This Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows is a classic side dish that’s so decadent it could almost double as a delicious dessert. Tender potatoes, sweetened with brown sugar and topped with perfectly browned fluffy marshmallows makes the ultimate side dish your whole family will ask for year-round.
Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
When you think about sweet potato casserole, it may conjure up some of your favorite Thanksgiving Day memories. In fact, what holiday table would be complete without classic and popular recipes like Green Bean Casserole, that wonderful vintage Green Jell-O Salad and of course, everyone’s favorite casserole of creamy sweet potatoes baked with a pillowy marshmallow topping?
Also try our traditional sweet potato casserole
But why wait until the holidays to make it! A wonderful thing about this recipe is, it’s a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies, complaint free! They’ll think they are indulging in a sweet treat, but they’re actually getting several key vitamins and minerals in disguise! Shhhh…I won’t tell if you don’t. You can read all about the health benefits associated with sweet potatoes in this article on Healthline.com.
Another sneaky recipe that uses sweet potatoes is this rich and decadent Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting. It’s amazing on chocolate cupcakes!
💓 Why We Love This Recipe
- This sweet potato casserole is a comforting side dish that’s super easy to make using simple ingredients.
- It a great make ahead dish that you can prepare the night before then bake it the next day.
- It’s a dessert like side dish that adds the perfect amount of sweetness to Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner but it’s simple enough to make all year long.
Recommended Tools:
- Hand mixer
- Sharp knife
- Large pot
- 13-inch casserole dish
- Mixing bowl
What’s Needed for Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Topping
- Whole sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- Brown sugar
- Melted butter
- Orange juice
- Ground cinnamon
- Miniature marshmallows
How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Step One: Prepare the Potatoes
- Peel and dice your sweet potatoes into medium sized chunks.
- In large stock pot add the chunks of the fresh sweet potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Step Two: Mash the Potatoes
- Drain and mash potatoes with a potato masher or hand mixer in a large bowl.
Step Three: Make Casserole Mixture
- In bowl of a stand mixer (or use electric mixer) combine mashed potatoes, brown sugar, melted butter, orange juice, and cinnamon.
Step Four: Add Marshmallows and Bake
- Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly into prepared baking dish. Add the mini marshmallows to the top of the casserole.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until the fluffy marshmallows are golden brown.
Allow leftovers to cool until room temperature then covered tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container for up to several days.
Variations and Add-ins for Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
Cooking the sweet potatoes: Instead of boiling the potatoes, you can just roast them whole on a baking sheet in a 425 f oven until they are tender when a fork is inserted in the center. Then just peel and mash them up.
Orange flavor: We use orange juice in the casserole to give it the slightest hint of that flavor, But, if you like more of an orange sweet potatoes casserole, you can add in some orange zest from fresh oranges or even some orange extract.
Streusel topping: If gooey marshmallows aren’t your thing and you prefer a topping with crunchy pecans, you can make a delicious streusel pecan topping. Just add chopped pecans, a little bit of flour, some melted butter, and brown sugar in a food processor and mix until it makes a crumbly, streusel-like topping. This Sweet Potato Casserole has a pecan and brown sugar topping you may want to try.
Maple syrup: Sweet potatoes and maple syrup go hand in hand if you ask me. You can add a small drizzle to the soft sweet potatoes along with all the other ingredients.
Can I Freeze This Southern Sweet Potato Casserole?
This is a wonderful dish to make ahead of time. You can mix it all up the night before then just bake it the next day. But you can also freeze it if you’re needing to make it weeks in advance.
To do so, just prepare it according to the instructions, but leave off the marshmallows. Wrap the whole casserole in plastic wrap then with a layer of foil and freeze it for up to a couple of months. For best results, you’ll want to thaw it overnight in the fridge before adding the marshmallows and baking it.
Can I Use Canned Sweet Potatoes Instead?
If you find yourself in a pinch for time, you can definitely use canned sweet potatoes. If you’re using the ones canned in syrup, I recommend draining them and rinsing them before mashing them up. This prevents the casserole from be way too sweet!
Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same Thing?
Some people may be surprised to know the two are totally different vegetables. So how do you tell the difference? Well, good news is, what you find at most grocery stores in the United States are actually sweet potatoes. But here are the differences in the two in case you’ve ever wondered:
- Skin: Yams have a brownish peeling that looks sort of like tree bark. Sweet potatoes skin is mostly smooth and tan or orange in color.
- Flesh: Most of the time, true yams have a white or off-white color interior. You’ll also find some that have a purple of pink flesh. The flesh of a sweet potato is pale orange that darkens to a deeper color of orange when it’s cooked.
- Shape: Sometimes you’ll see yams that are shaped like sweet potatoes but for the most part, yams are more of a thick like cylinder shape.
- Taste: Yams have a much more neutral flavor than sweet potatoes which make them perfect for more of a savory sweet potato casserole or roasted with different root vegetables.
More Holiday Side Dishes
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Pineapple Casserole
- Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Green Bean Casserole
- Glazed Carrots
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Funeral Potatoes
- Sugared Cranberries
- Carrot Souffle
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 5 sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 10.5 ounce package miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In large stock pot add sweet potato chunks and cover with water. Bring water to a boil, and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and mash potatoes in a mixing bowl.
- In bowl of a stand mixer (or use electric mixer) combine mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, orange juice, and cinnamon.
- Spread mixture into evenly into prepared baking dish. Top sweet potato mixture with mini marshmallows.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown.
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