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Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole (Freezes Well)

The holidays aren’t the same without this sweet potato casserole. I’ve been making it every November for Thanksgiving for years now, and I whip up three pans at once: one for Thanksgiving, one for Christmas, and one for Easter. It’s a tried-and-true recipe that stays tasty even if I freeze it for months. Yes, months! I’ve pulled one out of the freezer after a year, and it was still fantastic. Make one, or make extras and save yourself time later. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do.

A rich and creamy sweet potato casserole that can be made ahead and frozen for later. It’s an easy, reliable holiday side dish that bakes up perfectly every time.

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Harvesting and Prepping the Sweet Potatoes

If you grow your own sweet potatoes, this is the perfect way to use them once harvest time rolls around in the fall. If not, don’t worry. Stores put sweet potatoes on sale around Thanksgiving, so stock up then. Learn how to grow sweet potatoes in this guide, and put them on the planting list for next spring.

How to Bake and Peel the Sweet Potatoes

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Place your sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack with a sheet of foil underneath to catch drips.
3. Bake sweet potatoes at 350°F until very soft (30–60 min).
4. Let them cool on a cookie sheet. Once cool, the skins slip right off.

(A side note: If you have an in-bed vermicomposting bin, your worms will love the sweet potato peels.)

Now, your peeled, cooked sweet potatoes are ready for this recipe.

Freezing and Storing

I like to make big batches of this sweet potato pie filling and freeze it before baking. Here’s how:

• Follow the recipe, but don’t bake it yet.
• Pour into foil pans. Add topping. Wrap tightly (plastic wrap + foil, or foil lid + foil wrap). Label with the date.
• Pop them in the freezer. Best quality within 3 months, still fine longer. I’ve kept them frozen for up to a year, and they still taste great when finally baked.
• Allow to thaw in the fridge for 1-2 days and cook from thawed if possible. If cooking from frozen, it will take longer. Thawing helps it cook much more quickly and evenly.

Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping a New Family Tradition

This recipe is a holiday staple in my home, and I hope it becomes one in yours, too. It’s simple, comforting, and full of family memories. Got questions? Ask away. I’m happy to help.

Angela Judd

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

5 from 1 vote

A rich and creamy sweet potato casserole that can be made ahead and frozen for later. It’s an easy, reliable holiday side dish that bakes up perfectly every time.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Sweet Potato Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings: 10

Course: Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Calories: 335

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

Casserole Ingredients:

• 3 cups mashed, cooked sweet potato (about 2–2½ pounds raw) See baking and peeling instructions
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk not skim
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup flour
• 1/4 cup cold butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Makes: 0inch9 x 9inch rectangle

Equipment

• Potato Masher

Method

 

Bake and Peel Your Sweet Potatoes

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place your sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack with a sheet of foil underneath to catch drips.
   
2. Bake sweet potatoes at 350°F until very soft (30–60 min).
   
3. Let them cool on a cookie sheet. Once cool, the skins slip right off.
   

Casserole Instructions:

1. Keep oven at 350°F. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes until smooth (a potato masher works great).
   
2. Add sugar, eggs, milk, salt, and vanilla. Mix until well combined but not too liquidy.
   
3. Spread this mixture into a 9×9 baking pan.
   

Topping Instructions:

1. Combine brown sugar and flour. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until it looks crumbly. Mix in pecans.
   
2. Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potato mixture.
   

Baking Instructions:

1. Bake casserole 35–45 minutes, until center is set (no longer jiggly) and topping is golden brown. A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean.
   

Notes

Double the recipe for a 9×13-inch pan

Freezer Instructions:

• Follow the recipe, but don’t bake it yet.
• Pour mixture into foil pans. Add topping. Wrap tightly (plastic wrap + foil, or foil lid + foil wrap). Label with the date.
• Pop them in the freezer. Best quality within 3 months, still fine longer. I’ve kept them frozen for up to a year, and they still taste great when finally baked.
• Allow to thaw in the fridge for 1-2 days and cook from thawed if possible. If cooking from frozen, it will take longer, so add cook time and watch carefully. Thawing helps it cook much more quickly and evenly.

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