There are some recipes that are timeless, and having a sweet potato casserole at the Thanksgiving table is one of them. This silky, creamy, buttery casserole with perfectly (or extremely) toasted marshmallows on top, plus a secret ingredient is exactly what you need this year, alongside your Turkey and stuffing.
Sweet potatoes are perfect year round, but a sweet potato casserole is typically found on holiday tables, especially for Thanksgiving.
I love making holiday dishes, like my classic stuffing (LINK RECIPE) or my Hanukkah latkes (LINK RECIPE), so let me make it easy for you to whip up your holiday menu right here on this site.
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What are the ingredients for this casserole?
Making a sweet potato casserole is pretty standard, as you'll essentially are simply making the most delicious and buttery mashed sweet potatoes, but then topping it with marshmallows, and the secret ingredient, which you'll learn about below!
- Sweet Potatoes - I make this recipe with a Beauregard sweet potato. They are the classic sweet potato you find in the store. Reddish skin with a bright orange flesh.
- Butter
- Milk or Heavy Cream
- Cinnamon
- Maple Syrup
- Marshmallows
- Chocolate Chip Cookies - No, you did not read this wrong. We will be adding chocolate chip cookies as our secret ingredient at the bottom of the casserole. I am telling you, you will NOT make another sweet potato casserole like this one.
See the recipe card below for more details about specific quantities.
How do I make this casserole?
To make this sweet potato casserole, you'll begin by making the mashed potatoes, assembling the whole dish, baking, and serving! Specifically, here's how we do it:
Start by preheating the oven to 350º. In a medium-sized casserole dish, layer the cookies at the bottom, then set aside. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into quarters, throw into the pot of water and boil until fork tender, approximately 30-40 minutes. Take out of the boiling water and let it drain.
Place the sweet potatoes into either a stand mixer, mixing bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor. Blend until the sweet potatoes are fully mashed. Add in the butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon, then blend until full incorporated and smooth. Taste the mixture and adjust any flavorings needed. Pour the sweet potato into the dish with the chocolate chip cookies.
Bake at 350º for 25 minutes, with the option to broil for 30 seconds to brown the marshmallows.
Hint: Add a touch of salt to the sweet potatoes, it'll balance the sweetness!
Casserole Swaps and Substitutions
This recipe, like all my others, comes with some handy and insightful swaps and substitutions if you need to switch things up due to diet or a restrictions:
- Cookie Swap - instead of using regular cookies, swap with gluten free or vegan cookies.
- Marshmallows - if you can find vegan marshmallows, feel free to use them here!
- Butter - swap in the vegan butter and almond milk if you don't or can't consume dairy.
Pairing and Variations
This side dish is perfect when paired with:
- grilled chicken
- chicken cutlets
- a side of veggies
- or even meatballs.
Go nuts and make just this for dinner and have at the entire thing, no judgment here. Either way, enjoy making this year the best year ever with friends, family, and delicious food to feed the moment together.
Kitchen Equipment and Tools
This recipe doesn't require many different kitchen tools to make, but some of the tools you'll need include:
- Hand Whisk
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium-sized oven-safe casserole dish
- Spatula
How do I store and prepare this dish?
For Preparation:
- When boiling the potatoes, cut them into smaller chunks. They will boil faster, approximately 25-30 minutes versus close to 45 minutes if left in larger pieces.
- When it comes time to bake the casserole, do not cover it immediately. Sweet potato can sit out after being cooked for up to 4 hours, so let it at least come to room temperature before wrapping and placing in the fridge, or serve immediately if you are making the day of.
- If you are planning to bake with marshmallows the day of Thanksgiving, prep the filling ahead of time and place in the fridge.
To Store Leftovers:
- Put any leftovers in a tight container and consume up to 2-3 after initially making it. It will begin to get wet and soggy after that.
PRO TIP
When making the mashed potatoes, use a hand whisk instead of a masher, it'll make the entire process a lot faster and easier.
Hungry for More?
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Sweet Potato Casserole
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 hand mixer
- 1 spatula
- 1 medium sized casserole dish
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes peeled, diced, and boiled
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ pkg chocolate chip cookies about 12 cookies
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 cups mini marshallows 1 cup large marshmallows
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 350º
- In a medium-sized casserole dish, layer the cookies at the bottom, then set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into quarters, throw into the pot of water and boil until fork tender, approximately 30-40 minutes. Take out of the boiling water and let it drain.
- Place the sweet potatoes into either a stand mixer, mixing bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, then blend until the sweet potatoes are fully mashed.
- Add in the butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon, then blend until full incorporated and smooth. Taste the mixture and adjust any flavorings needed.
- Pour the sweet potato into the dish with the chocolate chip cookies.
- Bake at 350º for 25 minutes, with the option to broil for 30 seconds to brown the marshmallows.
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