This easy Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, made with fresh sweet potatoes or canned sweet potatoes, has been a traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas side dish in our family for as long as I can remember.
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As a kid I LOVED marshmallows. So at Thanksgiving, the Sweet Potato Casserole was my favorite side dish. Yes, I also liked the traditional Thanksgiving dishes:
- turkey
- green bean casserole
- roasted brussels sprouts
- glazed carrots
- squash casserole
- mashed potatoes
- creamed corn
- cranberry fluff
- cornbread dressing
- pumpkin pie
- Pumpkin Praline Bread Pudding
- Eggnog Tres Leches Cake
- Thanksgiving desserts
However, the Sweet Potato Casserole totally rocked! It is still a favorite out of all of my sweet potato recipes!
When I was maybe about 7 or 8 years old, my job at Thanksgiving was to add the marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes and then I would scarf a couple of marshmallows for myself also. 🙂
So when it came to adding marshmallows (one of my favorite things in the world) in my 7 or 8-year-old mind, the more marshmallows the better!
So one year while no one was looking, I added more marshmallows, and then just a little more, and maybe a little more…as many as I could fit on top. I think I emptied the entire bag. Then in the oven, they went.
And the hardest part (especially to a kid) was the waiting. So I waited and waited.
Then the next thing I know I hear this BOOM! And then I smelled this horrible smell…..the smell of burning marshmallows.
My sister opened the oven door and the marshmallows had exploded all over the oven. The entire oven was covered with black burning marshmallows.
However, that mishap did not deter us. This Sweet Potato Casserole continued to be on our Thanksgiving table every year, year after year without any more marshmallow mishaps.
How could we not have it on the table? This Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows was part of our Thanksgiving traditions.
Tips for the Perfect Sweet Potato Casserole
I will share just a few tips.
First, I recommend using fresh sweet potatoes. Yes, it can totally work with canned yams or canned sweet potatoes, but to me, the flavor of the fresh sweet potatoes is better.
Don’t overload the marshmallows. I recommend just 1 layer of marshmallows on top. Don’t stack the marshmallows on top of each other, unless you want a marshmallow casserole with a few sweet potatoes. If that is the case, then go ahead. Who am I to judge?
Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole
To manage time, I recommend baking the sweet potatoes the day before. You can even assemble the whole casserole, except for the marshmallows, the day before and keep refrigerated until you are ready to bake.
How To Cook Sweet Potatoes For Sweet Potato Casserole
You have a couple of choices when it comes to cooking the sweet potatoes for this dish.
- Roast the sweet potatoes. This is my preferred method if I have time. It is a great option if you are making the Sweet Potato Casserole a day or two ahead of time.
- Boil the sweet potatoes. If you don’t have as much time, you can peel and quarter the sweet potatoes and boil them on top of the stove. This is the method used in the video.
How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
- At Thanksgiving, this sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is one of the dishes that I make a day before Thanksgiving. It lends itself perfectly to being made ahead of time.
- Cook and mash the sweet potatoes a day ahead of time.
- Mix together the sweet potato filling and assemble the casserole a day ahead of time. (I usually leave the marshmallows off the casserole until right before I put them in the oven.)
- Then on Thanksgiving Day, all you have to do is add the marshmallows on top and bake the casserole in the oven. All the heavy lifting was done ahead of time.
Variations On Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
- Add a Pecan Streusel. One of the most popular variations on the sweet potato casserole is to add a pecan streusel in addition to the marshmallows. That gives it a sweet crunchy texture in addition to the sweet, creamy goodness.
How To Make a Pecan Streusel For Sweet Potato Casserole
- In a bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour, melted butter, and pecans.
- Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes and marshmallows.
For another sweet potato recipe idea, check out my Chipotle Sweet Potatoes with Queso Fresco or Orange Guajillo Glazed Sweet Potatoes to add a Mexican twist to your sweet potatoes, or lighten up your snacks with Sweet Potato Toast or Baked Sweet Potato Chips.
What will you serve with the Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows on your Thanksgiving table? Be sure to check out the other Thanksgiving sides and Thanksgiving desserts on Flavor Mosaic.
Roast Turkey with Apple Cider Brine
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- 2-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes cooked, peeled and mashed
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix together the sweet potatoes, butter, white and brown sugars, eggs, milk, and cinnamon.
- Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly into a prepared 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Sprinkle the mini marshmallows evenly over the top in a single layer. (Don't overload the marshmallows.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or just until the marshmallows are golden brown.
Recipe Video
To Make Optional Pecan Streusel Topping.
- In a bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour, melted butter, and pecans.
- Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes and marshmallows.
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Round out your holiday dinner with these recipes
turkey
green bean casserole
easy cornbread dressing
squash casserole
pumpkin pie
This recipe was originally published November 25, 2014, and republished with new photos and additional tips and how to information on October 29, 2018.
Can’t wait to make this! Looks really foolproof!
Hi S. It really is foolproof in my opinion because we have made it every year for as long as I can remember in our family.
Thanks for this! I’m taking sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving this afternoon and I misplaced my recipe! This looks similar to what I make.
Hi Lisa, I’m so happy you found this recipe. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
How many potatoes are 2 1/2 pounds? I bought 6 giant ones
Hi Angie, it is probably about 3 very large potatoes.
How do I cook the sweet potatoe before mashing?
You can bake them in the oven for about 1 hour to 1-1/2 hours depending on the size of the potatoes.
Hi Michele, do you wrap your sweet potatoes in aluminum foil when you bake them or just throw them in the oven as is?
Thanks!
Hi Lauren, I typically don’t wrap them in aluminum foil. I will put foil on the pan and cook the sweet potatoes as they are.
Love love love this recipe for sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. This is a must-make recipe for Thanksgiving! The only bad thing is, there aren’t any leftovers! EVER!! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Marion! I’m so glad you love it! It is a Thanksgiving tradition at our house. I’d be disowned by the family if I didn’t serve it for Thanksgiving.
I made this earlier today for my first time just to see if it would come out good for thanksgiving and it did! It was amazing thank you so much for sharing this to everyone
Hi Dianna, I’m so glad you liked it. This is a tried and true recipe that has been passed down from my parents. It has been on our Thanksgiving table every year since I was a kid. It is on our Thanksgiving table every year now. Be sure to share with your friends and try some of our other Thanksgiving recipes as well. I have an awesome roasted turkey recipe and a Pumpkin Praline Bread Pudding that is to die for!
I made this last year for the first time and my grandma loved yet. She requested it again this year. I did the make ahead and will bake today. Thank you!
Hi Christina, I’m so happy you tried my Sweet Potato Casserole recipe and that your Grandma loved it. I made it yesterday and will bake it today as well. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi! I’m making this for the 1st time today (Thanksgiving 2018) I don’t usually like changing recipes or ‘making them my own’ as there is alot of thought, trial, and error that goes into publishing a recipe that has been perfected, HOWEVER, I have a problem with textures, so what I did was kept the canned sweet potatoes in their chunks and just cut them up into smaller chunks and stirred into the other ingredients, then topped with the marshmallows and we’ll see how it comes out. Thank you for this recipe, it sounds great, can’t wait to taste it when it’s done!
Hi Dustin, Don’t worry, I don’t mind if you tweak the recipe to meet your preferences because I tweak recipes all the time so that it fits my family’s taste preference. I hope that turned out well for you. I typically use fresh sweet potatoes so the texture will be different than the canned. I hope you and your family liked it.
I made this for our Thanksgiving dinner. It was so easy and tasted great.
Hi Sally, I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for coming back here to let us know. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Be sure to check out the other 500+ recipes on Flavor Mosaic for your other holiday and weeknight dinners!