Easy Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe With Marshmallows For Thanksgiving! (2024)

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Creamy mashed sweet potatoes are flavored with brown sugar and fall spices, then covered in a gooey marshmallow topping! This classic Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is a delicious Thanksgiving side dish that feels like a fancy dessert.

If you’re looking for more traditional Thanksgiving recipes, I highly recommend trying this easy green bean casserole too!

Table of Contents

• Easy Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
• Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
• What You’ll Need
• How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Casserole
• Tips for Success
• Can I Make This in Advance?
• Serving Suggestions
• Can I Freeze This Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe?
• More Thanksgiving Sides
• Get the Recipe

Easy Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows

Is it really Thanksgiving without a big serving dish full of marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes? Not to me! I spent years experimenting with this recipe until it was absolutely perfect. The sweet potato part isn’t too runny, the flavors are to die for, and the overall level of sweetness is just right.

This festive casserole comes together in less than 30 minutes, and you can even make it in advance so you can focus on your main dish and other sides on Thanksgiving day. Some sweet potato casseroles contain pecans, but I prefer to leave them out and let the potatoes and marshmallows speak for themselves. However, if you’re craving that nutty, crunchy element in your casserole, you can totally add some candied pecans underneath or on top of the marshmallows!

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

In my house, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is a must at Thanksgiving! Here’s why I think your family will love this decadent side dish as well:

• Rich and creamy. Silky mashed sweet potatoes topped with gooey, toasted marshmallows is the dreamiest combination. Every bite is heavenly!
• Filled with fall flavors. Infused with earthy cinnamon and warm, cozy nutmeg, this casserole is the perfect fall side dish. It’s great at Thanksgiving, but really you can make it anytime you need a hearty dinner on a chilly day!
• Quick and easy. This recipe can be prepped with 8 ingredients in just 25 minutes.
• Kid-friendly. I mean, marshmallows for dinner? This casserole is guaranteed to put a smile on your kiddo’s face!

What You’ll Need

Let’s go over the short list of ingredients you’ll need to make this iconic side dish. Once you gather them up, you’re practically halfway done with the recipe! (For exact amounts and the full set of directions, check out the recipe card below.)

• Canned Sweet Potatoes: Drain them very well before you begin so that the casserole doesn’t come out too runny.
• Brown Sugar: Both light brown sugar and dark brown sugar will work, use whichever kind you like!
• Salted Butter: If you don’t have salted butter, just use unsalted and a pinch of extra salt.
• Egg: To bind all the ingredients together and give the mixture a fluffy consistency.
• Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg are must-have fall spices for this recipe!
• Vanilla: This enhances the other flavors in the dish. Pure vanilla extract is my go-to!
• Marshmallows: Mini marshmallows work best because they’ll melt evenly over the top of your casserole.

Are Canned Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same Thing?

In the United States, the word “yam” is often used to describe certain kinds of sweet potatoes. So if you’re only seeing canned yams at the grocery store, don’t worry about it! They are simply softer sweet potatoes with a darker skin, which taste just as yummy in this casserole. Actual yams come from Africa, and they’re rarely found in American supermarkets.

How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Casserole

Putting together this sweet potato casserole recipe is a walk in the park. It only takes about 5 minutes of prep time!

• Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Mash the potatoes. Mash the drained sweet potatoes in a large bowl. I used a fork, but if you have a potato masher you can use that instead.
• Combine with the other ingredients. Add the brown sugar, butter, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla to the mashed sweet potatoes, then mix everything well.
• Bake the casserole. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to an 8×8-inch casserole dish and spread it out evenly. Bake the potatoes in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.
• Add the marshmallows. Place the marshmallows on top of the casserole, covering the sweet potato mixture completely.
• Bake the casserole again. Bake your casserole until the marshmallows are melted and browned on top.
• Enjoy! Serve your sweet potato casserole warm!

Tips for Success

All the time I spent fine-tuning this recipe left me with a few important takeaways. Here are my tips and tricks for making the best sweet potato casserole!

• Drain the sweet potatoes thoroughly. If you don’t drain out all the excess moisture from your sweet potatoes, your casserole could come out runny. Take your time with this step to keep that from happening.
• Canned potatoes vs fresh potatoes. If you’d like to substitute the canned sweet potatoes for fresh ones, you’ll have to boil them first. Cut 3 large sweet potatoes into cubes and place them in a pot of boiling water. Once it returns to a boil, turn down the burner to low heat. Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes, or until they’re nice and tender. Finally, drain them well and continue with the recipe.
• Cover the potatoes completely with the marshmallows. You want the marshmallows to form a sort of seal over the sweet potatoes so that no air pockets are present. If there is space between the marshmallows, your topping will have gaps in it. Using mini marshmallows is a great way to ensure that the sweet potatoes are completely covered.

Can I Make This in Advance?

Sure you can. This sweet potato casserole recipe can be prepared a day or two ahead of time and kept well-covered in the fridge. Just hold off on storing it until it has cooled completely. To reheat your casserole, warm it in a 350°F oven until it’s heated throughout. Add the marshmallows shortly before it’s done so that they melt but don’t burn!

Serving Suggestions

Want to introduce some new dishes to your Thanksgiving feast? The following recipes go great with this casserole.

• Serve with roasted veggies. These honey roasted Brussels sprouts are an unexpected way to get picky kids excited about eating vegetables. The recipe features butternut squash and cranberries to keep everything festive for Thanksgiving.
• Pair with a savory casserole. Casseroles are the kind of comfort food that everyone deserves to enjoy at a holiday dinner. Serve this sweet potato bake with an equally delicious savory casserole like my classic green bean casserole (linked above)!
• Serve with stuffing. Whenever my family is making plans for our Thanksgiving dinner, I get asked if my classic homemade stuffing will make an appearance at the table. And nobody ever takes no for an answer!
• Pair with garlic mashed potatoes. It never hurts to have multiple options available when it comes to potatoes. These chunky garlic mashed potatoes are a great dish to serve beside this sweet potato casserole!

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

If you end up with extra sweet potato casserole, save the leftovers for later! Here’s the best way to do that:

• To store. Once cooled, leftover casserole should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy it within 4 days.
• To reheat. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave for no more than 30 seconds at a time. Larger amounts can be warmed up in the oven as directed in the make-ahead instructions.

Can I Freeze This Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe?

Yes, you can freeze this casserole if you leave off the topping. Bake it, let it cool, then cover the baking dish tightly in two layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze it. Alternatively, you can transfer it to a freezer-safe container.

Thaw out your casserole in the fridge before adding the topping. I recommend reheating the potatoes before you add the marshmallows and cook. Otherwise, you will either have a cold casserole or your marshmallows will over-brown.

More Thanksgiving Sides

This fall holiday is all about the food. And I have even more recipe recommendations for you!

• Easy 4 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
• Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
• Carrot Souffle
• Creamy Cornbread Casserole
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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