Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
A warm and comforting slow cooker sweet potato casserole with buttery sweet potatoes, brown sugar, maple syrup, warm spices, crunchy pecans, and gooey marshmallows. It is an easy holiday side dish that keeps valuable oven space free.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Lightly grease the inside of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into roughly 1-inch cubes, keeping the pieces similar in size for even cooking.
- Place the cubed sweet potatoes in the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.
- Pour the butter mixture over the sweet potatoes and gently toss until evenly coated.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the sweet potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork.
- Mash the tender sweet potatoes directly in the slow cooker. Gradually stir in the milk until the desired creamy consistency is reached.
- Smooth the sweet potato mixture into an even layer and sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top.
- Scatter the mini marshmallows over the pecans. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 10 to 15 minutes, just until the marshmallows are soft and melted.
- Serve the sweet potato casserole warm directly from the slow cooker.
Notes
- For a pecan streusel variation, omit the marshmallows and top with a mixture of chopped pecans, brown sugar, melted butter, and a little flour.
- For a less sweet casserole, reduce the brown sugar and omit the maple syrup.
- For extra richness, replace the milk with half-and-half or heavy cream.
- For more texture, leave some of the cooked sweet potatoes in small pieces instead of mashing them completely smooth.
- For a nut-free version, omit the pecans and use only marshmallows as the topping.
- Canned sweet potatoes can be used as a shortcut; drain thoroughly and significantly reduce the cooking time because they are already cooked.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- The sweet potato mixture can be frozen without the marshmallow topping for up to 3 months.
- For make-ahead preparation, refrigerate the mashed sweet potato mixture and add the pecans and marshmallows when reheating.
- Once fully cooked, the casserole can be held briefly using the slow cooker’s WARM setting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg
