A classic Thanksgiving side dish is this Candied Sweet Potato with Marshmallows Casserole. They old school topping of mini marshmallows makes for a toasty, gooey, crunchy, and sweet treat.
Why this Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole Recipe is Amazing: These sweet & savory yams also have apples & crunchy pecans for the ultimate holiday side dish.
As a child (and still today) this is my favorite part of the meal at Thanksgiving. As someone that does not like pumpkin, I eat it as dessert too. It's like a crustless apple sweet potato pie that you just cannot get enough of.
This recipe like my Whipped Sweet Potatoes is a great way to get a ton of Vitamin A & C in your diet, and both pair well with Air Fryer Pork Chops. Ok, now we cook!
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Ingredients
For this classic Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole, you will need mostly pantry items and only a few fresh ones. You can shop for these items before the Thanksgiving grocery store madness begins, which is a life-saver for many who hate the crowds and lines.
Make sure you get the canned sweet potatoes in syrup. The most common brands will be Bruce's or Princella. You can also cube & cook from fresh by using my Instant Pot Cubed Sweet Potato recipe.
This recipe has no eggs. It does not have orange juice, cream, or milk. There is also no mashing needed to make this recipe.
Here are the ingredients needed to make this recipe:
- Canned Sweet Potatoes/Yams - drain them and cut into smaller bite-sized pieces.
- Apples - tart baking apples to balance the sugar & sweet marshmallows is best; granny smith, fuji, golden delicious, or honeycrisp work best.
- Pecans - for crunchy texture.
- Brown Sugar - for that candied sweet flavor.
- Cinnamon - perfect spice for holiday pie-like flavor.
- Butter - works with the brown sugar to caramelize.
- Mini Marshmallows - the small ones are best for topping.
See the recipe card for quantities & substitutions/variations.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
In kindergarten, a cookbook was created by the teacher asking us all to tell her how to make our favorite recipe. Mine was this but back then at age 5 I called it "Goodie Casserole" and I said to cook it at 17°. Well, rest assured I know how to cook this now and it's not frozen at 17°.
There is not much to prepping this quick & easy candied yam casserole recipe. To make this, start by preheating the oven to 350°. Also, spray an 8x8" casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Temperature & Time to Cook
NOTE - ** You can also just bake the marshmallows instead of a toasted layer as seen here. To do that, simply add the marshmallows now for the baking process, instead of broiling them at the end.**
Toast the Marshmallows on Sweet Potato Casserole
To get that roasted marshmallow goodness, you will be broiling them. So at this time, change the oven to broil, on low. On a top rack of the oven place the casserole to broil the marshmallows slowly. You want it to be at least 4-6" from the top broiler element in your oven.
DO NOT STEP AWAY, leave the oven door ajar and watch the marshmallows as they toast. You may need to rotate the pan to get an even toast. Once they are to your desired doneness, remove them using an oven mitt.
We love them well done and the marshmallows roasted to a dark brown almost burnt texture. We are that family that loves when we are roasting marshmallows over a campfire and they catch on fire. Oh sooo crispy on the outside and gooey marshmallow heaven on the inside.
Substitutions & Variations
- Canned Yam - if you want to use fresh instead of canned or try diced up leftover Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes.
- Pecans - you can use chopped walnuts instead. If you have a nut allergy and want a nut-free version but still want crunch, add roasted shelled pumpkin seeds.
- Spicy - if you want a bit of kick to this sweet and savory combination, add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper sprinkled and stirred in well.
- Vegan - use margarine instead of butter & a vegan brown sugar brand like Wholesome Sweeteners. Use a gelatin-free marshmallow like Yummallo.
This recipe is already vegetarian and gluten-free as written.
What to Serve with Candied Sweet Potatoes
Make sure you have this on holidays with turkey that you dry brine for the juiciest bird ever. Or try my recipe for turkey breast, chicken, pork/ham, and beef. And don't forget some Slow Cooker Apple Cobbler for dessert.
Storing & Reheating
This casserole can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer easily. Place it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freezer for 30 days.
To reheat sweet potato casserole, microwave individual servings for 1 minute.
FAQ
This casserole calls for mini marshmallows as a topping. They melt quickly and create a thin gooey layer on top. If you want a thick marshmallow layer you can use big marshmallows.
Keep in mind they may toast on the top but not be warm & gooey at the bottom. I suggest broiling with the rack 2 rows down so the marshmallows do not burn when close to the broiler cooking element.
Sweet potatoes are a healthy food. However, with the added brown sugar and marshmallows, this casserole recipe is not considered healthy. To be honest, this is like a crustless sweet potato pie - it is that sweet & yummy.
Yes, you can use freshly baked, steamed, or cooked sweet potatoes as a substitute for yam in syrup. Dice them into medium-sized chunks and add them to the rest of the ingredients.
You can freeze both leftover and made-ahead marshmallow sweet potato casserole. To freeze leftovers that have already been cooked, place them in an air-tight container and freeze them for up to a month.
Making this sweet potato casserole for meal planning is easy. It is also a great way to get ahead of all the holiday cooking.
Combine all the ingredients in the casserole dish except the mini marshmallows. Place a lid on the casserole dish or wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil to make it air-tight. You can freeze this for up to 3 months.
When you want to cook frozen sweet potato casserole, defrost it in the refrigerator for 2 days. Once thawed, bake per the recipe and top with the marshmallows.
I am not exactly sure but it sure is great. I think Thanksgiving often has a reputation for being decadent and the ultimate feast of the year.
So to up the sweetness in the potato dish and have a pretty topping with a yum factor. A more historical fact-checking reason origin of marshmallows in a savory dish goes back to the creation of a recipe booklet to promote more ideas for using them back in 1917.
Sweet potatoes and yams are actually different vegetables. Learn all about the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. However, the canned yams we find in America are often actually sweet potatoes. So I will use the terms interchangeably here.
Candied Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows
Equipment
- 8x8 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 29oz canned sweet potatoes/yams in syrup drained
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 small apples, cored, peeled, & cut into chunks about 1 ½ cups
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup salted roasted pecans pieces or chopped in big chunks
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ 10oz - package mini marshmallows about 3 cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°Spray an 8x8" casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Core and chop up the apples. You want chunks about ½" in size. You can peel them or leave the peel on; however, you like baked apples will work in this recipe.Chop the pecans if they are not already in pieces. You want big chunks and some are ok if they are in whole halves.
- Drain the yams and add them to the casserole dish. There will be large & small chunks in the can. Use a knife to cut the bigger ones, you want the chunks to be about 1-2" in size. They do not need to be all the same exact size just keep them in that range.
- Sprinkle the apple chunks & pecan pieces over the yams in an even layer.
- Dice the butter into smaller chunks to get about 12 small pieces. Evenly distribute the small butter pats over the top of the apples and yams. Sprinkle on the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over all the ingredients.
- Bake on the center rack in the oven at 350° for 20-25 minutes. The apples should be soft and the brown sugar juices should be bubbling. Remove the casserole dish using an oven mitt from the oven.
- Carefully sprinkle the mini marshmallows over the top of the casserole.
- Change the oven to broil, on low. On a top rack of the oven place the casserole to broil the marshmallows slowly. You want it to be at least 4-6" from the top broiler element in your oven.DO NOT STEP AWAY, leave the oven door ajar and watch the marshmallows as they toast. YOu may need to rotate the pan to get an even toast. Once they are to your desired doneness, remove using an oven mitt.
- Let it rest for about 5 minutes as it will be piping hot. This also helps the brown sugar juices set up a bit to more of a syrup vs a thin liquid. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Store for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 30 days in the freezer.
- Reheat in the microwave, 1 minute per serving.
Nutrition
More Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas
Here are some yummy recipes that will go well with this sweet potato casserole. For a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, serve these along with this recipe for a memorial holiday.
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