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Best Easy Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel

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This brown sugar sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel is the ultimate comfort food—creamy, naturally sweet roasted sweet potatoes topped with a buttery, crunchy pecan streusel. Perfect for holidays or cozy weeknights, it’s a crowd-pleaser that can be made ahead.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4–5 medium)
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup whole milk or heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 cup pecan halves or chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (for streusel)
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (for streusel)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Prepare the sweet potatoes: Scrub them clean and pierce each one a few times with a fork. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 45-60 minutes until completely tender. Let cool until handleable.
  3. While sweet potatoes roast, make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or fingers to work butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized butter pieces. Fold in pecans. Refrigerate until needed.
  4. Once sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off skins. Place flesh in a large mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher for chunkier texture or use a hand mixer for smooth puree.
  5. Add melted butter, brown sugar, beaten eggs, milk or cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cayenne (if using). Mix until well combined and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  6. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish lightly with butter or non-stick spray. Spread sweet potato mixture evenly in dish. Sprinkle cold streusel topping evenly over the surface without pressing down.
  7. Bake on middle rack for 25-30 minutes until edges are bubbly and streusel is deep golden brown and fragrant. If topping browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for last 10 minutes.
  8. Let casserole rest on counter for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow filling to set.

Notes

Roast sweet potatoes instead of boiling to concentrate natural sweetness and avoid waterlogging. Use cold butter for streusel to keep it crumbly. Let casserole rest after baking to set. Can be assembled up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated unbaked. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: sweet potato casserole, pecan streusel, brown sugar, holiday side dish, comfort food, Thanksgiving, make-ahead

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