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, this Sweet Potato Souffle with pecan topping has the distinct habit of stealing the side dish show.
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Why You’ll Love This Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe
- It Will Appeal to a Crowd. We all have our sweet potato preferences when it comes to what to pair with Thanksgiving Turkey! While I prefer something more savory (like Glazed Sweet Potatoes), I know others are more inclined to a sweeter dishes like Sweet Potato Casserole and Candied Sweet Potatoes. This souffle is the perfect middle ground. It’s sweeter than Mashed Sweet Potatoes but it’s nowhere near as cloying as a sweet potato souffle with marshmallows recipe (save that for Sweet Potato Pie!).
- It’s Simple but Impressive. Though the word “souffle” suggests a dish that’s fussy (and you can allow your friends to assume as much), this simple sweet potato souffle recipe is EASY (even easier than Cornbread Stuffing). Despite its uncomplicated prep, this dish feels special!
- The Sweet Potatoes are Roasted. 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, AND the dish tasted better! Roasting concentrates the sweet potatoes’ natural sugars, making the souffle taste sweeter and working with what this vegetable gives us naturally (I also use this trick for Roasted Sweet Potatoes).
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 —
What Is the Difference Between Casserole and Souffle?
The primary difference between a casserole and a 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.
- Unlike a classic French souffle, southern sweet potato souffle requires zero meticulous whipping and folding of egg whites.
- You also don’t need to hover by the oven as it bakes, praying to the food gods that it won’t fall.
The process of making sweet potato souffle is more like making a casserole: prepare filling, add delicious topping, then bake.
How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe
The Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes. My fave holiday side! They’re a nice change of pace from your classic Mashed Potatoes recipe.
- 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.) Youc can also make sweet potato souffle with walnuts, or if you prefer a sweet potato souffle without nuts, you can omit them.
- 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.
- Maple Syrup. Using maple syrup in combo with the usual sugar makes the sweet potato souffle even better; it’s a divine pairing with sweet potatoes and pecans.
- Vanilla. 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. Bake until tender. (See How to Bake a Sweet Potato for more.)
- Scoop out the Flesh. Add it to a mixing bowl.
- Add the Remaining Ingredients. Get ready to mix!
- Beat. Stop once smoothly combined.
- Assemble the Casserole. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.
- Prepare the Pecan Streusel Topping. Sprinkle it over the sweet potatoes.
- Bake. Bake the sweet potato souffle in a 350 degrees F 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.
How to Make this Recipe in Advance
This is a great make-ahead side dish for Thanksgiving or any holiday.
- Up to 1 day in advance, prepare the filling and place it in the baking dish.
- Make the topping and refrigerate separately.
- When ready to bake, let the filling come to room temperature. Top with the streusel and bake.
- You can also bake this fully 1 day in advance, then rewarm it in a 350°F oven.
What to Serve With Sweet Potato Souffle
- Turkey. At Thanksgiving, serve with Spatchcock Turkey, Dry Brine Turkey, or Air Fryer Turkey Breast.
- Chicken. Sweet potato souffle would pair wonderfully with Air Fryer Chicken Breast, Apple Cider Chicken, or Rosemary Chicken Thighs.
- Vegetarian Main. For a meatless main that pairs well with sweet potato souffle, try Grilled Portobello Mushrooms, Instant Pot Stuffed Acorn Squash, or Grilled Cauliflower Steaks.
- Pork. Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin, Pork Chops with Apples, and Baked Pork Tenderloin would all be tasty with this sweet potato dish.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Mixing Bowl. I love this space-saving glass mixing bowl set.
- Casserole Dish. This beauty is functional and will look gorgeous on your holiday table.
- Baking Sheet. Perfect for roasting and baking sweet and savory recipes alike.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use Orange Sweet Potatoes (or Yams). These have the best, sweetest flavor. While often confused for one another (and sometimes labeled incorrectly), sweet potatoes and yams are not the same.
– The sweet potatoes most typically available in North America are large with orange flesh and smooth skin.
– Yams have a brown, tough, bumpy skin similar to bark and are the size of small potatoes.
– The texture of yam flesh tends to be more starchy and dry than a sweet potato.
– Yams are not readily available in North America. Chances are what you are seeing at the store is a sweet potato. Carry on! - Don’t Overdo the Sugar. Don’t be tempted to add extra sugar to this recipe, and measure carefully too. Roasting sweet potatoes releases their natural sugars, and using additional sugar (on purpose or accidentally) can cause the souffle to be runny once baked.
- Use Good Quality Pecans. The pecans are the star of the topping! Make sure to use fresh (no stale pecans here) and flavorful pecans to really help your topping shine.
- Bake This in a Table-Worthy Dish. While some dishes can be easily transferred to a different piece of serveware, this souffle is best served in the dish it’s baked in. So, make sure to use something you feel comfortable serving in.
- Avoid Canned Yams if Possible. This recipe was designed for using freshly baked sweet potatoes, but if it’s an emergency you can try making sweet potato souffle with canned yams. 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).
Sweet Potato Souffle
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Southern sweet potato souffle is an easy side dish for Thanksgiving! Fluffy roasted sweet potato filling topped with old-fashioned pecan streusel.
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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
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon increase to 1 teaspoon if you LOVE cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup milk (I used 1%)
FOR THE TOPPING:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups pecans finely chopped
- ¼ cup flaked coconut optional (I used unsweetened; sweetened will work too)
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°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°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°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; prepare and refrigerate the topping separately. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to add the topping and finish the recipe. You can also bake the dish 1 day in advance, then reheat in a 350°F oven.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 10)Calories: 455kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 68mgPotassium: 651mgFiber: 6gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 24535IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 2mg
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I made this today for dinner and it was soooo good. As a kid I was never fond of sweet potato so I wasn’t familiar with what it was supposed to taste/look like, but my husband has always been the expert and it’s his favorite holiday dish. I’m happy he requested this…we both loved it!
Family and friends loved these sweet potatoes! They were gone on Thanksgiving, I had to make more to go with the leftovers!!! So easy and delicious. Not too sweet. My family loves this dish. Although I have made a few changes to the recipe based on what my family likes eating.
Thanks for sharing!
To die for! I don’t even like sweet potatoes, and I make this every year! Definitely worth trying. It was the hands down family’s favorite dish this year. I was short on pecans and added some hazelnuts instead. It was so good I don’t think I’d change this either.
This got so many compliments today! Absolutely delicious! I was a little pressed on time so I microwaved the sweet potatoes, and it still turned out fab!!! Thanks so much, this will be the new sweet potato tradition dish!!!
HOORAY! So glad to hear it Jaime!
It was delicious!! Everyone loved it!!!
Hooray, thank you Melissa!
Made this recipe for the first time for Thanksgiving this year! Not only did I receive verbal compliments, but there were no leftovers—the biggest compliment of all! The recipe was easy to follow and enhanced the sweet potato flavor.
My aunt told me this is now my “signature dish” for holidays to come!
Abbie, this is the best news, thank you!
Absolutely 💯 came out almost perfect 👌 for my Thanksgiving dinner with my family! I added my own twist a little bit but this was delicious 😋 😍
Great to hear, thank you Rachel!
This is by far the best sweet potato recipe I have made. The eggs make it fluffy and the topping adds flavor and crunch. Don’t wait till next year to try it.
Thanks so much, Lori!
Any ideas for a different topping? My husband doesn’t eat any type of nut
Hi Debera, you can omit them. Enjoy!
Marshmallows
We absolutely loved it! Usually I end up taking most of my sweet potatoes home but with this recipe people were asking for leftovers!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Colleen!
the best sweet potato souffle! my go to dish to bring to Thanksgiving, it’s always gone!
Yay! Great to hear Whitney! Thank you!
This is a yummy sweet potato dish. Not too sweet and the texture is quite nice. I gave it 4 stars because the pecans and coconut in the topping were raw tasting and chewy, even after baking for 40 minutes. I’ll make this again, but next time I will toast the pecans and the coconut before using in the topping.
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the topping, Shannon. Normally the butter mixed with the other topping ingredients will get bubbly and crunchy when cooked. I would bake the souffle for a little longer to achieve this texture. Hope this helps!