Description
A comforting Southern-style sweet potato casserole sweetened naturally with maple syrup and topped with a crunchy pecan streusel. This classic side dish combines creamy mashed sweet potatoes with warm spices and a buttery oat topping, baked to golden perfection. Perfect for holiday dinners or any cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Mixture
- 4 cups sweet potato cubes (about 3 large sweet potatoes)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons butter (or vegan butter for dairy-free)
- 1/4 cup whole milk (or plant-based milk for dairy-free)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Streusel Topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (or walnuts for substitution)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour for gluten-free option)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (or gluten-free oats for gluten-free option)
- 4 tablespoons softened butter (or vegan butter for dairy-free)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Cook Sweet Potatoes: Boil the sweet potato cubes in a large pot of water for 12-15 minutes until they are fork-tender. Drain well and transfer them back to the pot.
- Mash and Mix: Mash the sweet potatoes until smooth. Add maple syrup, melted butter, milk, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir well until the mixture is creamy and thoroughly combined.
- Spread in Dish: Pour the mashed sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface with a spatula.
- Make Streusel: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, rolled oats, and softened butter. Use your fingers or a fork to work the butter into the dry ingredients until a crumbly topping forms.
- Top Sweet Potatoes: Evenly sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes in the baking dish.
- Bake: Place the dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the streusel topping is golden brown and the casserole is hot and bubbling around the edges.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the casserole to cool slightly before serving to set and enhance the flavors.
Notes
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with vegan butter and milk with your choice of plant-based milk such as almond or oat milk.
- Use gluten-free flour and oats if you need a gluten-free version.
- Walnuts can be used instead of pecans for the topping if preferred or if allergies require.
- Sweet potato cubes can be roasted instead of boiled for a slightly different flavor and texture.
- This casserole can be prepared ahead and refrigerated before baking; just add a few extra minutes to the baking time if baking from cold.
