Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows made with mashed sweet potatoes topped with gooey marshmallows is an easy Thanksgiving side dish. Easy to make ahead and reheat! A delicious addition to your Thanksgiving table or Christmas dinner!
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This delicious sweet potato casserole recipe is an easy holiday side dish that you can make ahead of time and quickly reheat for Thanksgiving Day or Christmas dinner.
My kids used to scrape the marshmallows off of this classic side dish and leave the sweet potatoes behind when they were younger.
So I tried making a healthier sweet potato casserole without marshmallows. After many complaints to the management, the marshmallows are back! A word to the wise -- Don't mess with sacred holiday side dishes!
My kids say this easy recipe is the best sweet potato casserole recipe ever!
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients for this classic Thanksgiving side dish. They are easy to find in most American grocery stores during the holiday season.
- Fresh sweet potatoes -- about 4 to 5 large sweet potatoes
- Maple Syrup
- Brown Sugar -- dark brown sugar or light brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Butter -- softened butter or melted butter works
- Mini marshmallows
I usually cook as many holiday sides the day before -- a huge timesaver! These are the best kinds of side dishes!
How to Make Classic Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
First, you'll need to cook your sweet potatoes. You can peel and boil them, bake sweet potatoes in the oven or cook sweet potatoes in the microwave. You can also pressure cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot.
The easiest way to cook sweet potatoes is the microwave method. It's also the fastest way to cook them! Only about 20 minutes, tops!
Next, carefully remove the cooked sweet potatoes from their jackets (they're hot), and place the sweet potato flesh into a large bowl or casserole dish -- spray with nonstick cooking spray first!
I usually just mix everything in the casserole dish.
Use a potato masher to mash the sweet potatoes with some butter, maple syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Then, smooth the sweet potato mixture evenly in the casserole dish. I love the added texture from using a potato masher.
But, if you want smoother sweet potatoes, you can mash them with an electric mixer or hand mixer.
Cook Time
Place the casserole into a preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees f for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are heated through.
Sprinkle enough mini marshmallows over the top of the casserole so that the surface is completely covered. You need about 4 to 5 cups of mini marshmallows for this.
Return casserole to the oven and bake until marshmallows turn golden brown.
You can pop the casserole under the broiler for about 5 minutes if you want darker, crispier marshmallows.
Total cooking time is around 50 minutes, depending on how you cook your sweet potatoes.
The pillowy marshmallow topping is crispy on top, soft and melty on the bottom, and the sweet potatoes are smooth and creamy underneath. Good stuff!
FAQ
Yes. If you want to make the casserole a day or 2 in advance, assemble the casserole, but leave out the marshmallows. Cover the baking dish in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. Then, uncover the dish, bake as directed until heated through, top with marshmallows and bake until marshmallows are golden brown.
No, you don't have to. I always make mine without eggs, but you can add them if you prefer sweet potatoes with more of a whipped texture.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerate leftover sweet potato casserole in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the casserole for up to 3 months, but omit or remove the marshmallows before freezing.
Reheat sweet potato casserole in your microwave or in the oven. I recommend adding a few more marshmallows before reheating.
Recipe Variations
Substitute 2 or 3 large canned sweet potatoes or candied yams in place of fresh sweet potatoes. Drain most of the liquid, but leave about ½ cup for extra flavor.
If you can't find mini marshmallows, slice up large marshmallows into smaller pieces.
Add 2 tablespoons of orange juice to brighten up the flavor. If you like pecans, add a pecan streusel topping or chopped pecans along with the marshmallows.
You can also substitute different root vegetables in place of sweet potatoes.
More Easy Thanksgiving Sides
If you're looking for more easy sides that go with turkey, try my Stove Top Candied Yams, Jiffy Corn casserole, Instant Pot Corn Casserole, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Baked Acorn Squash.
Don't forget the green bean casserole and cranberry sauce! You can find more Thanksgiving recipes in the archives.
Recipe
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 5 large cooked sweet potatoes
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- mini marshmallows about 4 to 5 cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees f
- Remove cooked sweet potatoes from jackets, and place in large bowl or casserole dish
- Add brown sugar, maple syrup, butter and cinnamon, and mash well
- Spread evenly in casserole dish, and smooth top with spoon
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until sweet potato mixture is heated through.
- Add enough marshmallows to cover sweet potatoes, and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown. Or, broil for about 5 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown
Notes
Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy this easy sweet potato casserole with marshmallows as much as we do. It's definitely a family favorite and it wouldn't be Thanksgiving day without it!
If you do try this classic casserole, please leave a star rating and/or comment.
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Ann says
Great job! Terrific recipe! It seems that I’ve just fallen in love with this easy holiday side dish. It’s making my mouth water. I believe the taste of this sweet potato casserole is just phenomenal. I’m so excited at the idea of giving it a try. I’m planning to make it for our dinner guests next weekend. This could be a guaranteed standout among other dishes on the table.
Thank you so much for sharing this fab idea and all of the precious tips. They’ll surely help me avoid mistakes. Look forward to your new awesome recipes. You put so much love into what you’re doing. I’m your fan!
Best wishes,
Ann
James says
WE made this over the weekend to prepare for Thanksgiving and it was great. Easy and the kids ate it all up.
Dee says
So glad you enjoyed the sweet potatoes, James. Thanks!