Make an easy Sweet Potato Casserole with canned yams for your next weeknight dinner. This shortcut side dish, with a pecan brown sugar topping, tastes like you made it from scratch!
🤎 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A shortcut recipe that tastes homemade. You'll never know that canned sweet potatoes were used in this recipe. It's rich, comforting, and perfectly sweet.
- Perfect for weeknights or Thanksgiving. This is a versatile side dish. It's easy enough for a weeknight but special enough for a holiday.
- In the oven in minutes. This is super easy to prep - just mix and bake!
🍠 Ingredients & Variations
For Sweet Potato Casserole Base
- 29 oz canned yams in syrup - Don't drain that syrup from the yams; we're going to use it to sweeten our casserole.
- ¼ cup salted butter - I prefer to use melted butter when mixing this.
- ½ cup half and half - If you'd like this casserole to be extra creamy and rich, use heavy cream instead.
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For Pecan Brown Sugar Topping
- ¼ cup salted butter - Melted butter for this portion of the recipe is a must!
- 1 cup light brown sugar - You can also use dark brown sugar for a deeper, stronger flavor in your crumble.
- ½ cup crushed pecans - If you'd prefer, walnuts are also great in this recipe.
- ½ cup all-purpose flour - This is the secret ingredient to making that crumble, well - crumbly. It will give the crumble a light, almost cakey texture that's great with the smooth sweet potatoes.
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pecan Topping vs. Marshmallow Topping
The age-old debate. 😉
I grew up with both (one grandmother used marshmallows, one used a pecan crumble) but I've always gravitated towards that crispy, crunchy pecan brown sugar topping. It just plays so well with the overall flavor of the casserole and adds a little bit of texture!
With that being said, you can absolutely omit the pecan topping from this recipe and use marshmallows instead. Either one gives the sweet potato casserole recipe that dessert-like sweetness that the casserole needs.
If you decide to go with marshmallows, I recommend topping this casserole with about 3 cups of mini marshmallows and broiling the casserole for 2-3 minutes after baking. Watch it carefully - marshmallows burn easily.
RELATED: Check out a few more easy casserole recipes!
👨🍳 How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
- MAKE SWEET POTATO BASE. In a large bowl, lightly mash a 29oz can of yams. Add ¼ cup of melted butter, ½ cup of half and half, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg. Stir everything together until well mixed.
- Pour the yam mixture into a greased 8x8-inch glass baking dish.
- MAKE PECAN CRUMBLE. In a separate bowl, use a fork to combine ¼ cup melted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup crushed pecans, ½ cup flour, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle this topping over the yams.
- BAKE for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
🎥 Step-by-Step Recipe Video
🥡 Leftovers & Storage
STORAGE: The leftovers of this casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days after baking. Simply cover your baking dish with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container for the fridge (smells can very easily get into this casserole and ruin it, go airtight!).
REHEATING: Single servings of this casserole can be reheated for about 30 seconds in the microwave.
FREEZING: Simply bake in a disposable foil baking pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and freeze. When you're ready to serve, thaw the casserole and bake at 375 degrees (uncovered) for 30 minutes, until the top is brown and crispy.
💡 Helpful Tips & Tricks
- If you'd prefer, this casserole can be made with fresh sweet potatoes. Just peel, chop, and boil 3 sweet potatoes. Once you drain and lightly mash, they're ready to use. If you go fresh, I'd recommend adding 1 cup of brown sugar to the sweet potato base.
- Don't over-mix the sweet potato mixture. It really is better with a little bit of texture. Mixing should be done by hand; a hand mixer will make it way too smooth.
- The uncooked casserole will be very thin; don't worry! It will thicken as it cooks.
I hope you enjoy this Thanksgiving classic! If you give it a try, I'd love for you to leave a rating and/or review in the comments below.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams
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Ingredients
Sweet Potato Base
- 29 oz canned yams in syrup (not drained)
- ¼ cup salted butter (melted)
- ½ cup half and half
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Brown Sugar and Pecan Topping
- ¼ cup salted butter melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup crushed pecans
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, lightly mash the 29oz of canned yams. Add ¼ cup melted butter, ½ cup half and half, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir well.
- Pour mixture in a greased 8x8" glass baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, use a fork to mix ¼ cup melted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup crushed pecans, ½ cup flour, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the sweet potatoes in the baking dish.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350° until brown sugar and pecan topping starts to turn golden brown.
Notes
- If you’d rather use fresh sweet potatoes for this casserole, just peel, chop, and boil 3 of them. Once they’re drained and lightly mashed, they’re good to go. If you're going the fresh route, I’d suggest adding 1 cup of brown sugar to the sweet potato base.
- Be careful not to over-mix the sweet potatoes—it’s best to leave some texture in there. Stick to mixing by hand; using a hand mixer will make it too smooth.
- Don’t be alarmed if the uncooked casserole seems thin—it’ll thicken up as it bakes!
Nutrition Facts
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
