My Family’s Favorite Sweet Potato Souffle
This is the recipe for my family’s favorite sweet potato soufflé! We start by making a simple sweet potato mash. Then we loaded it up with eggs, a hint of cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste. Top it with a layer of brown sugar pecan crumble. It is TO DIE FOR!
This is the sweet potato casserole of your dreams!
It starts with a cinnamon and vanilla-scented sweet potato souffle. Don’t worry; you don’t have to boil or bake the sweet potatoes if you don’t want to – canned sweet potatoes work, too! We’ll push them through a ricer or mash them up and load them with melted butter, half and half, cinnamon, vanilla, and eggs.
But don’t let me forget to tell you about that jump lump streusel on top! I could honestly eat a basket full of that crunchy brown sugar-coated pecans.
Serious question: does your family serve multiple potato dishes at the Thanksgiving table too? Mine needs a mashed sweet potato, preferably in casserole form. But my asiago and roasted garlic and cheddar mashed potatoes also have a clutch hold on them. Especially if I serve them with my homemade gravy. I’m tempted to make scalloped potatoes or my twice-baked potato casserole one of these years, but I know the disappointment that would ensue if we had a table without mashed potatoes!
I know everyone has their favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving, but I have a feeling this one will become a family favorite for you too!
Ingredients for a homemade sweet potato souffle:
- Sweet Potatoes: We’ll need almost two pounds of sweet potatoes. I like to use the kind with orange flesh so that the casserole has a vibrant orange hue.
- Butter: We’ll use the butter for both the sweet potato portion as well as the crumble topping. Both unsalted butter and salted will work for this recipe. I typically use salted butter to help balance the sweetness of the sweet potato mixture and crumb topping better.
- Half and Half: the half and half adds richness to the dish.
- Maple Syrup: the maple and brown sugar work together to add a bit of sweetness.
- Brown Sugar: we’ll use the brown sugar for both the casserole portion and the topping.
- Cinnamon: adding a pinch gives sweetness to this dessert-inspired casserole.
- Vanilla: you can use both vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste for this recipe. I personally prefer to use bean paste as the flavor is a bit richer, and the specks of vanilla make the casserole even more enjoyable!
- Kosher salt: cuts some of the sweetness from the ingredients.
- Large Eggs: will go into the souffle portion of the sweet potatoes. The protein in the eggs will help keep the souffle from being watery.
- All Purpose Flour: is used for the crumb topping.
- Pecans: we’ll use these for the pecan streusel topping. They add a nice crunch to the casserole.
How to make sweet potato souffle recipe:
- Start with the sweet potatoes. You’ll want to peel and cube the potatoes first. Then, add them to a large pot and fill it with enough water to cover the potato chunks. Bring them to a boil and cook them until a fork pierces through them without much fork and they are tender! Drain the potatoes, add them to a large mixing bowl, and let them cool a bit.
- Do all the prep. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven if you’re baking the casserole immediately.
- Mash the potatoes. There are several ways to do this. You can use a hand mixer, a potato masher, or rice them through a ricer. I prefer the ricer, but the other methods work as well.
- Making the filling. To the mashed potatoes, add the melted butter, half and half, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, eggs, and mix until they are creamy. Spay a casserole dish with cooking spray. Then, transfer the filling to the baking dish. Now, you can wrap the casserole and pop it into the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.
- Top with the pecan streusel topping. In a medium bowl, mix the 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Melt the butter in a small bowl and pour this over the ingredients. I like to use a fork to fluff the topping until the butter and flour cling to the sugar and pecans mixture. Sprinkle this all over the casserole/
- Bake and serve. Bake the souffle in a 350ºF oven until the casserole is golden brown. Let cool for several minutes before serving.
FAQs about this recipe:
A souffle is made with eggs, which makes it airy and light. A souffle can be both savory and sweet. A casserole is a slow-cooked dish that is always savory.
Your souffle can be runny if you cube the potatoes too small when you boil them. For this recipe, it’s essential to boil the sweet potatoes in large chunks so they don’t become waterlogged. That water would release as the souffle bakes, causing it to become soupy or runny.
I suggest keeping the leftovers in an airtight container stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also pop leftovers in the freezer. Just thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Other Thanksgiving side dishes:
- Garlic Butter Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Herb Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
- Even Better Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Cheesy Cheddar Broccoli Pasta
- Best Herb Stuffing
Other sweet potato recipes:
- How to Make Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunchy Topping
- Homemade Sweet Potato Mash
- Autumn Crisp Apple Sweet Potato Salad
- Winter Detox Moroccan Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
My Family's Favorite Sweet Potato Souffle
This is the recipe for my family's favorite sweet potato soufflé! We start by making a simple sweet potato mash. Then we loaded it up with eggs, a hint of cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste. Top it with a layer of brown sugar pecan crumble. It is TO DIE FOR!
Ingredients
- 4 large (~1 ¾ pounds) sweet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- ½ cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
Topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
- SWEET POTATOES: Peel and cube the potatoes into 2-inch chunks. Add the diced potatoes to a large pot. Fill with water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches. Add a couple of teaspoons of kosher salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat until the potatoes easily pierce with a knife and are tender; about 18-22 minutes. Drain and let the potatoes cool to room temperature.
- PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF if you’re baking the soufflé immediately.
- FILLING: In a large bowl, mash the potatoes with a potato masher, or you can rice them through a ricer. Then add the butter, half and half, maple syrup, vanilla bean paste, kosher salt, and eggs.
- DISH IT OUT: Transfer the prepared soufflé to an 8x12 baking dish and sprayed with cooking spray. You can also cover and refrigerate the soufflé for up to 1 day and then bake the day of.
- TOP IT OFF: In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Pour the melted butter over the other ingredients and use a fork to fluff them until everything is moistened. Sprinkle this over the casserole.
- BAKE: Bake the soufflé in a preheated oven for 28-32 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Amount Per Serving: Calories: 274Total Fat: 16gCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gProtein: 4g
The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.
