This super quick and easy Sweet Potato Casserole is a must-have traditional holiday side dish. Made with simple pantry staples, this comforting recipe combines soft and savory canned sweet potatoes with a buttery rich brown sugar mixture and then coats it with a delicious marshmallow topping. Perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner!
Easy Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
A traditional Sweet Potato Casserole often adds pecans to its streusel topping, and while no Thanksgiving table is complete without this comforting classic, I just can’t include them in my recipe because my kids always fish them out of the filling!
That’s why I created my own nut-free version of this sweet, starchy side, so my family could enjoy my favorite creamy, cool-weather casserole, in its best-baked form–mine must have marshmallows in it!
Assembling this Sweet Potato Casserole is so quick and easy because the potatoes are cooked and canned–all you have to do is drain them, make them into a mixture with the other simple ingredients, and top it all off with mini marshmallows before baking.
I LOVE the velvety-soft sweet potato base, especially when it’s hot and bubbly from the oven, with its covering of pillowy soft marshmallows; it’s the sweetest treat that not only serves as a side but also tastes like an everyday dessert.
Delicious and nutritious, this is the perfect make-ahead recipe that adds a dose of health to your happy holidays!
Why You’ll Love this Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Sweet Potatoes
- Quick and easy to make using simple ingredients.
- Delicious and nutritious: sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, as well as Vitamin C and potassium.
- A comforting classic casserole with a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Simple to prepare ahead of time and makes meal prep a breeze.
- Dessert-like side dish that is perfect for Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas but simple enough to serve for an any-day supper too!
Easy Sweet Potato Casserole ingredients
- Canned cut sweet potatoes in syrup, well drained: If you prefer to use fresh sweet potatoes you will need to cook them first, I recommend boiling them, until a fork can easily push through them. Do not overcook them or you will end up with a soupy casserole.
- Eggs
- Dark brown sugar, firmly packed: You can substitute light brown sugar or granulated white sugar, although it will change the flavor slightly.
- Salted butter, softened: Feel free to substitute unsalted butter and a pinch of salt if you want.
- Cornstarch
- Orange juice: You can substitute heavy cream or half and half if you want a richer, creamier casserole. I like how the orange juice brings out the flavor of the sweet potatoes and helps cut some of the sweetness.
- Nutmeg
- Mini marshmallows
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Measuring tools
- Mixing tools
- 9×13 inch baking pan or 2 quart pan
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How to make Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
This super quick and easy Sweet Potato Casserole comes together in no time and will probably be your most requested side dish from here on out!
- In a large bowl, beat together the sweet potatoes, eggs, dark brown sugar, butter, orange juice, cornstarch, and nutmeg with a mixer.
Pro Tip: The mixture does not need to be completely smooth; a lumpy mixture means that you’ll end up with soft but not mushy casserole. The butter, since it is softened and not melted, will show up as light streaks in the batter. That is normal and not a problem.
- Pour the mixture into casserole dish and spread it evenly.
- Sprinkle with mini marshmallows.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes until the marshmallows are just golden brown and the sweet potato layer is hot and bubbly.
Pro Tip: If the marshmallows get overly cooked they will end up oozing a little on top of your casserole. - Cool for 10-20 minutes and serve warm. Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Easy substitutions and additions
- Add a Pecan Streusel. One of the most popular variations of this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is to add a pecan streusel to the marshmallows. The streusel creates a sweet, crunchy contrast to the creamy, soft mashed sweet potatoes.
- Swap The Spice: Instead of nutmeg, feel free to use cinnamon or pumpkin spice.
Easy Canned Sweet Potato Casserole Tips
- Instead of using a hand mixer, you can also use a food processor to help break up your sweet potato mixture.
- The marshmallows have a crunchy exterior with a gooey delicious interior because they are baked along with the sweet potatoes. If you want only fluffy (and not crunchy) marshmallows, leave them off and place them in the oven when there is 5 minutes left of bake time. Bake until they are fluffy and just barely golden brown.
How to Store Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams
- To Store: This Sweet Potato Casserole stores well in the refrigerator, covered, for 5-7 days.
- To Reheat: Thaw the frozen casserole in the refrigerator a day or two before using. Remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off.
Can you freeze sweet potato casserole?
Yes! You can freeze your Sweet Potato Casserole in a freezer-safe container for 3-6 months, though the marshmallows may have a different consistency when thawed and reheated.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams FAQs
You can absolutely use fresh sweet potatoes to make your Sweet Potato Casserole. This recipe uses canned sweet potatoes for ease and convenience–it reduces the time it takes to cook your potatoes. Instead of opening up a can, feel free to peel, cube, and boil your sweet potatoes for 15 minutes and then mash them according to the instructions. You can also boil them whole (they’ll need about 20-25 minutes) and peel them once they’re cooked.
In the US, the names of these root vegetables are used interchangeably. Sweet potatoes originated in South America, have a thin/smooth skin, a moist and sweet flesh, and tapered ends. They are rich in beta-carotene, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and are considered to be highly nutritious. Yams are from the Caribbean/African, have a rough/scaly skin, a dry and starchy flesh, and are irregularly shaped. Like sweet potatoes, they also have a high nutritional value.
Sweet potatoes can be an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Not only do they have a ton of Vitamin A, but it is also a good source of manganese, copper, pantothenic acid, vitamin C and Vitamin b6. They also have reasonable amounts of potassium, fiber, and niacin. Overall sweet potatoes can be a part of a well-balanced and healthy diet.
Although sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, I wouldn’t exactly advertise this casserole as a healthy Thanksgiving side dish (due to all the sugar and butter)! However, it’s actually not that unhealthy compared to many other traditional sides,
Large marshmallows are just a bit too big for a sweet potato casserole and can also burn easily. I love the ratio of gooey center to crispy outside on the mini marshmallows and recommend you stick to the mini variety. If you only have large marshmallows, you can use clean kitchen scissors to cut them into smaller pieces for topping.
This is a perfect make-ahead Sweet Potato Casserole to serve any time! You can spread the mashed sweet potatoes in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate it for up to two days or freeze for up to three months. On the day you want to bake it, allow the thawed casserole to sit at room temperature for an hour before adding the mini marshmallows and bake as directed.
You can absolutely leave off the mini marshmallows entirely and still enjoy this delicious sweet potato casserole without the topping.
Sweet Potato Casserole is traditionally served as a side dish at holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas but there is no need to stop with that! This recipe is so quick and easy that it is a great go-to for any potluck meal. It also makes a great side for barbeque and pool parties in the summer. Because sweet potatoes are, in fact, sweet, this recipe is a fantastic compliment to spicy dishes and helps round out a salad meal perfectly.
Why is my sweet potato casserole so runny?
Sweet potato casserole can become runny if it has too much liquid or if the sweet potatoes are overcooked and release excess moisture.
Americans often put marshmallows on sweet potato casserole to add a sweet and slightly caramelized topping that contrasts with the creamy texture of the sweet potatoes.
More like this Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
- Broken Glass Jello
- Feta and Bacon Green Beans
- Mashed Potato Casserole
- No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
- Cheese Ball Recipe
- Cranberry Brie Bites
- Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallows
Canned Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (Easy!)
Ingredients
- 59 ounce (2 cans) cut sweet potatoes in syrup well drained
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
- ¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter softened
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1½ tsp nutmeg
- 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the drained sweet potatoes, eggs, dark brown sugar, softened butter, orange juice, cornstarch and nutmeg in a large bowl and beat with a mixer. The mixture does not need to be completely smooth, a lumpy mixture means that you’ll end up with soft but not mushy casserole. The butter, since it is softened and not melted, will show up as light streaks in the batter. That is normal and not a problem.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish or 2 quart casserole dish and spread it out into an even layer.
- Sprinkle with a full, even layer of mini marshmallows.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until the marshmallows are just golden brown and the sweet potato layer is hot and bubbly. If the marshmallows get overly cooked they will end up oozing a little on top of your casserole.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-20 minutes to set up.
- Serve warm.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: This Sweet Potato Casserole stores well in the refrigerator, covered, for 5-7 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze your Sweet Potato Casserole in a freezer-safe container for 3-6 months, though the marshmallows may have a different consistency when thawed and reheated.
- To Reheat: Thaw the frozen casserole in the refrigerator a day or two before using. Remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off.
- Instead of using a hand mixer, you can also use a food processor to help break up your sweet potato mixture.
- The marshmallows have a crunchy exterior with a gooey delicious interior because they are baked along with the sweet potatoes. If you want only fluffy (and not crunchy) marshmallows, leave them off and place them in the oven when there is 5 minutes left of bake time. Bake until they are fluffy and just barely golden brown.
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