Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole has creamy mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar & cinnamon, baked under a gooey marshmallow top.

No holiday table is complete without a traditional sweet potato casserole and other side dishes like rustic mashed potatoes, Jiffy corn casserole, whole-berry cranberry sauce, and the iconic green bean casserole. In this version, we skip a pecan topping and instead opt for toasted marshmallows.

A fully baked sweet potato casserole topped with a layer of melted and toasted miniature marshmallows is ready to be served.

🔍 Quick Look: Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Ready in: 1 hour
Servings: 12
Calories: ~311 kcal per serving
Main Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, eggs, whole milk, butter, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, miniature marshmallows
Elements of Taste: Sweet, Creamy, with Sweet Baking Spice
Cook Method: Mix & Bake
Difficulty: Easy, perfect for all levels of cooking.
Why You'll Love It: Sweet potatoes are mashed and mixed with all the fixings of a steakhouse sweet potato: brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon, then topped with toasted marshmallows - smooth, creamy, sweet, and a perfect side dish for entertaining.

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🔍 Quick Look: Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Why This Is The Best Sweet Potato Casserole!
Ingredient Notes
Substitutions & Variations
How to Make the Best Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
My Top Tips
What are Sweet Potatoes versus Yams?
When to Serve Sweet Potato Casserole
Make-Ahead & Storage
More Classic Side Dishes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Why This Is The Best Sweet Potato Casserole!

The classic Thanksgiving dinner plate of roast turkey, savory stuffing, and tart cranberry sauce needs a small amount of sweetness to keep the flavors interesting, and this sweet potato casserole works beautifully.

What distinguishes this smooth version is the addition of eggs. Eggs are the binder that holds the casserole together and lightens the texture, but in a pinch, you can omit the eggs, and this casserole is still delicious.

Sweet potatoes are mashed smooth and blended with eggs and a small amount of milk. Then all of the toppings you would have on a steakhouse baked sweet potato are added: butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The casserole is baked and then topped with marshmallows that are melted and toasted.

There are many versions of sweet potato casserole; some contain rough chunks of sweet potatoes, and others are made smooth and have the texture and flavor of sweet potato pie. In short, this easy sweet potato casserole combines the popular features of most recipes. It's simple to make, sweet, and contains no nuts.

So, let's cook!

Ingredient Notes

The ingredients: canned sweet potatoes, eggs, milk, melted butter, ground cinnamon, salt, dark brown sugar, and miniature marshmallows.

Here's what you need for this old-fashioned sweet potato casserole:

Non-Stick Cooking Spray - You will need this to grease the casserole dish lightly. You can also use a small amount of soft butter.
Sweet Potatoes - You will need canned sweet potatoes. This recipe calls for the large cans and the sweet potatoes need to be drained well.
Large Eggs - Eggs are used as a binder in this casserole. You can omit them but the texture of the potatoes will not be as light and the casserole will not hold together as well.
Dark Brown Sugar - I like the rich caramel flavor from dark brown sugar, but you can use light brown sugar too.
Salt - A small amount of salt enhances the flavor of this casserole.
Ground Cinnamon - Cinnamon is the perfect spice with sweet potatoes.
Whole Milk - Whole milk lightens the texture of the sweet potatoes and works with the eggs as a binder.
Butter - I prefer salted butter which needs to be melted and cooled before it is added to the eggs and milk. If the butter is too hot, it will scramble the egg mixture when it is added.
Miniature Marshmallows - Mini marshmallows cover the top of the casserole better than regular-sized marshmallows.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Substitutions & Variations

Fresh Sweet Potatoes. Instead of canned sweet potatoes, you can use cooked fresh sweet potatoes. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes and add them to a pot of lightly salted cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender. Drain well and mash. Let cool before progressing to Step 3.
Add Pecans. Rough chop a few pecans and scatter them among the marshmallows.
Substitute a Streusel Topping. Instead of marshmallows, you can substitute a streusel topping. You can add the streusel topping to the top of the casserole before it is baked in the oven.

How to Make the Best Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole

Process Photo 1 - A large baking dish is lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Preheat and Prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 2-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray or lightly grease with butter.

Process Photo 2 - Canned and drained sweet potatoes are mashed well in a large bowl.

Mash Sweet Potatoes. In a large mixing bowl, mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher until they are completely mashed.

Process Photo 3a - Beaten eggs, salt, cinnamon, and dark brown sugar are in a medium sized bowl with a whisk.

Process Photo 3b - Melted butter is whisked into the egg mixture.

Mix. In a medium bowl beat the eggs with a whisk until the yolks and the whites are well combined. Whisk in the brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon, followed by the milk and melted butter, and mix well.

Process Photo 4 - The egg mixture is whisked into the mashed sweet potatoes until all is smooth and well combined.

Combine. Pour the egg mixture into the mashed sweet potatoes. Beat with a whisk until all is well combined.

Process Photo 5 - The prepared sweet potatoes are spooned into the prepared baking dish and the top smoothed.

Pour into Pan and Bake. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish, smooth the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Process Photo 6 - Miniature marshmallows are placed on top of the baked sweet potatoes and ready to be toasted in the oven.

Add Marshmallows. Remove from the oven and cover the top with the miniature marshmallows. Continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden brown. If the marshmallows are melting but not toasting, pop the casserole under the broiler for a few seconds to toast them. Watch carefully, they will brown quickly. Serve and Enjoy!

A fully baked sweet potato casserole with a layer of melted and toasted miniature marshmallows on top.

My Top Tips

♡ If the marshmallows do not toast after melting slightly in the oven, you can toast them under the broiler. This only takes a few seconds, so watch the casserole carefully.

What are Sweet Potatoes versus Yams?

In the United States, the term "yams" and sweet potatoes are commonly used interchangeably and canned yams are generally sweet potatoes. However, these starchy root vegetables are different.

A can of Bruce's Yams on a white washed wood background with autumn decoration.

Yams have a tough brown skin and are white inside, while sweet potatoes have a reddish skin and are orange inside. When cooked the texture of a yam is like a russet potato, while a sweet potato is soft and creamy.

When to Serve Sweet Potato Casserole

Make-Ahead & Storage

Make-Ahead: You can assemble this sweet potato casserole in advance early in the day, refrigerate it, and then bake it for dinner. Let the casserole sit ½ hour at room temperature before baking. Alternatively, you can make it the day before serving, refrigerate it, and reheat it the next day. Don't add the marshmallows until you reheat the casserole, then add them during the last few minutes of reheating.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or tightly covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

A fully baked sweet potato casserole topped with a layer of melted and toasted miniature marshmallows with a spoonful already served.

More Classic Side Dishes

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Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole