When I think of Thanksgiving dinner, I immediately think about my beloved Sweet Potato Soufflé. We have never missed a year together (except for this year because I’m going to the beach, so I decided to make it a couple of weeks early and I’ve been savoring the left-overs all week). Maybe it’s not technically a soufflé but if given the choice between a sweet potato soufflé and a sweet potato casserole… soufflé. casserole. soufflé. casserole. I’ll let you decide. (I had to ask my French-speaking husband how to get that cool “é” in there. Have I ever told you how sexy he is?)
Start with an amazingly healthy vegetable. It all goes downhill from there but try not to think about that. Just practice your best portion control and worry about it later when all the gym memberships go on sale in January.
I like to roast my sweet potatoes in the oven instead of boiling them. I think it gives them a sweet, rich flavor. Wash the sweet potatoes, poke or cut a few venting holes, place them on a lined baking sheet and pop them in at 425°F for about an hour. When they are done the skin should peel right off.
Then you’ll mash them up and add the rest of the ingredients to the filling: butter, salt, brown sugar, eggs and evaporated milk. Pour into a baking dish and you’re ready for the topping. 
I almost don’t have words for this topping. Butter, brown sugar, pecans, coconut… need I say more? It is ridiculously delish.
Sprinkle it on top of the sweet potato mixture and cook at 350°F for about 25 minutes. The topping will get all toasty and golden. So. Dang. Good.
And did I mention this makes fantastic left-overs?
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What are your must-have Thanksgiving dishes?
Rose G says
I found the old complete recipe and instructions…yeah!!
Ingredients
Filling:
3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted, slightly cooled (use salted butter in this recipe)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup evaporated milk
Topping:
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup flour
Instructions
Bake sweet potatoes in a 425 oven for 60 minutes.
Cool enough to handle.
Peel and mash.
Mix together all the filling ingredients.
Pour into a greased 8 x 11 casserole dish. (Can use any 2 quart dish but baking times may vary.) Mix together the topping ingredients and spread/sprinkle on top.
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Sandra says
Hello everyone! I almost freaked out when I couldn’t find this recipe. I’ve been using it for years. Thank God I took a screenshot of it. Hope this helps everyone! Happy holidays!
6 small roasted sweet potatoes (you’ll need 3 cups) 1/3 cup butter, melted, slightly cooled (use salted butter in this recipe)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup evaporated milk
Topping:
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup flour
Instructions
1. Bake sweet potatoes in a 425 oven for 60 minutes.
2
3
4
Cool enough to handle.
Peel and mash.
Mix together all the filling ingredients.
Pour into a greased 8 x 11 and bake at 350 for 25 mins.
Jacque says
Thank you so much! I was in panic mode all week trying to find something similar to this one that I ave made every year. You saved Thanksgiving!
Amy says
Please fix this so we can get the recipe! It is a Thanksgiving staple
Amy says
Ok here’s what I found in an old screen shot of mine. 3 c sweet potatoes, 3/4 c sugar, 1/3 c butter, 2 eggs, 3/4 c evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp salt. Happy holidays and enjoy!
Amber says
Amy, do you have the recipe for the topping?
Angela says
I’m so sad, I’ve been using this recipe for years and now the actual recipe is gone! Please post the actual instructions again, I will even pay you for them I love this recipe!
Charity says
How much butter goes in the filling and how much for the topping. You don’t specify this.
Nicole says
Is there an actual recipe????
Anne says
This sweet potato dish is wonderful! Even those who said they don’t like sweet potatoes loved it. I’m making two this time so I will have leftovers. Thanks for sharing!
Lydja says
I believe there is a typo under the filling part of the recipe. It’s supposed to be 3/4 cup BROWN sugar, right? I’ve been using the brown sugar in this recipe for the past three years but thought others might need a correction.
Lauren Jones says
This recipe is a huge Thanksgiving MUST. Here are some diet modifications that I successfully made to the original recipe (I’ve got to avoid gluten and some other products): (For the filling,) Substitute BUTTERNUT SQUASH for the sweet potatoes, sub. 1/4th (ish, or to taste,) cup honey with 1 tsp maple flavoring. 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted, for the butter. Coconut cream from 1 chilled can of coconut milk. (For the topping,) Subbed walnuts for the pecans, 1/4 c honey with 1/2 tsp maple flavor for brown sugar, 1/3 c coconut oil, melted, for the butter and 1/3 cup corn flour (or another gluten-free flour,) for the white flour. I threw the ingredients for my filling into the food processor, as the squash behaves better when pureed. I also processed the topping ingredients, and was pleased with the texture! I would say bake for the time listed and then “bake, watching carefully, until filling no longer jiggles”. Seriously, move over sweet potatoes… I didn’t even miss them in this recipe! Thanks so much for posting!
Beverly Edwards says
I’m Trying new Recipe of our Church Christmas Dinner next week and i saw a Sweet Pot Suff recipe i liked and i make them but i sure like other Ladies recipes how does she
Michal says
This was delicious and so easy to make.
Cathy says
Hi,
This is my first time making this recipe and I found another one that was basically the same except it called for regular milk instead of evaporated milk. Could you let me know what the taste or texture differences would be? I making this for the holidays and I am not the greatest cook so I want to be sure which would be best to use in the recipe.
Thank you and happy holidays
Sara says
I’d like to make this for Thanksgiving. Can I make it ahead and freeze it?
Stacy says
I am wondering the same thing! Can I make it tonight (Tuesday) to cook on Thursday morning for Thanksgiving? I wish someone who knew would respond. I’m thinking it is probably fine. I might just leave off the topping until I cook it on Thursday.
Gretel says
I was wondering how many servings come out with recipe? And if it’s more you you need do you just double everything? Thanks
Erin Hahn says
Hi Sarah-so I hosted thanksgiving this year and I planned ahead by hand-writing all of my recipes in a list. This was one of them, and I wrote down 3C of butter instead of 1/3C. I made it with the 3C! HA! Halfway into cooking time I thought, “what in the world.!” And ended up coming back to the website and seeing my mistake. We all had a good laugh as I skimmed the river of melted butter off the top. I kept putting it back in the oven, then pulling it out to skim, until it looked like it was supposed to. An hour later it was done, and delicious! Thanksgiving fluke! I guess that’s how memories are made 🙂
Ruta says
Oh wow this is amazing!! I love the crust!
Nikki says
This may be a dumb question, but is this served hot or cold? (I’d probably eat it either way!)
Sarah says
It is good either way but I’d serve it hot. It’s even better microwaved the next day!
Julie says
Making this for Thanksgiving tonight but wondered – what type of flour do I use? All purpose?? Thanks!
Sarah says
Yep. Just the all purpose flour will do!
Ty says
I found this from pinterest and have added it to our Thanksgiving menu this year! It is my most anticipated dish! Thank you so much for sharing!
Suzanne Bake says
Oh my yummy!!!! I can’t wait to try this for Christmas dinner!!
Cate O'Malley says
Made this for an apres Thanksgiving bloggers feast, and it was my favorite recipe of the night. Thank you!
Alecia Bowers says
This looks SUPER Yummy! I have never met a sweet potato I didn’t love!
JulieD says
Wow this sounds and looks great! I would have never thought to add coconut!
Robin says
This looks so good – I’ll be trying it soon!
Barbara Noland says
I could eat sweet potato casserole everyday!!!!!
janica says
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was fantastic! Thanks!
Patty says
I have a bunch of sweet potatoes left over and can’t wait to try this recipe!
Rachel C says
My husband will LOVE this recipe! Thanks!
Joan says
We made this for Thanksgiving and it was a HIT! Everyone loved it. We will be making this every year from now on.
Cindy G says
Oh, yum! I have some extra sweet potatoes (4 uncooked potatoes, plus some cooked mashed leftovers) that didn’t get used for Thanksgiving, and except for the pecans (which I can’t eat because of allergies), I think I have everything else needed to make this. I wonder if I could freeze a batch for later…
Aimee says
Thank you for the awesome recipe! I loved it and so did my family. We will be using this again and again.
sharla says
I made your recipe today and it was a HUGE hit… I was asked to bring it again for Christmas dinner. Thanks for sharing this delicious combination.
Karen says
Can’t even begin to describe how good this was!! Thought I’d give it a whirl for Thanksgiving as an afterthought since the pictures looked so yummy, and let me tell you what – hands down everybody’s favorite! THANK YOU for making me look like a super star. 🙂
ashley says
you said to add brown sugar to the sweet potatoes in your description, but in your recipe it says there is just brown sugar in the topping. which is it? if you add it to the mashed sweet potatoes, how much to you need?
Sarah says
I put it in both. The sugar in the filling can be either white or brown. (Or at least that is what is says on the original recipe.) 3/4 cup will go in the filling. Like I said I use brown in the filling because I love the flavor of brown sugar but it won’t make much of a difference either way.
rani says
omgoddess!!! yum! thanks for the recipe!
Alisha says
We make one very similar to this one except its the cut up canned sweet potatoes.. the rest of the ingredients is the same.. SOOOOO GOOD!!!
Gail B says
Well this just saved me the trouble of finding my recipe! LOL Thanks! making it tonight for the Din Din tomorrow!
Kim McEvoy says
this is my favorite holiday dish also, been enjoying it for years. well worth the extra work out!!!!
Caroline says
I have made almost the same thing my recipe is a little different and i have found over the years that we like the taste of yams better…….but i still call it my sweet potato casserole and have never given out the recipe .I hope no one in my family finds this:)
Joan says
Yum! What a great idea to roast the sweet potatoes.
Janice says
Thank you!! I was looking for a new sweet potato recipe to try!! It looks delish!!
Chantel McLaurin says
How many sweet potatoes did you use to get the 3 cups mashed?
Sarah says
I used 7 small sweet potatoes. This recipe is hard to mess up so if you have little more than 3 cups you’ll be fine. You can always save any extras for a healthy lunch. I can eat a roasted sweet potato plain. I just love the flavor!
Missy says
wow. yum!
I am going to have to try this for sure! This is one time I might be glad my kids don’t like sweet potatoes…more for me!
Sarah says
What?! Sweet potatoes were my favorite veggie as a kid. Probably because it was always drenched in butter and brown sugar. 🙂
Alison says
My husband is a huge sweet potato fan! Thanks for sharing this!