Sweet Potato Souffle

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.

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).

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

1. Roast the Sweet Potatoes. Bake until tender. (See How to Bake a Sweet Potato for more.)

2. Scoop out the Flesh. Add it to a mixing bowl.

3. Add the Remaining Ingredients. Get ready to mix!

4. Beat. Stop once smoothly combined.

5. Assemble the Casserole. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.

6. Prepare the Pecan Streusel Topping. Sprinkle it over the sweet potatoes.

7. 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).

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