Skip to Content

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

Sharing is caring!

This Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows tastes more like a dessert than a side dish with it’s fluffy marshmallow topping and creamy smooth potatoes.  A must have staple at our Thanksgiving table each year, this classic dish is one of my most requested recipes!  

 

main image for recipe of sweet potato casserole in pan with wooden spoon scooping some out

 

Growing up, my parents would buy up a bunch of sweet potatoes whenever they were available in the grocery store. We’d cook them up with a dollop of butter and eat them like a baked potato. 

I’d never even heard of putting marshmallows on a baked sweet potato until I was an adult. Making a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows was such a foreign concept to me.

Marshmallows were meant for desserts, not on top of a vegetable! And yet, for everyone BUT my family, it seemed that marshmallows and sweet potatoes were this strange, must-have combination, especially during Thanksgiving.

 

cooked sweet potatoes in pot

 

How to Cook Sweet Potatoes for Casserole?

There are three ways to cook your sweet potatoes.  You choose what method works best for you.  Personally I like to boil them for quick results.

  1. Boil – Simply peal your sweet potatoes and place them in a pot.  Add enough water to cover them and boil until a fork can pierce the potatoes easily.
  2. Roast – Prick each sweet potato 5 or 6 times to prevent an explosion upon cooking.  Place potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake at 350*F for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 
  3. Microwave – Prick each sweet potato 5 or 6 times.  Cook each potato for 5 minutes.  If potato is not done (should be squishy) then cook in 1 minute increments until tender.

 

brown sugar, butter and marshmallows added to sweet potatoes.

 

Do you put nuts or marshmallows in Sweet Potato Casserole?

If you or a dinner guest has a nut allergy, you can rest easy knowing this southern sweet potato casserole is nut-free!  Just the simple goodness of sweet potatoes, marshmallows and a few other delicious ingredients that really make this delicious! 

However, if you do want to add nuts, then feel free to whip this Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans. It’s our version of Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole!  

Both are delicious recipes, but I’m a sucker for toasted marshmallows so this recipe is my favorite!  Honestly, it’s so good that I find myself making this all year round. Who knew that a few, simple ingredients mixed together could create the most fantastic sweet potato casserole with marshmallows?

 

butter, brown sugar and and marshmallows melted into the mashed sweet potatoes

 

What are the Benefits of Eating Sweet Potatoes?

Though this easy sweet potato casserole might taste just like a dessert, thanks to all those marshmallows, it’s nice to know that health benefits can be found in this treat also.

Sweet potatoes are a rich source of fiber and contain a wide array of vitamins and minerals. Specifically, these include Vitamin A, most of our B vitamins, and Vitamins C and E, which can support eye health. Sweet potatoes also contain iron, calcium, and selenium. If you’re seeking a quick boost to your health, adding sweet potatoes to your dinner can be a fast way to achieve that.

These little tubers also contain high amounts of an antioxidant known as beta-carotene, which then converts to Vitamin A in your body after being consumed. 

As you can see, there are so many benefits to eating sweet potatoes. Use this sweet potato casserole recipe as your excuse to try some!

 

mashed potato casserole mixed and in casserole dish.

 

What Goes with this Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe?

Sweet Potatoes in any of their forms, make great side dishes to every kind of meat.  Pork, Turkey, Chicken, Beef – all of them pair well with sweet potatoes.  

However, if you’ve got extra sweet potatoes sitting around the house and are looking for another way to use them aside from this Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole with marshmallows then try one of these tasty recipes!

 

large marshmallows placed on top of the mashed sweet potatoes, not baked

 

How Long Can You Keep Sweet Potato Casserole in the Fridge?

You should wrap up any leftover sweet potato casserole with marshmallows tightly in plastic wrap or place in a seal-able container and store it in your refrigerator for three to five days.  After 5 days it’s time to say goodbye to that tasty dish and make another batch!!  

 

baked sweet potato casserole with toasted marshmallows on top

 

Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Casserole?

Yes, you can! This is considered a make-ahead sweet potato casserole, after all.

To freeze this recipe, you’ll want to prepare the casserole but do not bake it. Follow steps 1 – 9 in the directions, up to where the cooked sweet potatoes are mashed and placed into the casserole dish. 

Once prepared through step 9, then put mixture in a baking dish and cover tightly and freeze (without baking)!  You can freeze it for up to 3 months.

When ready to enjoy, remove from freezer and thaw overnight in your fridge.  When ready to bake,  bake as directed (without marshmallows).  Then as the recipe states, add the marshmallows the last few minutes of baking to toast up.

 

casserole fresh out of the oven with a wooden spoon scooping some out of dish

 

Favorite Holiday Recipes You’ll Love…

 

top view of sweet potato casserole on a plate ready to eat.

 

Creamy, delicious and easy to make, this Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows is the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving meal! This recipe is too good to eat just once a year, I recommend eating it all year round!

 

Yield: 12 Servings

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole - a helping of sweet potato casserole on plate ready to be eaten

If you love sweet potato casserole with marshmallows you'll love this nut free version! Hands down our favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas side dish recipe!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 1 ( 10 ounce) bag of large marshmallows

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400*F
  2. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.
  3. Peel and chop up sweet potatoes.
  4. Place them in a large pot and cover with water.
  5. Bring to a boil and cook until soft and tender, about 15 minutes.
  6. Strain potatoes and put back in pot.
  7. Add butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and 2 cups of miniature marshmallows.
  8. Cook over medium heat until butter and marshmallows are melted and brown sugar is dissolved and combined.
  9. While stirring, mash potatoes up. You can puree them or leave them chunky.
  10. Pour mixture into casserole dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
  11. Remove from oven, top with large marshmallows and bake until marshmallows are puffy and golden, about 2 - 3 minutes.
  12. Serve immediately!

Notes

If you wish to make this ahead and freeze it, follow steps 1 - 9. Pour mixture into a casserole dish, cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to bake, thaw in fridge for 24 hours and bake as directed in steps 10 - 12.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 139mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
Originally Posted: September 7, 2016

Photos & Text Updated: November 7, 2020

Sharing is caring!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Crystal Klein

Monday 23rd of November 2020

Can this be made the night before and just refrigerate?

Janelle

Wednesday 25th of November 2020

YES! In fact I always make mine in advance! Just don't add the marshmallows on top right away!

Suzy

Tuesday 11th of February 2020

One of our favorites for the holidays! We are definitely team marshmallows!

Dana

Wednesday 21st of November 2018

You said up to step 4 for make ahead? That's only up to boiling them. You don't recommend adding butter and other ingredients?

Janelle

Wednesday 21st of November 2018

Hi Dana! I actually just updated the recipe to make it easier to read last night and by doing so had to adjust the numbering. Before the directions were clumped together making it more difficult to follow. So now you'll want to go all the way to step 10 1/2. Follow all the directions UP TO the bake part. Put it in your casserole dish but do not bake. Hope that helps! Great question!

Isebelle Cooper

Monday 20th of November 2017

I am going to try this for thanksgiving.

Janelle

Wednesday 22nd of November 2017

I hope it's a hit! It's one of my all time favorite dishes on my Thanksgiving table!

Danielle

Saturday 18th of November 2017

Can you make this the night before and just add the marshmallows and reheat it before dinner?

Janelle

Sunday 19th of November 2017

Hi Danielle! Yes you can. I'd do up through step 4. Then cover with foil and refrigerate. When ready to bake you'll need to bake it for 30 - 40 minutes then top with marshmallows and bake extra 5 - 10 minutes. The extra baking time is added because the dish will be well chilled instead of hot from the stove. :) I hope you enjoy!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe