Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

This homemade sweet potato casserole is a classic holiday side dish! Made with fresh sweet potatoes, ooey-gooey marshmallows, and a nice and crispy crumble topping.

This holiday season is all about sweet potatoes! Why? Because I can never get enough sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving and Christmas! In any form, sweet potatoes are a must-have Thanksgiving side dish – shoot, ANY holiday side dish!

I’m making my classic sweet potato casserole with marshmallows in this post. I love piling my plate high with a healthy portion of this holiday classic. Fresh sweet potatoes are roasted, then mashed and mixed with warm spices, eggs, and other ingredients to make the perfect fluffy sweet potato mixture. Finally, I add mini marshmallows and a brown sugar crumble topping. These last two layers are the perfect balance of ooey-gooey sweetness and crispy, crunchy crumble. I’ll warn you now – if you’re making this easy sweet potato casserole recipe for a holiday or special occasion, you will definitely want to double it!

Sweet Potato Casserole is a Classic Holiday Must-Have

Sweet potato casserole is the ultimate dish for anyone with a sweet tooth. It’s almost too sweet to be a side dish! But it wasn’t always that way. Back in the 1700s, sweet potatoes were roasted with savory herbs and butter to balance out their natural sweetness. Then, the first recipe for sweet potato casserole appeared in 1796 – boiled sweet potatoes mixed with butter, sugar, and milk to make a sweet, almost caramelized mixture, much like many candied sweet potato recipes today!

The dish became a holiday classic with the commercialization of marshmallows in the 1900s. Marshmallow producers wanted in on the holiday dishes, and that’s when the first modern recipe for sweet potato casserole with marshmallows was born… a marketing scheme, imagine that!

No matter how sweet potato casserole was introduced to your family, there’s no denying that it’s a classic holiday dish that we see at Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner (or in my household, every other holiday dinner too!). The real question is how to make it. Well, y’all know Cousin Rosie has you covered there, fam!

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

There’s two parts to this recipe – the spiced sweet potato filling and the gooey marshmallow and crumble topping. You don’t need a ton of fancy ingredients to make this easy sweet potato casserole, so scroll on down to the recipe card to get your shopping list, and let’s get goin’!

Sweet Potato Filling Ingredients: 

• Fresh Sweet Potatoes: I use 2 lbs. of fresh whole sweet potatoes and roast them myself. 
• Milk: I use whole milk, but if you want a creamier texture, you can use evaporated milk.
• Butter: I use salted butter, but if you only have unsalted butter, that’s fine too. Just add about ½ teaspoon of salt with the rest of the ingredients.
• White Sugar: in the sweet potato mixture, we use white granulated sugar for the right amount of sweetness. 
• Maple Syrup: some might think this will make your sweet potato casserole too sweet, but trust me, it doesn’t! 
• Vanilla Extract: just like maple syrup, this ingredient adds more warmth and depth of flavor to the mixture.
• Eggs: gives the sweet potato casserole that creamy, fluffy texture while it bakes. 
• Spices: I use a mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger. These are my go-to sweet potato seasonings. In fact, I even have a yams spice blend available from my seasonings company, Rosamae Seasonings!

Crumble Topping Ingredients: 

• Brown & White Sugar: you need both types of sugar for the topping, and you can use either light or dark brown sugar – whatever you have!
• All Purpose Flour: for that crumbly texture. 
• Cold Butter: the cold part is important! Think of it like a pie crust. The cold butter helps the crumble get that perfectly buttery, golden-brown texture.
• Water: a little bit of cold water brings the mixture together. 
• Mini Marshmallows: can’t forget the sweet marshmallows! If you only have large marshmallows on hand, that’s fine – just cut them up into smaller pieces and you’re good to go!

Can I use canned sweet potatoes in this recipe? 

Can you… yes. Should you? That’s another story! I use freshly baked sweet potatoes in this recipe because I just like the taste. If you want to use canned yams, remember that it might change the taste. If you DO use canned sweet potatoes, make sure to drain them. And I’d recommend not buying any that come in sweet syrup, or pre-spiced, otherwise your sweet potato casserole might come out too sweet. 

How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (+ Video Tutorial) 

Now we’ve come to the good part, where I show you exactly how to make my classic I Heart Recipes sweet potato casserole with marshmallows! Below is my step-by-step video tutorial that you can follow along with if you’re a visual learner. Be sure to subscribe to I Heart Recipes on YouTube to catch all my recipe videos! 

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

You can find the full recipe below in the recipe card. Print it out or pin it so you always have the BEST sweet potato casserole recipe on-hand for holiday dinners! Here’s how to make a classic sweet potato casserole: 

1. First, wash your sweet potatoes and prep a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a little bit of cooking spray. Poke the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast them at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until they’re fork tender. 
2. Let the sweet potatoes cool enough to handle before scooping out the insides into a large mixing bowl. 
3. Next, add the milk, sugar, melted butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and spices to the bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix everything until well combined. Add the eggs last and mix them completely. 
4. In a separate bowl, combine the crumble topping ingredients. Add about 1 tablespoon of water and mix until a crumbly dough forms.
5. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish with butter or cooking spray, then pour in the sweet potato mixture. Top that with a layer of marshmallows, followed by a layer of the crumble topping. Cover the marshmallow layer as much as possible.
6. Bake the casserole in a 350-degree F oven for about 45 minutes or until the crumble topping is perfectly golden brown. 

There you have it, Cousins! A classic sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and crispy brown sugar streusel topping. Like I said before, if you’re on a low-calorie diet, this is NOT the recipe for you! Whether you serve this dish as a side or a dessert right alongside the sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie, it’s an easy recipe that belongs on your holiday table! 

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Tips & FAQs

Want to make this holiday dish even BETTER? Well, buckle up for some Cousin Rosie tips and tricks! Additionally, y’all love to ask me questions about recipe ingredients and adjustments in the comments, so I’ll answer some of those too! If you want to know more, drop a comment down below. 

• You can easily make this side dish ahead of time, especially for the holidays. Simply follow the recipe up until the topping. Make the crumble topping but store it separately in the fridge until you’re ready to bake!
• Want to add a little crunch to the crumble topping? Add crunchy pecans! You could even make a pecan crumble using candied pecans for extra sweetness.
• Store leftover sweet potato casserole in the fridge for up to 5 days, and make sure it’s covered with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a lid.
• Double this recipe to feed a crowd or make two batches! This recipe makes enough for a 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Letting the casserole cool and set is super important. Just like a pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole needs time to set after baking for that perfect texture – so don’t rush it!

Is it better to boil or bake sweet potatoes for a casserole?

While boiling might be easier, I prefer baking! I think the flavor is so much better – that rich, roasted sweetness you get from baked sweet potatoes can’t be beat! If you do decide to boil your sweet potatoes, peel them first and don’t let them sit in the water when they’re ready, or else they’ll become mushy and water-logged. You could also cook your sweet potatoes in the instant pot if that’s easier for you!

Why put eggs in sweet potato casserole?

Not only do eggs add richness to the sweet potato mixture, but they hold it together! Eggs are how we get that luscious, creamy casserole consistency. If you don’t include the eggs, you might end up with a watery, runny sweet potato casserole and ain’t no one wants that! 

Can I leave out the marshmallows? 

You certainly can… but why would you do that?! LOL! Real talk though, yes of course you can leave off the marshmallows. Simply top your casserole with a nice, even layer of the crumble topping and you’re good to go. 

More Sweet Potato Recipes from I Heart Recipes

Well, that’s all I got for you, fam! If you loved this easy sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, leave a comment below! If you’re in a sweet potato mood (like I always am), here are some more I Heart Recipes sweet potato dishes to try. 

• Soul Food Sweet Potato Pie
• Candied Yams with Marshmallows
• Sweet Potato Cheesecake
• Sweet Potato Cobbler
• Homemade Sweet Potato Muffins
• Sweet Potato Pie Cinnamon Rolls
• Vegan Southern Sweet Potato Pie
• Slow Cooker Southern Candied Yams

Loved this recipe? Share a photo of your holiday spread by tagging me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, and subscribe to I Heart Recipes on YouTube! Don’t forget to check out I Heart Soul Food, Super Soul Food with Cousin Rosie, and A Cousin Rosie Holiday, with many recipes you can’t find anywhere else.