Call dibs now—you want to bring this Sweet Potato Souffle to Thanksgiving this year! Velvety roasted sweet potatoes beaten into a fluffy frenzy with butter, sugar, and eggs, then showered with a crunchy pecan topping and baked until golden, it has the distinct habit of stealing the side dish show.
Plus, you are going to sound ultra-impressive when you casually mention that you are bringing a souffle.
Though the word “souffle” suggests a dish that’s fussy (and you can allow your friends to assume as much), sweet potato souffle is EASY (even easier than Cornbread Stuffing!).
Souffle vs. Casserole
Unlike a classic French souffle, southern sweet potato souffle requires zero meticulous whipping and folding of egg whites or hovering by the oven as it bakes, praying to the food gods that it won’t fall.
- The process to make sweet potato souffle is more like making a casserole: prepare filling, add delicious topping, then bake.
- The primary difference between a casserole and souffle is the texture of the sweet potatoes. Because eggs are beaten with the sweet potatoes in a sweet potato souffle, they become fluffy and light, just like a classic souffle.
5 Star Review
“This sweet potato souffle is absolutely delicious! The BEST sweet potato side dish ever! It’s also great as a healthy dessert. I’ve made it twice and will certainly make it again and again.”
— Angela —
The Sweet Potato Bake Debate
One of the great battles of our time (not to be dramatic or anything) is whether or not Thanksgiving sweet potatoes should include mini marshmallows.
- I am a hard NO, preferring instead a more savory take like these Glazed Sweet Potatoes.
- My sister Elizabeth? She loves the marshmallow version so much, she could practically eat it for breakfast.
This recipe for sweet potato souffle is the ideal middle ground.
It’s sweeter than the Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes in my cookbook or my Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole, but nowhere near as cloying as the marshmallow variety.
How to Make Sweet Potato Souffle
Fluffy sweet potato souffle is Southern by origin and remains popular at Thanksgiving throughout the South.
Traditionally it is VERY sweet; most of the recipes I found contain more sugar than Sweet Potato Pie.
- While most recipes require that you boil, drain, and mash the potatoes first, I found I could cut down on the sugar significantly if I roasted the sweet potatoes.
- Roasting concentrates the sweet potatoes’ natural sugars, making the souffle taste sweeter (if you’ve made Roasted Sweet Potatoes you know what I’m talking about).
Roasting works with what this delicious, healthy vegetable gives us naturally, instead of covering it up with more sugar than a dessert.
The Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes. My fave holiday side! Sweet potatoes are packed with fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and antioxidants.
- Eggs. The key to the fluffy sweet potato souffle’s airy texture.
- Pecans. I love the texture, crunch, and nutty flavor pecans lend to this not-too-sweet topping. (They are also an excellent excuse to bake Pecan Pie Bars.)
- Butter. Butter adds rich, necessary holiday flavor to both the sweet potatoes and the pecan topping. You can either use room temperature or melted butter.
- Milk. Helps make the sweet potato mixture extra creamy. I used 1% milk, but you can use any milk you have on hand.
- Sugar + Maple Syrup. I tried to keep this sweet potato souffle healthy relative to most by cutting down on the amount of sugar used compared to many traditional recipes. Instead of using only refined sugar, I opted to add a little maple syrup for natural sweetness. It’s also a divine pairing with sweet potatoes and pecans.
- Vanilla. Adds warmth and coziness. Vanilla is surprisingly wonderful in sweet potato bakes.
- Cinnamon. Cinnamon and sweet potatoes are a dream team. (Hello, Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes.)
- Flaked Coconut. While optional, I love the touch of extra nuttiness it adds to the topping. The flavor is not strong, so even if you are not typically a coconut fan, you will likely enjoy it here.
The Directions
- Roast the sweet potatoes.
- Scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining filling ingredients.
- Beat until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.
- Prepare the pecan streusel, then sprinkle it over the sweet potatoes.
- Bake the sweet potato souffle in a preheated oven for 40 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, then DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover souffle in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or gently in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze souffle in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, prepare the filling and place it in the baking dish. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to add the topping and finish the recipe.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Souffle
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Mixing Bowl. I love this space-saving glass mixing bowl set.
- Casserole Dish. This beauty is not only functional but will look gorgeous on your holiday table.
- Baking Sheet. Perfect for roasting and baking sweet and savory recipes alike.
The Best Baking Sheets
Their uncoated aluminum has has great nonstick performance and even heat distribution.
The marshmallow casserole fanatics, the nay-sayers, and even those who in other circumstances are sweet potato averse will all find something to love in this spiced, sweet, and savory sweet potato side dish.
Depending upon your family’s selection of topics, I can’t promise the same peace for your dinner table discussions, but at least we can all agree on sweet potato souffle!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but do so with caution. Because canned yams (or canned sweet potatoes) come pre-sweetened, I recommend leaving out most of the sugar and maple syrup from the filling to start. Once it’s mixed, you can taste it and adjust if you’d like your filling sweeter (remember, the topping is sweet too).
Don’t be tempted to add extra sugar to this recipe, and measure carefully too. Since roasting sweet potatoes releases their natural sugars, adding additional sugar (on purpose or accidentally) can cause the souffle to be runny once baked.
Baking the sweet potatoes adds wonderful, important flavor to this dish, so I highly recommend taking the time to do this step. However, if you’re crunched for time, you can microwave the sweet potatoes. Pierce each potato 3 to 4 times with a fork, then microwave them for about 5 minutes.
(For a quick sweet potato Thanksgiving side, don’t miss my Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes.)
Sweet Potato Souffle
Ingredients
FOR THE SOUFFLE:
- 5 large sweet potatoes (about 7 cups once mashed)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted or at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon increase to 1 teaspoon if you LOVE cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup milk (I used 1%)
FOR THE TOPPING:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups pecans finely chopped
- 1/4 cup flaked coconut optional (I used unsweetened; sweetened will work too)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. With a fork, poke holes in the outsides of the sweet potatoes. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes (timing will depend upon the size of your sweet potatoes), until very tender when pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 casserole dish or similar 2 ½ quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the peels. Scoop out the sweet potato flesh and place it in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can also use an electric hand mixer.)
- Add the butter, eggs, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and milk.
- Beat until smoothly combined.
- Scoop into the prepared baking dish.
- Next, prepare the topping. In a medium mixing bowl, melt the butter. Sprinkle the chopped pecans, coconut, brown sugar, flour, and salt over the top. Stir until evenly moistened and combined. Scatter the streusel topping over the sweet potatoes in an even layer.
- Bake the sweet potato souffle until the topping is lightly browned and your kitchen smells amazing, about 40 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes, then enjoy warm.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Sweet potato soufflé may be kept in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze souffle in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Up to 1 day in advance, prepare the filling and place it in the baking dish. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to add the topping and finish the recipe.
Nutrition
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Very easy recipe to follow, and I’m going to love the results!
Hi Danielle! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi Erin! I always love your recipes and want to make this for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we only have one oven and so I was wondering if it is possible to make this recipe the day before and then reheat it right after the turkey comes out of the oven while it rests. You mentioned that this recipe can be reheated at 350F, but it did not say for how long. Do you have any other suggestions?
Hi Sarah! You can make it ahead of time. TO STORE: Refrigerate souffle in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
TO FREEZE: Freeze souffle in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Hope this helps!
This looks incredible – can’t wait to try it at Thanksgiving! Similar to Sarah’s comment above, I’m making it ahead of time and then reheating it in the oven. How long do you suggest reheating at 350F? Thanks so much!
Hi Michelle! Allow to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes. Then reheat for 15 minutes or until warm.
Recipe was delicious! I don’t like sweet potatoes too much but this recipe was so good and perfectly balanced.
This souffle looked so perfect for our Thanksgiving dinner — I made a double recipe in two 9×13 pans (I have that much confidence in Erin’s recipes). I’m taking both trays to my cousin’s home tomorrow for everyone to enjoy. I baked it this evening and will refrigerate overnight, and then will bring to room temp until about 15 minutes before dinner. I think I’ll only need to re-heat for 15 minutes. I took a quick taste and loved the fluffy texture, the light sweetness, and the crunchy pecan topping. Thanks again, Erin, for providing just the right dish!
Hi Judy! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Very easy and took only few minutes. The family loves it. Will make it again. Thanks
Hi Sami! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This sweet potato soufflé is absolutely delicious! The BEST sweet potato side dish ever! It’s also great as a healthy dessert. I’ve made it twice and will certainly make it again and again.
It’s one of my favorite recipes. Thanks for sharing this Erin.
Hi Angela! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I made this for Thanksgiving this year and it was a HUGE hit! It was so easy to put together. The maple syrup really added a depth of flavor to the sweet potatoes. The topping was delicious- we all loved the coconut as an addition. Thanks for a delicious recipe that we all loved!
Hi Melissa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
We made this for Thanksgiving this year and it was a HUGE hit! The maple syrup added a great flavor to the sweet potatoes and we LOVED the coconut in the topping. This is now a fan favorite we will be making again! Thank you!
Hi Melissa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This recipe was EASY to make/follow AND the results were YUMMY! Folks who normally don’t eat the “Sweet potato dish” at our Thanksgiving gatherings tried it and it was a hit, even with the “nay-sayers”; this recipe will be added to one of our holiday dinner favorites – thank you!!
I didn’t have pecans so I added walnuts, hand broken – not “finely chopped” – and the substitute worked just fine.
Hi Christie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!