What’s Cookin – Maple Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
November 2025 Recipe…
This dish takes humble sweet potatoes and elevates them with warm spices, a hint of maple and a crunchy pecan topping. It’s perfect for fall dinners or Thanksgiving, and it’s as pretty as it is delicious.
Serves: 6–8 || Prep: 20 minutes || Bake: 35 minutes
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 3 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cubed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
For the pecan topping:
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 T all-purpose flour
- 2 T unsalted butter, melted
- Pinch of cinnamon
Directions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 2: Cook the sweet potatoes. Place cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Step 3: Add melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to the sweet potatoes. Mash until smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Prepare the topping by combining pecans, brown sugar, flour, melted butter and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix until crumbly.
Step 5: Spread the mashed sweet potatoes evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the pecan topping evenly over the potatoes.
Step 6: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the topping is golden and the casserole is heated through.
Step 7: Drizzle with a little extra maple syrup before serving, if desired.
Tips & Tricks:
- You can make this ahead. Prepare the sweet potato mixture and topping separately the day before. Assemble and bake just before serving.
- Swap pecans for a crunchy oat topping if you need to avoid nuts.
- Add a tablespoon of bourbon or a pinch of smoked cinnamon for a subtle twist.
