Instant Pot Sweet Potato Casserole
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Make-ahead sweet potato casserole! The sweet potatoes get cooked so fast, topped with a crumbly pecan streusel + toasted marshmallow topping!
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F.I.R.E.! This was my first attempt at the Insta pot and at sweet potato casserole – and I’m not over exaggerating when I say my life will never be the same Best SP casserole my family and I have ever had. And now I never have to worry about what to bring to get-togethers because this.is.it.!
Why you’ll love instant pot sweet potato casserole
- Quintessential holiday tradition. Sweet potato casserole is a staple during the holidays, incorporating creamy, velvety mashed sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy, buttery, sweet pecan crumble alongside a gooey, toasted, marshmallow crust.
- Frees up oven space. With the help of the pressure cooker, the sweet potatoes will be ready to be mashed in just 8 minutes – no pre-boiling, no nothing, leaving valuable oven and stovetop real estate free and empty as you prep for the rest of your holiday dishes.
- Make-ahead convenience. Sweet potato casserole is a holiday side dish that you can easily prep ahead of time, making holiday hosting so much easier. Assemble up to 48 hours in advance, storing in the fridge overnight and baking just before serving.
Marshmallow vs. pecan streusel: which is better?
Marshmallows offer a classic gooey, melt-in-your-mouth sweetness while a pecan streusel offers a rich, buttery crunch. Some prefer to go with one or the other, or you can top with both 50/50 (adding the marshmallows during the last 5-10 minutes) for the best of both worlds.
How to make instant pot sweet potato casserole
- Pressure cook the potatoes. Add the peeled, chopped sweet potatoes and water in a 6-qt Instant Pot®. Secure the lid, set to seal, and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes followed by a quick-release.
- Make the pecan streusel. Mix together the pecans, flour, butter, brown sugar, and salt, then chill in the fridge until ready to use.
- Mash the potatoes. Drain the potatoes thoroughly and mash, using a potato masher, until smooth.
- Make the filling. Stir in the butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
- Assemble and bake. Spread the filling in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with the pecan streusel and bake at 350°F for 40 minutes.
- Add the marshmallows. Sprinkle with marshmallows and continue baking for 5-10 minutes until the marshmallows are puffed, melted, and lightly golden brown.
- Let rest and serve. Let the casserole set for 15-30 minutes, then serve warm.
How to make ahead of time
- Prep the filling. Assemble the sweet potato filling in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Store the topping separately. Prepare the pecan topping as directed and store it separately in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Bring to room temperature. Remove the casserole from the fridge 15-30 minutes before baking. This will allow the casserole to heat evenly.
- Bake. Sprinkle the pecan topping evenly over the filling and bake as directed, adding the marshmallows during the last 5-10 minutes.
what to serve with sweet potato casserole
Tools For This Recipe
Instant Pot Sweet Potato Casserole: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the eggs?
The eggs in the recipe work as a binder but they can be omitted as needed, resulting in a little bit of a “looser” texture.
What can I substitute for the pecans?
Chopped almonds, cashews, and pecans are all excellent swaps.
Why do I need to let it rest before serving?
This will allow the casserole to set and firm up, making it much easier to serve.
Can I make sweet potato casserole ahead of time?
Yes! The sweet potatoes can conveniently be prepped and cooked in the Instant Pot up to 48 hours in advance and placed in the fridge.
How can I store leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating in the oven at 325°F, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
Can I freeze sweet potato casserole?
Absolutely! Sweet potato casserole freezes very well without the topping, keeping in the freezer for at least 3 months.
Instant Pot Sweet Potato Casserole
Make-ahead sweet potato casserole! The sweet potatoes get cooked so fast, topped with a crumbly pecan streusel + toasted marshmallow topping!
Video
Ingredients
- 5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup water
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup brown sugar, divided
- Kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
For the pecan streusel topping
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add sweet potatoes and water to a 6-qt Instant Pot®. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 8 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Remove potatoes from the Instant Pot® and drain excess liquid before returning the potatoes to the pot. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until smooth.
- Stir in remaining butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- Spread potato mixture into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with pecan mixture.
- Place into oven and bake until almost set, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows; continue to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until marshmallows are golden brown.
- Let it rest for 15-30 minutes. Serve warm.
For the pecan streusel topping
- In a medium bowl, combine pecans, flour, butter, brown sugar and salt; place in the refrigerator.
Equipment
Notes
- Avoid canned potatoes. Canned sweet potatoes are frequently packed with heavy syrups, resulting in overly sweet casseroles. Use fresh sweet potatoes such as garnet or jewel (often times labeled as yams in the U.S.) for their natural sweet flavor.
- Use cold water. Start with cold water in the Instant Pot. The starch in the potatoes will react to hot water immediately, resulting in uneven cooking and mealy potatoes.
- Drain the sweet potatoes. Drain the potatoes very well prior to mashing to avoid a watery sweet potato casserole.
- Add the marshmallows at the end. Top the casserole with marshmallows towards the end of cook time just until they puff up and turn light golden brown for a toasted finish. Watch carefully so they do not burn.
- Make ahead of time. Prep and cook the sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot up to 2 days before, assembling in the baking dish, and place in the fridge. Allow the sweet potato mixture to come to room temperature for about 15-30 minutes prior to baking.
- Freeze without the topping. Once the filling has been assembled and cooled completely, cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, freezing up to 3 months. To bake, thaw overnight in the fridge, adding the pecan mixture and baking as directed.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
This recipe is so easy yet so delicious. People ask me for the recipe every time I make it. So glad I can send the link to this web page. I just made this over the weekend for my friendsgiving and everyone loved it.
What if you don’t have insta pot?
F.I.R.E.!
This was my first attempt at the Insta pot and at sweet potato casserole – and I’m not over exaggerating when I say my life will never be the same Best SP casserole my family and I have ever had. And now I never have to worry about what to bring to get-togethers because this.is.it.! I did add a lot more marshmallows and pecans to the top and more ground cinnamon on top of those for even more yumminess.
P.S. I’m writing this post while eating the very last of said casserole … in bed … to make it even more magical. Get at it, people!
This was damn delicious. Thank you for inspiring me to make the ubiquitous sweet potato casserole. I did however tweak the recipe because I never totally follow a recipe, LOL.
To the sweet potatoes I added a lb of cubed butternut squash with some kabocha squash for a complex mixture of flavors. I used 1/2 cup total sugar but would even use less than that next time. I used 3 eggs instead of 2 eggs. I used a total of 5 Tb of butter which made it rich enough. I also omitted the milk. I added 1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple at the time of assembly. For the topping, I omitted the flour to the crumble and crushed the pecans and added a TB of brown sugar before putting on the mini marshmellows.
Raves came from all the 10 people with them lining up to take home extras. I love my Instant pot (I have 4) and this was perfect for it.
Damn Delicious is right!! Thank you. Best sweet potato casserole I have ever had.
Made this for a Christmas Party and it was delicious. Easy to make ahead and it turned out wonderful.
When does step 2 stuff get added to the potatoes? Thanks!
At step 6
This may be a dumb question but for step #4 to we add that to the mashed sweet potatoes? Thanks!
This recipe was amazing. I left out the orange zest because I didn’t have any. This was so much better than using canned yams . I used sweet potatoes. Thank you for the yummy recipe.
My first attempt at making a sweet potato casserole. Total victory. My family loved it. I opted out of seconds for steak (which was also delicious), for more sweet potato casserole.
You’re doing really great things. I always follow you. Thank you.
This recipe was a HUGE hit with my family at Thanksgiving. The layers of flavor were incredible! I subbed the tsp of Orange Zest for 1/2 tsp of Orange extract without issue. Delish!!
This looks delicious!