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Sweet potato casserole with a toasted marshmallow top is the side dish people always comment on when I set it out. It smells like Thanksgiving coming out of the oven, with golden, gooey marshmallows over a soft, creamy sweet potato layer. Ten minutes of prep, and it’s ready for the oven.
I think of sweet potato casserole as a Thanksgiving side first, right beside the turkey and stuffing, and I make it for Christmas and bigger family dinners too. Starting with canned sweet potatoes makes it a quick and easy sweet potato casserole on a big holiday cooking day, because it’s not one more thing to peel, boil and prep.
I keep the sweet potato layer a little lumpy on purpose, because I actually prefer that bit of texture over a completely smooth purée. It bakes up soft and creamy without ever turning mushy.
On a Thanksgiving buffet, my green bean casserole recipe and homemade baked mac and cheese sit right alongside this one. You’ll find plenty more in my easy side dish recipes.
THANKSGIVING FAVORITE
Why There Are Always Two Potato Sides on Our Table
Everyone at our Thanksgiving has a favorite dish, and none of them can go missing from the buffet. For us, that means mashed potato casserole and these sweet potatoes every single year, because neither one can be sacrificed. I’ve been making this sweet potato casserole for my family’s Thanksgiving for years.
Key Ingredients
- Canned sweet potatoes or canned yams: I use Bruce’s Yams, and canned yams or canned sweet potatoes both work, because most canned yams in the U.S. are actually sweet potatoes and the labels use the names interchangeably. If you’d rather start with fresh sweet potatoes, boil them until a fork slides in easily and stop there, because overcooked sweet potatoes make the casserole soupy.
- Dark brown sugar: I like dark brown sugar here because its deeper molasses flavor works really well with the sweet potatoes and nutmeg. Light brown sugar works and tastes a little milder, and granulated sugar works too, though the flavor changes slightly.
- Softened butter: I use softened butter instead of melted so it mixes all the way through the sweet potatoes without adding more liquid. Salted butter is what I use, and unsalted with a pinch of salt works too.
- Cornstarch: This gives the casserole some structure and helps manage the moisture, so the filling sets instead of staying loose.
- Orange juice: Orange juice brings out the flavor of the sweet potatoes and gives it a little brightness, so all that sweetness doesn’t feel quite as heavy. If you’d like it richer and creamier, heavy cream or half and half can go in its place.
- Nutmeg: You can taste the nutmeg in this casserole, and I like it that way, because it’s what gives it that warm holiday flavor.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Step 1: Beat the Filling Beat everything for the filling together in a large bowl with a mixer until it’s mostly combined. Stop while it’s still a little lumpy, and don’t worry about light streaks of butter, since softened butter always leaves a few. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and spread it into an even layer. 
Step 2: Add the Marshmallows Cover the whole top with a full, even layer of mini marshmallows.
Step 3: Bake Until the Center Is Set Start checking at 20 minutes. It’s done when the marshmallows are golden brown, the edges are hot and bubbling, and the center looks set instead of loose or wet. A little movement in the middle is fine, but it shouldn’t slosh when you gently move the pan, and if the marshmallows bake too long they start to melt and ooze a little across the top.
Step 4: Let It Rest Before Serving Give it 10 to 20 minutes on the counter. That rest lets it settle and set up, so you get a nice scoop instead of a loose spoonful.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Cover leftover sweet potato casserole and keep it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. It also freezes in a freezer-safe container for 3 to 6 months, though the marshmallows can change texture once they’re thawed and reheated.
To reheat from frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator a day or two before you need it, then give it the same 30 minutes on the counter as the make-ahead version before it goes back in the oven.
More Thanksgiving Sides
- Best Loaded Mashed Potato Recipe
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Hashbrown Potato Casserole with Corn Flakes
Canned Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (Easy!)
Ingredients
- 2 (29-ounces) cans cut sweet potatoes in syrup (58 ounces before draining) well drained
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
- ¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter softened
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1½ teaspoons nutmeg
- 10 ounces bag mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the drained sweet potatoes, eggs, dark brown sugar, softened butter, orange juice, cornstarch and nutmeg in a large bowl and beat with a mixer. The mixture does not need to be completely smooth, a lumpy mixture means that you'll end up with soft but not mushy casserole. The butter, since it is softened and not melted, will show up as light streaks in the batter. That is normal and not a problem.2 (29-ounces) cans cut sweet potatoes in syrup (58 ounces before draining), 4 large eggs, ¾ cup dark brown sugar, ¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter, ¼ cup cornstarch, 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1½ teaspoons nutmeg
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish or 2 quart casserole dish and spread it out into an even layer.
- Sprinkle with a full, even layer of mini marshmallows.10 ounces bag mini marshmallows
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until the marshmallows are just golden brown and the sweet potato layer is hot and bubbly. If the marshmallows get overly cooked they will end up oozing a little on top of your casserole.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-20 minutes to set up.
- Serve warm.
Jenn’s Notes
- I drain the sweet potatoes really well, because extra syrup makes the filling wetter and looser than it should be.
- I go by the center: it’s done when it looks set and doesn’t slosh when I gently move the pan.
- I let it rest 10 to 20 minutes so it scoops cleanly instead of spooning up loose.
I’ve never seen canned sweet potatoes. Are you speaking of the big cans of yams?
Yes, exactly! The large cans labeled “yams” are typically what’s used for this recipe. Most canned yams in the U.S. are actually sweet potatoes – the terms are often used interchangeably on labels. Just be sure to drain them before mashing!
I have not made this yet, but I was wondering instead of sweet potato could you use pumpkin fresh pumpkin after it’s cooked if that would work instead of the sweet potatoes, if you have an answer for me, that would be great
I haven’t tried it, but you should be able to use cooked pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes, but the texture and flavor will be a bit different. Pumpkin is thinner and less sweet, so the casserole may turn out a little softer and not quite as rich. If you decide to try it, I’d recommend draining the pumpkin well and maybe adding a touch more sugar or butter to balance things out. I haven’t tested this swap myself, though, so I can’t say for sure how it’ll turn out.
my mom gave me her cookbook, circa 1922,, she had this same recipe,,it,s just simple to make and has always been a family hit.. I,ve made it with pumpkins
it needs a little more spice,,nutmeg,and cinnamon,,and a table spoon of corn starch added,,ps,,in a pie shell these are both great,,the yams are more of a dinner tradition,as the pumkin makes a great pie,with whipcream for dessert.
A classic!!
59 ounce cans? Is that correct?
It is actually 2 cans. (29 ounces each – or as close to it as you can find)
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