Browned Butter Sweet Potato Casserole
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Sweet Potato Casserole – a classic fall recipe upgraded with rich browned butter for a luxurious Thanksgiving side! Buttery mashed sweet potatoes are topped with crisp cornflakes, pecan crumble, and melty marshmallows and toasted. It’s must must-try side dish—or is it dessert? You decide!
The Best Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe!
This sweet potato dish has the best of everything and just the right amount of contrast with its creamy sweet potatoes, a sprinkle of gooey melty marshmallows, and that finishing crisp you get from the cornflakes and crunchy pecan topping.
Simply put this casserole is heavenly! It deserves a spot on your holiday menu, right next to the turkey!
Who know the word casserole and heavenly could ever go together in the same sentence but it just does with this one. Try it and see for yourself! It might just become a family favorite for your family too!
Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
For make ahead you can prepare the sweet potato portion in your casserole dish the day before and stick it in the refrigerator but wait until the following day to add the butter to the brown sugar pecan topping and wait to add to the casserole until you’re just ready to bake and serve so it doesn’t go stale and dim all your flavors.
How to Make Browned Butter Sweet Potato Casserole
- Bake the sweet potatoes until tender and mash to a creamy texture in a large bowl.
- Brown the butter in a saucepan, watching the boil carefully.
- Add to sweet potatoes along with dry ingredients of sugars and salt and mix.
- Blend in milk and eggs, use an electric mixer if desired.
- Spread mixture into an even layer in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
- Mix cornflakes, pecans, melted butter, and brown sugar. (Pro tip: adding cinnamon and vanilla extract will make this even more dessert-like.)
- Spread mixture into rows over sweet potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes until tops look toasty.
- Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes add marshmallows between cornflake rows, and bake for 5 – 10 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup if you want even more sweetness!
If you have any leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container—it makes a yummy breakfast!
More Holiday Recipes You’ll Love!
- Green Bean Casserole
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Garlic and Herbs
- Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
- Cranberry Almond Spinach Salad
- Christmas Punch
Follow Cooking Classy
Browned Butter Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 5 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup (113g) salted butter, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup (105g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (55g) packed light-brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk (anything but skim)
Topping
- 2 cups (128g) crushed corn flakes*
- 1/2 cup (54g) chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup (55g) packed light-brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp (42g) salted butter, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cups (148g) miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork and transfer to a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake about 1 hour, or until very tender when pierced with a fork.
- Meanwhile melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and allow to brown, swirling pan occasionally.
- Remove potatoes from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350. Cut each in half and scoop out flesh into a large mixing bowl. Mash potatoes with a potato masher.
- Pour in 1/2 cup browned butter, using a rubber spatula to scrape excess butter from pan, add granulated sugar, 1/4 cup light-brown sugar and salt then using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together until well combine.
- Add in eggs and mix until well blended, then pour in milk and mix until well blended. Pour mixture into a buttered 13 x 9 baking dish and spread into an even layer.
- Brown remaining 3 Tbsp butter in a saucepan. Pour crushed cornflakes into a mixing bowl, along with chopped pecans and 1/4 cup light-brown sugar and mix to combine. Pour browned butter over mixture and toss to evenly coat.
- Spread mixture into diagonal rows over mashed sweet potato mixture leaving about a 1 1/2-inch gap between rows. Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes (if it's browning too much near the end you can tent with foil if needed).
- Remove from oven and rest 5 minutes, then spread marshmallows between rows of corn flake topping. Return to oven and bake until marshmallows are melty and lightly golden if desired about 5 - 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
- *Begin with about 4 1/2 cups cornflakes and crush to 2 cups.
- Note that if you are making this in advance to refrigerate then bake the following day, don't add the corn flake topping until baking or it will become stale. Also I'd recommend placing cold casserole in cool oven and let it preheat with oven.