Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
With an always-enticing combination of sweet and savory flavors, no Southern Thanksgiving table is complete without this sensational sweet potato casserole with marshmallows.
Now, while I love my old-fashioned and classic sweet potato casserole with streusel topping, this recipe takes it to the next level with the addition of soft and sweet marshmallows. The golden brown and gooey marshmallow topping perfectly complements the buttery sweet potato. Because the sweet potato is only lightly sweetened, there’s the perfect balance between sweet and savory. Just wait, your family is guaranteed to ask you to serve this side dish year-round once they have a taste!
Serve your sweet potato casserole with marshmallows with other popular Thanksgiving recipes and Southern holiday side dishes, like green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes
- Milk
- Sugar (or you can also use dark or light brown sugar).
- Butter (salted/).
- Egg
- Mini marshmallows
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. When it’s time, reheat in the microwave.
- If you want to freeze this casserole, store it in an airtight container in the freezer, without the marshmallow topping, for up to six months. When it’s time to serve, thaw in the fridge and then add some new marshmallows on top before browning in the oven.
Recipe Notes
- While I prefer to boil my sweet potatoes because it takes the least amount of time, you can also cook your sweet potatoes in an instant pot, slow cooker, or in the oven. If you choose the oven option, you’ll want to cook them whole for about 45 to 60 minutes and then scoop out the centers, before moving on to the next step.
- I recommend using mini marshmallows in this recipe. However, if you’ve only got large marshmallows on hand, grab your pair of clean kitchen scissors and get chopping!
- If you’d prefer to make this Southern sweet potato casserole without marshmallows, another popular option is to sprinkle the top with a pecan streusel topping, like this recipe. You can also substitute chopped pecans for walnuts or almonds, or even add the nuts to your marshmallow topping for something different.
- For a richer taste, you can choose to pour melted butter over the marshmallows or substitute the milk for heavy cream.
- As for spice, you can stick with the traditional cinnamon or use pumpkin pie spice instead. You could also add cayenne or paprika if you prefer some spice.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make my sweet potato casserole ahead of time?
Yes, you can make this easy sweet potato casserole recipe up to 48 hours in advance. Assemble the casserole as instructed and then cover and refrigerate. When it’s time to bake, sprinkle the top with marshmallows and follow the baking instructions.
Can I use canned yams or sweet potato?
I recommend using fresh sweet potato, but if you’ve only got canned sweet potatoes or yams on hand, skip the first step and just place your drained yams in the pot before adding the other ingredients. You’ll need about 1.5 to two pounds of canned yams.
Is this sweet potato casserole gluten-free?
Yes, this is a gluten-free sweet potato casserole. But just double-check that all ingredients don’t have any sneaky gluten additions.
Check out these other sensational sweet potato recipes:
Sweet Potato Bread With Cinnamon Swirl
Sweet Potato Pie, Southern Plate-Style
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes or yams
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg
- marshmallows fruit flavored or plain
Instructions
- Peel and cut up the sweet potatoes. Cover with water and cook until tender. Drain, then mash sweet potatoes with a potato masher or mixer.2 large sweet potatoes or yams
- Add butter, sugar, cinnamon, and milk. Stir well. Add egg and blend well. If you add the egg to the hot and mashed sweet potato, it will begin to cook before it is blended and you will have scrambled eggs in your mixture.1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup milk, 1 egg
- Pour the sweet potato mixture into an ovenproof casserole dish or pie plate and cover with marshmallows. Place in a 350-degree oven and cook until marshmallows are puffed and slightly browned.marshmallows
Someone told me sweet potatoes taste better in casserole if you bake them, and guess what… they sure do!
Sweet potato short cut——wash and boil them in the skins—let cool completely- they are almost mashed when you remove them—-sweet potato pies are my favorite during the holidays!!!!
Question…..when you substitute splenda, do you use an entire 1/2 cup? And, is the taste okay? I want to make these for Thanksgiving, but want to be sure! My husband is diabetic and loves sweet potato casserole – I know there’ll be sugar in the marshmallows, but not so bad if I use splenda in the casserole!
Thanks!
I saw something in the store last night that was SO cute and I think would be really good on these. They were gingerbread man shaped marshmallows and had some ginger IN them also, apparently. (They sure smelled good anyway.) Plus, french vanilla & chocolate/vanilla swirls, but, the chocolate would be better with hot cocoa, I’m sure! Anyway, I love sweet potatoes, and these look really good without being too rich. (My brother has a nice sweet potato casserole that is VERY good, but, way too rich for me.) Thanks again, Christy
My grandmother and then my mother and now I make this-we use a butter nut flavoring-very, very little or it is so strong. we always used the coconut/pecans and corn flakes topping. My new dad(they married when I was 22)-I always sad God blessed me-I had a daddy that I lost @ 13 and then Jim Northcutt came along -see Christy you are not the only one that gets sidetracked.I know make this and stripe both toppings so everyone is happy. Thanks for your great website-I have had more fun cooking since finding it than I have in years.
Oo-oo-oo-oo, butter nut flavoing!! Was introduced to that wonderful flavoring not long ago! Thanks for the idea Kathi! Gonna use that when a make this! And thanks to Mama Janice for this recipe!
i love to roast marshmallows on open fire, they taste great-,:
My mother-in-law always added almond extract to her Marshmallow Sweet Potatoes and did not add cinnamon. Try it sometime. I think you will really like it.