Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

This easy Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole is a staple dish in my family during the holidays! It's your traditional sweet potato casserole with a splash of bourbon and topped with a crunchy pecan streusel full of brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg! This deliciously buttery and smooth sweet potato recipe will be the highlight of your thanksgiving dinner!

For more holiday side dishes, try this Candied Yams, Baked Mac and Cheese, Sourdough Stuffing, and Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes!

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• Ingredient Notes
• Substitutions
• Tips
• How to make Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
• Storing and Reheating
• Recipe FAQs
• More Thanksgiving Recipes
• Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

This sweet potato casserole is another one of my family recipes that I just HAVE to share with ya'll! It's mashed buttery sweet potatoes full of fall spices and topped with a delicious pecan crumble on top. I jazzed up this heirloom recipe with a little bourbon and maple syrup for deep caramel and vanilla notes that make this dish the best mashed sweet potatoes you'll ever make!

This recipe is near and dear to my heart because this is my favorite recipe that my mom makes every year for thanksgiving. I literally make this recipe from taste because I love it so much - there's something about sweet potatoes and pecans together. It's like they were made for each other!

It's also one of those easy recipes and won't take up a ton of time during your holiday meal prep. Simply make the streusel, boil the potatoes, mash them, and bake. You can also make this ahead of time and plop it in the fridge for up to two days prior!

Once this side dish hits your thanksgiving table, you'll be getting rave reviews left and right. Folks will be asking you to make it over and over again.

Ingredient Notes

Sweet Potatoes: You'll need about 3 lbs of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks. For a lot of mashed potato recipes, I usually say leave the skin on - however, for this one, I recommend peeling them.

Spices: you'll need cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger.

Bourbon: the flavors of the bourbon make this thanksgiving sweet potato casserole stand out from the bunch. You only need a tiny bit but it makes a world of a difference! Use whatever brand you like. I always use maker's mark.

Brown Sugar and Maple Syrup: to add sweetness and flavor that pairs so well with the bourbon. Both are used in the mashed sweet potatoes and brown sugar is used in the pecan topping.

Vanilla Extract: the vanilla extract with the bourbon and brown sugar give this sweet potato casserole so much flavor. Be sure to use a quality brand.

Evaporated milk: this will make for super creamy sweet potatoes and helps all of the flavors come together nicely.

Butter: I always use salted butter for more flavor, however, if you're watching your salt, you can use unsalted.

Eggs: to add a custard-like texture to this sweet potato dish.

Pecans: I love the crunchy texture that the chopped pecans add to this dish. I used about a cup of the chopped pecans for the pecan streusel. You can also mix them into the sweet potatoes too if you'd like.

All purpose flour: this is for the pecan topping.

Substitutions

• If you're allergic to nuts, simply omit them from the recipe. A nut-free version is just as delicious!
• To make this recipe vegan and dairy free, use vegan butter and vegan heavy cream instead of butter and evaporated milk. You can use the exact amounts in the recipe card.
• For a gluten free version, use a 1-to-1 baking flour for the pecan crumble on top.

Tips

• Use a potato masher or potato ricer to mash the potatoes. Do not use a food processor, it'll cause the sweet potatoes to release starch and have a gluey texture.
• Taste for seasoning. If you'd like more cinnamon flavor, add an additional teaspoon ground cinnamon. If you'd like more nutmeg, add more. This recipe can be easily customized to your liking!
• Add candied bacon on top for a sweet and savory take on this recipe!

How to make Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Start by making the streusel. I always make the streusel first and refrigerate it because that prevents it from becoming mushy while baking in the oven. Combine melted butter, chopped pecans, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and the tiniest pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Mix together until crumbly and add to the refrigerator.

1. Peel and cut sweet potatoes in half (this will allow them to boil quicker). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add about 1-1 ½ tablespoons of kosher salt to the water.
2. Boil sweet potatoes until fork tender then drain them and add to a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes and add the butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, maple syrup, and evaporated milk. Mash everything together until you get a nice smooth consistency. Then add vanilla extract, bourbon, and an egg. Continue to mix together until all of the ingredients are combined.

1. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and add the sweet potato mixture to the prepared baking dish.
2. Add the pecan mixture on top of the sweet potatoes and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Storing and Reheating

If you have any leftover sweet potato casserole, cover it with plastic wrap or add to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe FAQs

More Thanksgiving Recipes

• Slow Cooker Collard Greens
• Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
• Sweet Potato Cornbread
• Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Sweet Potato Marshmallow Bars