making the Casserole

The first step is to mash the sweet potatoes. This recipe is written using canned sweet potatoes because holiday meal prep is usually busy and that is one way to save time.

However, you can use fresh sweet potatoes if you prefer. Either boil or bake them, allow them to cool and then mash the insides until mostly smooth.

Piece of smooth maple sweet potato casserole topped with crunchy pecan, oatmeal and brown sugar topping on small white plate.

You will want about 7 cups of mashed sweet potatoes. Though you can use less, just reduce the other filling ingredients accordingly.

The maple syrup adds a great warmth and depth of flavor along with the extra sweetness. The eggs help hold it all together and make it feel like you are eating a casserole and not just mashed sweet potatoes.

Once everything is mixed up and transferred to the baking dish, it is time to work on the topping.

The Pecan and Oat Topping

In my opinion, the crunchy topping is what makes this dish shine. It’s almost like eating a sweet potato crumble with all of the oats and pecans.

It adds wonderful flavor and great texture. This recipe makes a really generous amount of topping and we love it that way.

Square baking dish filled with oat and pecan topped casserole with some missing showing smooth sweet potato layer underneath.

You can easily cut the topping in half if it’s not your favorite part. These are your sweet potatoes and I want for you to love them so make them your way.

If you don’t like pecans, you can easily leave them out. Or sub in chopped almonds or walnuts if they are your preference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make sweet potato casserole ahead of time?

Yes, you can go ahead and prep your sweet potato casserole the day before if you would like. Just wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.

Pull the casserole out of the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to bake it to take the chill off. Unwrap it and bake as directed, it will be amazing!

Can I add bourbon to these sweet potatoes?

Yes. If you want to make a boozy version of these sweet potatoes omit the vanilla in the filling and add a Tablespoon or two of bourbon instead.

More Holiday Recipe Inspiration:

Side dishes make Thanksgiving, so alongside your sweet potatoes you may want to serve some orange cranberry relish. We also love having some homemade egg noodles either at the big meal or the day after.

Of course we will need dessert too. A condensed milk pumpkin pie is always on the list, but you may want to try a honey and maple syrup pecan pie as well.

Though, if you want to do a pumpkin cheesecake and pecan pie cheesecake instead, I would be totally supportive of that decision!

Alright, now it is time to get cooking.

Piece of smooth maple sweet potato casserole topped with crunchy pecan, oatmeal and brown sugar topping on small white plate.

Maple Crunch Sweet Potato Casserole

Carlee
This maple crunch sweet potato casserole is a smooth maple kissed filling topped with a perfectly crumbly and filled with oats and pecans. Your holiday table won’t be complete without it!
4.80 from 10 ratings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Side Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Servings
Calories 349 kcal

Ingredients
 

Sweet Potatoes

  • 80 oz canned sweet potatoes
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 Tablespoons butter melted
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs

Topping

  • 4 Tablespoons butter melted
  • ¾ cup pecans chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats
  • cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8 or 9-inch square casserole
  • Drain the sweet potatoes really well. Place in a large bowl and mash until smooth.
    80 oz canned sweet potatoes
  • Stir in the maple syrup, salt, vanilla, eggs, and butter until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
    ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 Tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 eggs
  • In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes.
    4 Tablespoons butter, ¾ cup pecans, 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour, ½ cup old fashioned oats, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Bake at 350°F for about 45-50 minutes.

Notes

If you would prefer to use fresh sweet potatoes, make about 7 cups of mashed sweet potatoes from either boiled or baked sweet potatoes.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 349kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 503mgFiber: 9gSugar: 32g
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Recipe Rating




Carlee

Wednesday 27th of December 2017

Thank you!

Unknown

Sunday 17th of December 2017

Love this! PINNED!

marye

Friday 15th of December 2017

That looks fabulous! I love lots and lots of crunchy bits on top of my sweet potatoes!

Carlee

Wednesday 27th of December 2017

I do too! Thank you!

Debbie

Friday 15th of December 2017

Hi Carlee, there is no such thing as too much topping! Especially when it contains oats! I do like sweet potatoes althought the family aren't too keen ( I can sneak them in though). Now this casserole sounds good enough to be a dessert, I can see how it's sweetness would add to a Christmas table.

xx

Carlee

Wednesday 27th of December 2017

I agree! Pile on the topping! My boys aren't big on sweet potatoes either. Maybe you and I should just share this and leave them to fend for yourself ;-)

Unknown

Tuesday 12th of December 2017

Looks so yummy and maple sounds fantastic! Pinned! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week! Kim

Carlee

Thursday 14th of December 2017

I love adding maple syrup to just about anything! Thank you!