Streusel Topped Sweet Potato Casserole is an absolute must on the Thanksgiving menu. Buttery brown sugar and toasted pecans meet maple and vanilla sweetened sweet potatoes in this holiday side dish. This easy sweet potato casserole with sweet streusel topping is a family favorite on our Thanksgiving table.
We make sweet potatoes for our Thanksgiving dinner every year by mixing in sugar and maple syrup and vanilla. Often we top them with mini marshmallows and bake them until all the kids “ooooh” and “awwww” at their puffy perfection coming out of the oven. And although our candied yams with marshmallows are a big hit, we usually have a second sweet potato recipe on the holiday table. The crunchy pecan streusel on this dish just might make this the best sweet potato casserole recipe.
I don’t think we you need a lot of convincing, do you? Say good-bye to mushy sweet potatoes and hello to these drool-worthy holiday yams! Watch how simple they are to make!
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🍠 Ingredients:
- Garnet yams – Any sweet potato variety will do, but we love the garnet “yams” for their extra sweetness
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best but you can also use salted
- Pure maple syrup – Adds a classic, fall sweetness. you can skip to reduce the sugar.
- Vanilla extract – warms out the flavors
- Light brown sugar – you could also use dark brown sugar
- Bisquick baking mix – I love using Bisquick for the streusel because it has the flour and a little leavening all mixed in. Use all purpose flour and baking powder if you don’t have baking mix.
- Pecans – use raw pecans as they will be toasted during the baking. Walnuts or a pecan/walnut combo could also be delicious.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add heavy whipping cream to make an even creamier sweet potato filling.
- We’ve added dried cranberries to the streusel topping and found that wonderful. The combination of sweet and tart is divine.
- Serve with grilled chicken or pork and serve as a full meal!
🔪 Instructions:
Step 1: Begin by baking the sweet potatoes – you can do this in the oven, microwave, instant pot, or even an air fryer. Cook them the same way you would cook a baked potato. I like to cook them in the microwave for this recipe because it’s speedy and you don’t need a crispy skin.
Step 2: Once the yams/sweet potatoes are cooked through, wait for them to cool enough to handle (cool to room temperature), and then scoop all of the flesh into a bowl.
Step 3: To the bowl of scooped yams, add the syrup, butter, vanilla extract, and ¼ cup of brown sugar.
Step 4: Use a potato masher or fork to mix everything together to make a nice smooth base.
Step 5: Spread the sweet potato mixture into a deep dish pie plate or casserole dish.
Step 6: Finally, make the pecan streusel topping in another large mixing bowl. Use two forks or a pastry blender to combine the streusel butter, Bisquick, and brown sugar.
Step 5: Mix the chopped pecans into the streusel and then sprinkle the streusel over the sweet potato casserole in the pie plate.
Step 6: Bake until the crunchy streusel topping is golden brown and try not to eat it all before dinner!
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve this as a side dish to any main meal OR enjoy it as its own balanced meal with a piece of grilled chicken or steak on top!
Fun Fact
The “yams” that you find in a typical American grocery store are not true yams. Real yams are a starchy, root vegetable that is rough and scaly. Garnet yams, and other yams found in mainstream America, are all varieties of sweet potatoes. I really love garnet yams; I find them sweet and rich in flavor.
Recipe FAQs
Cover the leftover casserole with plastic wrap or scoop the cooled leftovers into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can also freeze the casserole for up to 3 months.
I do not recommend using a food processor or a blender to make the sweet potato mash. Much like white potatoes, using an electric mixer or appliance will develop the starches in the sweet potatoes and produce gluey sweet potatoes. Instead, use a hand-held potato masher or mash with a fork.
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If you tried this Streusel Topped Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Streusel Topped Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
Yams
- 3 garnet yams medium
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅛ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
Streusel
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter cold
- ⅓ cup Bisquick baking mix
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Wash whole sweet potatoes thoroughly and poke on all sides with a fork to allow steam to escape while cooking.
- Arrange yams in a spoke pattern on several layers of paper towel in the microwave.
- Cook on the "baked potato" setting or until yams are soft all the way through when poked with a fork.
- Remove from microwave oven and allow to sit and cool for 30 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle.
- Slice yams in half lengthwise and scoop out cooked contents with a spoon. Discard skins.
- In a bowl, combine yams, butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and ¼ cup of brown sugar. Mix well, mashing with a fork or potato masher until most lumps are smooth.
- Spread yam mixture into a large pie plate or casserole dish.
- To make the simple streusel, use a pastry blender to mix cold butter, baking mix, and brown sugar.
- Chop pecans into small pieces and stir into streusel mixture.
- Sprinkle crumble topping evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the streusel begins to brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
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Notes
- For an even creamier filling – add heavy whipping cream to make an even creamier sweet potato filling.
- We’ve added dried cranberries to the streusel topping and found that wonderful. The combination of sweet and tart is devine.
- Inside of making this a side dish, try to serve with grilled chicken or pork and serve as a full meal!
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Becky jo says
I love the basics of this recipe but I wanted a bake with out mashing that is what loads of mashed potatoes are for. I cut the pedaled yams and micro’d them just to a parctial cooked stage put them into a buttered casarole dish tossed a 1/4 c. Pecans in them and prepared the strussel. I’m not sure I will add the marshmallows I will decide tomorrow. It’s just a choice.
Marsha Scott says
My family absolutely LOVES our Sweet Potatoes at holiday time. Love the Bisquick idea. I usually put little marshmallows on top and brown them, but the struesel sounds wonderful. Happy Holidays