American
Pecan Topped Sweet Potato Bake
Mashed sweet potatoes are sweetened lightly, then finished with a crunchy pecan brown-sugar topping. It sits beside turkey or ham without tasting like dessert alone.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Can be mashed a day ahead and baked before serving.
- Pecan topping adds crunch without marshmallows.
- Uses pantry spices most kitchens already have.
- Stretches a few sweet potatoes into a full side for eight.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Boil sweet potatoes in salted water until tender, 15 to 18 minutes, then drain well.
- 2
Mash potatoes with 3 tbsp melted butter, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
- 3
Spread the mash in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
- 4
Mix pecans, brown sugar, flour, and remaining 1 tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over the potatoes.
- 5
Bake 30 to 35 minutes until the topping is browned and the edges bubble.
- 6
Cool 5 minutes before scooping.
Pro tips
- Dry the drained potatoes a minute in the hot pot so the mash is not watery.
- Toast pecans in a dry skillet first for deeper flavor if you have time.
- For cleaner scoops, let the bake rest the full 5 minutes.
Easy substitutions
- maple syrup
- honey
- pecans
- walnuts
- milk
- half-and-half or oat milk
Storage and reheating
Storage
Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days.
Reheating
Cover with foil and warm at 325°F for 20 minutes, or microwave single portions.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 290
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
Budget friendly · Oven · Vegetarian
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
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An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
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A large cutting board
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Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
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