Make-Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect addition to your holiday table! This easy sweet potato casserole recipe can be prepared up to two days before your Thanksgiving dinner making it the perfect side dish for your holiday meal. If the simplicity of this side dish wasn’t persuasive enough, I should probably add it’s topped with a decadent praline topping!

*Originally posted November 15, 2017

Sweet Potato Casserole. Is it a side dish or a dessert?  Technically it’s a vegetable since you can find sweet potatoes in the produce section of your grocery store so maybe it’s diet food! I know that’s what my grandma’s rationale would’ve been. How you decide to categorize it is completely up to you. All I can say is with having the ability to make this Sweet Potato Casserole ahead of time, there’s no reason you shouldn’t make this for Thanksgiving this year. Or any time of the year for that matter.

I need to start by saying I try my very best to eat healthy in my day to day life. I do like to sneak in some treats like these Caramel Apple Cookies and Pumpkin Butter Squares from time to time, but I feel like I can do that as long as it’s in moderation. Eating a salad for lunch allows me to have a cupcake at night! Makes perfect sense to me. Doesn’t it to you?

Around the holidays I might take that moderation idea to a whole different level, BUT that’s what the holidays are all about, right? I admit that during this time of the year I bake more sweets and cook more fattening foods. I just can’t help myself! I have the rest of the year to be super strict. Who’s with me?!

If you are still reading this, I’m assuming that you are in agreeance with my delusional idea of moderation and are ready to hear about this delectable Sweet Potato Casserole recipe I have for you. I won’t scare you away with the amount of butter, sugar, and cream that’s added to this recipe, will I? I didn’t think so. That’s why you’re my people after all!

So what do you need to make Sweet Potato Casserole?

3 cups cooked sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ lb raw), 1 cup white sugar, 1 stick butter (melted), 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ cup heavy whipping cream

For the topping: 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup walnuts or pecans (chopped), ⅓ cup flour, 3 tbs butter (melted)

This casserole serves 8 people. I have split this recipe in half numerous times and it works just as well. I figured it would be a good fact to share with you in case this year’s Thanksgiving is a little smaller than usual for you! 

The first step to creating this amazing Sweet Potato Casserole is to roast the sweet potatoes. You’ll want to preheat your oven to 400 degrees. I like to cut my sweet potatoes in half and then place them cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the sweet potatoes for about 35 – 40 minutes or until fork-tender.

Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the flesh into a bowl and toss away the skin. Add the sugar and eggs to the bowl with the sweet potatoes and begin to mash the ingredients together.

Add the one stick of melted butter and continue mixing the ingredients.

Sprinkle in one teaspoon of cinnamon along with a teaspoon of vanilla extract and stir.

Pour in ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream and give it one final stir.

Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a greased casserole dish and put it aside.

Now it’s time to make the topping. Combine 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, ⅓ cup of flour, and 3 tablespoons of melted butter in a bowl.

Stir all the ingredients together.

Sprinkle the topping all over the sweet potato mixture.

At this point, you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and finish it off the following day. I like to pull out the casserole from the refrigerator about a half-hour to an hour before putting it in the oven so it comes to room temperature. It helps take the chill off. If you forget to do this you will need to add some additional baking time so keep that in mind.

When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are hot and the top is golden brown.

And there you have it. Is it a side dish, dessert, or vegetable? You tell me. All I know for sure is I’m not steering you wrong with this Make-Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole. You’ll be doing the happy dance the minute this hits your mouth. You can thank me later for the recipe.

You still have time to get yourself organized for Thanksgiving! Print my free Thanksgiving Planner below.

Want to remember this? Post this Make-Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole recipe to your favorite Pinterest board!