Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Updated Nov 17, 2025
Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is a must have for Thanksgiving! This delicious family favorite features a crunchy pecan topping and marshmallows on top for irresistible flavor!
This is the best sweet potato casserole!
I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up loving sweet potato casserole. I always found it to be bland and overly sweet.
As an adult I decided that I wanted to create a sweet potato casserole recipe that my family would make for years to come. I’m happy to say I did just that!
⭐️Review⭐️
“This was absolutely the best Sweet Potato Casserole I’ve ever made/had! That layer of pecans was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!” -Nicole
Not only does my family love this recipe, but it has gone viral on Pinterest and was made by more than 200,000 families last year.
This is a classic favorite dish to make for the holidays and it’s simply divine. You will definitely be back for seconds!
Sweet Potato Casserole is a holiday must make along with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, glazed carrots, and green bean casserole.
Mashed sweet potato filling is topped with a crunchy brown sugar pecan layer AND covered in mini marshmallows that are baked to golden brown perfection.
This combination of salty sweet pecans and sweet marshmallows is what makes this so good!
Ingredients to make sweet potato casserole
- Sweet Potatoes: you will need fresh sweet potatoes for this recipe.
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Spices: salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg
- All-Purpose Flour
- Pecan Pieces
- Mini Marshmallows
How to make marshmallow sweet potato casserole
Step 1: Prepare the sweet potatoes by peeling them and cutting them into large chunks.
Recipe Tip
Cutting the sweet potatoes into chunks instead of leaving them whole will allow them to cook faster.
Step 2: Place the sweet potato chunks in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring it to a boil and cook the sweet potatoes until they are fork tender and fall apart easily.
Step 3: Drain the sweet potatoes and add them back to the sauce pan. Mash them with a potato masher.
Add the rest of the casserole filling ingredients: butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg and mix until well combined.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, make the pecan topping for the casserole. Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, all purpose flour, salt, and pecan pieces until combined.
Step 5: Grease a 9 by 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the sweet potato filling and spread it out evenly in the dish.
Top the sweet potatoes with the pecan crumble in an even layer.
Step 6: Add the mini marshmallows over the pecan topping in an even layer, making sure to cover the entire top of the casserole.
Step 7: Bake the sweet potato casserole at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes, or until bubbly and the marshmallows are golden brown on top.
We are going for those perfect toasty brown marshmallows that make for the most delicious bite!
Joy’s Tip
Make sure to keep a close eye on the casserole towards the end to ensure you get a nice toasty brown top without burning. We want that topping to be nice and golden brown!
While I used to only be a sweet potato and pecan kinda gal, this recipe changed my mind!
The salty crunchy pecan topping with the sweetness of the golden brown marshmallows is simply out of this world delicious.
My kids love this recipe and think it’s so fun to eat marshmallows for a meal!
Storing Instructions
Storing: Leftover sweet potato casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
How to Reheat: Leftovers can be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees, or in the microwave until heated through.
If you’re asked to bring sweet potato casserole to your family’s Thanksgiving table, bring this. You will wow them all with your incredible cooking skills!
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, you can prep this ahead of time. Make the sweet potato filling, and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Once you are ready to bake the casserole, add the pecan topping and marshmallows.
How can I save time on Thanksgiving?
The day before Thanksgiving, I will at least boil and mash my sweet potatoes, or make it all ahead to assemble the next day. This dish is a great one to prep ahead of time.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
You can’t go wrong with this classic holiday side dish! It is sure to impress your friends and family.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Ingredients
For the sweet potato filling
- 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
For the pecan topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups finely chopped pecan pieces
For the marshmallow layer
- 10 oz mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into large chunks and place them into a large sauce pan. Cover them with with water and bring it to a boil.
- Boil they sweet potatoes until they are fork tender and easily pierced with a fork. They should fall apart easily.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and add them back to the sauce pan. Add the stick of butter and mash them with a potato masher. The butter will melt from the heat of the sweet potatoes. Add the rest of the sweet potato filling ingredients: brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, make the pecan topping. Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, all purpose flour, salt, and pecan pieces until combined.
- Grease a 9 by 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Add the sweet potato filling and spread it out evenly.
- Spread the pecan topping evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes.
- Add the mini marshmallows over the top in an even layer.
- Bake the sweet potato casserole at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes, or until bubbly and the marshmallows are golden brown on top. Watch closely towards the end to get the perfect golden brown without burning.
This recipe is a winner!!!
This was the highlight of our Thanksgiving dinner this year. The pecan crunch made all the difference and everyone loved it. I added approximately 1/4-1/2 cup more nuts than directed, as the butter mixture made it clump up somewhat and I wanted this layer to cover the yams a bit more. We notices that the marshmallows got a little hardened on top even though they were still a light brown color. Next time I may try loosely covering with foil for the last 15 min or so.
Super good! Five stars! I made it the day before, sure makes Thanksgiving day easier.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Dana! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
The one cup of sugar is wayyy too much for four potatoes. It was so sweet, you couldn’t even taste the potatoes, plus with the sugar in the topping, ugh. I think I will make it with everything but the cup of sugar next time and just use the sugar in the topping only.
You can definitely adjust the sweetener to your personal taste! The size of your sweet potatoes will affect it also. Sweet potato casserole is intended to be a sweet dish as opposed to mashed sweet potatoes. Happy Thanksgiving!
If I prep this the night before how long would you bake it for the next day? Should o bake it for awhile BEFORE adding toppings. Because it’ll be cold from the fridge?
I have prepped the filling the night before. I let it sit out 10-15 minutes, while I’m making the topping and getting it ready to go in. Then I put it in the casserole dish and top then bake. It works great!
I am wanting to prepare this and bake in the morning, do you think it is safe to prepare and store in the fridge till morning? Should I leave the topping and / or marshmallows off and prepare that in the morning? — first timer, don’t want to mess this up! Thanks and happy early thanksgiving!
I would prepare the filling and put it in the fridge, then all you need to do is put it in the baking dish and make the topping in the morning. I wouldn’t put those on overnight. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy!
Do I let it come to room temperature before putting it in the fridge ? I made the filling ahead, but plan to put it in the oven tomorrow morning.
I just let mine sit out a few minutes while I prep the topping. It works fine! I would suggest not putting a cold dish in a hot oven though. I usually store mine in a storage container, then transfer it to the baking dish before baking it.
How can I reheat the entire dish if I make it in advance?
I would put it in the oven at 350 degrees covered with foil until heated through. I have not done it myself, so I’m not sure how much it will affect the texture if you bake/cool/bake the whole casserole. Happy Thanksgiving!
Can you make this ahead of time?
The filling is great to make ahead of time! Just make it, then put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until the next day. Then let it sit out a few minutes while you make the topping. Put it in the casserole dish, top and bake as normal!
how can i reheat this in the oven if i made the day before?
I would suggest making the filling the day before, then just top and bake. It would take the same amount of time as reheating it. See the other comments about this or the post for details!
if I use canned sweet potatoes, what size can(s) should I use?
will stevia taste as good as sugar?
I’m not sure on what size can, but you need around 9 cups worth of sweet potato chunks. As for sweetener, that is going to be personal preference. I have used swerve brown sugar before with good results!
Would it still be good if I cut down on the sugar?