Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
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This easy sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is a family favorite made with just a few simple ingredients! Sweetened condensed milk is used to make it extra creamy with the perfect amount of sweetness. It’s so good you will want a second helping!

Sweet potato casserole with toasted marshmallows on top with the marshmallows being pulled to show the gooey insides.

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Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

What makes this sweet potato casserole with marshmallows truly the best? Here are a few reasons why it’s on our holiday table every year…

  • Easy and Quick: When we’re planning a holiday menu, we always gravitate to simple recipes whenever possible. And this best sweet potato casserole wins every time! It comes together in just a few easy steps with minimal effort.
  • Make Ahead: Prepare this casserole a day in advance, pop it in the oven on Thanksgiving, and worry about something else on your busy day.
  • Marshmallows: Need we say more? This perfectly spiced and sweetened sweet potato casserole comes topped with marshmallows that are melted and gooey with perfectly toasted tops. Absolute perfection!
  • Irresistible Taste: Sweetened condensed milk adds the perfect amount sweetness and creaminess to this sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. With some added warm spices, it’s the perfect holiday side dish!

Not a fan of marshmallows? Try these fabulous Thanksgiving side dishes for the best green bean casserole or corn casserole – they are real crowd pleasers.

Bowls of ingredients for sweet potato casserole recipe arranged on top of a chopping board.

What You’ll Need

Made with simple and inexpensive ingredients, you will want to make this best sweet potato casserole recipe over and over again. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.

  • Sweet Potatoes: Peeled and cubed if boiling, or wrapped in foil if you plan to bake them.
  • Butter
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk: This key ingredient makes this sweet potato casserole with marshmallows extra creamy and perfectly sweet.
  • Spices: Choose cinnamon and nutmeg, or a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice.
  • Salt: A pinch of salt will balance the sweetness in this dish.
  • Marshmallows: We use big, fluffy marshmallows, but mini mallows work as well.
A wooden spoon scooping out a serving of sweet potato marshmallow casserole.

How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

This sweet potato casserole recipe comes together in just a handful of steps. For detailed directions, scroll to the recipe card below.

  • Sweet Potatoes: Peel, cube, and boil the sweet potatoes in a large pot until fork tender. Or bake in the oven and remove the peels.
  • Mash: Use a potato masher, large fork or a ricer to mash the cooked sweet potatoes.
  • Season: Mix in the melted butter, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, stirring until smooth.
  • Marshmallows: Transfer the sweet potato mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish and top with marshmallows.
  • Bake: Toast the sweet potato casserole at 350ยฐF for 20 to 25 minutes, until the marshmallows puff up and turn golden brown. Serve and enjoy!
Toasted marshmallows layered on top of sweet potato casserole in a white casserole dish.

Tips and Variations

You may think making the best sweet potato casserole your family’s ever eaten is going to be complicated or challenging. But it’s not! Here are a few tips to ensure it turns out perfectly and wows all your guests.

  • Sweetener: If you choose not to use sweetened condensed milk, feel free to use dark brown sugar, light brown sugar or maple syrup with a hearty splash of half and half or heavy cream.
  • Lighter Texture: Want to make this sweet potato casserole a little more airy? Whip an egg and add it to the casserole. This will create an lighty and fluffy bite.
  • Fresh Unavailable? Though I recommend baking or boiling fresh sweet potatoes, you could use drained, canned sweet potatoes if that’s all you can find. They will be sweeter, so sweeten slowly and taste as you go.
  • Watch Closely: Keep an eye on the dish to ensure that the marshmallow topping browns but doesn’t burn. IF it burns, scrape off the burned layer completely – including any charred bits – and apply a new, fresh layer of marshmallows, and toast again.
  • Baked vs Boiled: Either option works, but baked sweet potatoes tend to be more moist than boiled sweet potatoes. Baked sweet potatoes also happen to be easier to prepare since you don’t have to peel them!
A wooden spoon scooping a serving of sweet potatoes out of a casserole dish.

What To Serve With Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows

Sweet potatoes are so versatile, they play well with many other side dishes. Here are a few of our favorites:

A fork picking up a bite of sweet potatoes with melted toasted marshmallows on top.

Can You Prepare Sweet Potato Casserole Ahead?

Absolutely! This is a great holiday casserole to prepare a day or two in advance.

Make Ahead: Prepare the entire sweet potato casserole up to 48 hours in advance, but hold off on adding the marshmallows. Instead, wrap the dish tightly with foil and store in the fridge. When you’re getting ready to serve, remove it from fridge and let the casserole rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Pop it into the oven with the foil on and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, add the marshmallows, and return to the oven until marshmallows are toasted.

Get A Head Start

Even if you’re not prepping the entire casserole ahead of time, sweet potatoes can be cooked up to 4 days in advance with no compromise in taste or texture. Cool cooked sweet potatoes to room temperature and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

How To Store Leftovers

This sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored to be enjoyed another day.

  • Fridge: Store leftovers for up to 5 days in the refrigerator by tightly wrapping the casserole dish in plastic wrap. If you only have a few servings left, you can place them in an airtight container instead.
  • Reheat: When you reheat it, the marshmallows will likely evaporate a little. It will still taste delicious, but will look a little different. To reheat, replace plastic wrap with foil and bake in 350ยฐF oven until warm. Or microwave individual servings in a microwave safe dish.
A wooden spoon scooping a serving of sweet potatoes out of a casserole dish.
4.5 from 286 votes
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Yield: 10 servings

Easy Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

This impressive, but easy sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is a favorite family recipe that is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. Itโ€™s so good you will want a second helping!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced, or baked and peels removed
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • ยฝ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • 1 (16 oz) bag large marshmallows, or mini marshmallows

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Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non stick spray and set aside.ย 
  • In a large stock pot, add sweet potatoes and cover with water. Cover pot with lid, bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes.ย 
  • Drain potatoes and transfer back to pot. Add butter, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.ย Mash away until nice and smooth.
  • Transfer the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top into an even layer.
  • Line the top of the casserole with marshmallows and bake until marshmallows are lightly toasted, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

Make Ahead: Prepare casserole up to 48 hours in advance, but hold off on adding the marshmallows. Instead, wrap casserole tightly with foil and store in the fridge. When ready to serve, let casserole rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. Pop it into the oven with the foil on and cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil, add the marshmallows, and return to the oven until marshmallows are toasted.
Store Leftovers: Store leftovers for up to 5 days in the refrigerator by tightly wrapping the casserole dish in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container.ย 
Reheat: When you reheat it, the marshmallows will likely evaporate a little. It will still taste delicious, but will look a little different. To reheat, replace plastic wrap with foil and bake in 350ยฐF oven until warm. Or microwave individual servings in a microwave safe dish.
Baked vs Boiled: Either option works, but baked sweet potatoes tend to be more moist than boiled and then mashed sweet potatoes. Baked sweet potatoes also happen to be easier to prepare since you donโ€™t have to peel the potatoes.
Sweetener: If you choose not to use sweetened condensed milk, feel free to use dark brown sugar, light brown sugar or maple syrup with a hearty splash of half and half or heavy cream.
Lighter Texture: Whip an egg to the sweet potato casserole which creates an airy, fluffy bite.ย 
Fresh Unavailable? Though I recommend baking or boiling fresh sweet potatoes, you could use drained, canned sweet potatoes if need be. They will be sweeter, so sweeten slowly and taste as you go.
Watch Closely: Keep an eye on the dish to ensure that the marshmallow topping browns but doesnโ€™t burn. IF it burns, scrape off the burned layer completely including any charred bits and apply a new, fresh layer of marshmallows, and toast again.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 456kcal, Carbohydrates: 82g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 267mg, Potassium: 538mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 53g, Vitamin A: 16492IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 159mg, Iron: 1mg

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I use can beans only because I like mine little softer. I need to try fresh ones it sounds delicious!!

5 stars
Thanksgiving just passed and I made this recipe again … for the third straight year. It is always a huge hit because it is so incredibly delicious. There are tons of sweet potato recipes out there in the universe, but I can attest to the fact that this is the best. Without a doubt!!

Unsalted butter or salted butter??

I tried this recipe and I thought it was really good but super sweet I could only eat a few bites.

How can I add pecans to this? My wife asked me about it and I am not sure where or how you could. Thanks

5 stars

Hi Jessica,

Do you put brown sugar in this recipe? I know itโ€™s not on the ingredient list, but this is my first time making this kind of casserole. Lol

4 stars
So close to my mom’s when I was getting up. One of the favorites. We ask had to have a piece with some browned crusty melty marshmallow.
Have you tried it adding a can of crushed pineapple?
It is amazing!!
It just adds a little texture and pineapple goodness.
It will be worth !! You’ll love it. Try it.

This looks delicious! I canโ€™t wait to make it. Silly question but I want to be sure; am I buying sweet potatoes or yams? Does it matter? The picture just looks so orange and sweet potatoes to me are whiter? Thank you so much for your help! ๐Ÿ™‚

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5 stars
This was absolutely AMAZING! I also made your green bean casserole I tried this on Thanksgiving and going to make it for Christmas. On my way to the market now to try your caramel apple dump cake. Excellent recipes!

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Thank You For Being Here!

Jessica
For the past 15 years, Jorge & Jessica have loved getting to share their families' favorite recipes with all of you. They live in Florida with their 3 kids.