Praline Sweet Potatoes
The best side dish for any dinner table, these praline sweet potatoes are made in only 40 minutes and is so good that you’ll be doubling the batch next time. Sweet and fluffy sweet potatoes sprinkled with brown sugar, and praline topping to make each mouthful better than the last.
Sweet potato casserole is a classic side dish during the Holidays, but these praline sweet potatoes blow the traditional version out of the water.
Made without marshmallows but topped with the most indulgent praline crumble, this Southern-style casserole will become a family favorite quickly. If praline topping with marshmallows is more your style, I’ve got a recipe for that too.
You can even make it in advance and save yourself some time in the kitchen. Whip up this sweet potato praline casserole for Sunday night dinners or keep the recipe in your pocket for Holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: you’ll need to peel, cook, and mash the sweet potatoes before putting the casserole together.
- Sugar: the sweet potato casserole is sweetened with white sugar, but you’ll also need brown sugar for the praline topping.
- Eggs: the eggs in the sweet potato base help to fluff up the flesh of the potatoes and create a cloud-like texture.
- Heavy cream: this is what makes the casserole so rich. You can use half and half if that’s all you have but it will change the taste a bit.
- Pecans: you’ll want the pecans finely chopped so that they blend well with the other crumble ingredients and add a punch of crunch in every bite.
- Baking staples: classics like vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, and butter, are in the ingredients too.
Tips For Success
The Potatoes:
Though you can boil the potatoes and mash them that way, they will retain a bit of water. Not only is roasting them a bit easier but it gives them a more comforting flavor too. Plus, it dries them out slightly so that the flesh can take on the ingredients of the casserole more easily.
The Praline Topping
Make sure to spread the topping over the sweet potato casserole evenly. You want a sweet, crunchy texture in each bite. It’s easier to do this by using your hands instead of sprinkling the topping with a spoon.
Baking It
You know when the praline sweet potatoes are done because the sweet potatoes will be warmed through and fluffy, and the top of the casserole will turn a comforting golden brown.
Variations
Though this praline sweet potato casserole is perfect as-is, there are a few ways you can vary it to suit your needs.
Dairy-free: if you need to make this recipe dairy-free, use full-fat coconut milk in place of the heavy cream. Coconut milk gives a similar rich taste. Likewise, opt for a dairy-free butter or at the least oil in place of the butter for the praline topping.
Seasonings: adding in a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg can give the sweet potato casserole with pralines a warm and comforting flavor.
How To Prep Praline Sweet Potatoes In Advance
To save yourself time when you need it, make sure to roast your sweet potatoes ahead of time. Once they’re cooled, scoop out the flesh, mash it, and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the praline sweet potatoes.
You could also make the base of the sweet potato casserole and store it in the fridge covered in plastic wrap. When you need it, whip up the praline crumble, let the sweet potatoes come to room temperature, and bake it before serving.
Storing Leftovers
Let the praline sweet potatoes fully cool before storing them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure to store them in an airtight container or with plastic wrap around the serving dish.
Reheat the casserole in the oven (without the plastic wrap) at 350F until warmed through. You can reheat it in the microwave also, but the praline topping won’t be as crisp.
Praline Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- For the sweet potato part:
- 4 cups cooked & mashed sweet potatoes about 4-5 large sweet potatoes
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 4 eggs beaten
- 1 cup heavy cream
- For the praline topping:
- 1 stick of butter softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1-1/4 cups chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk together the cooked (and mashed) sweet potatoes, white sugar, vanilla extract, beaten eggs, & heavy cream. Spread into a casserole dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, flour, pecans, & vanilla extract. I like to use my hands for this part, it makes it so much easier in my opinion. Crumble the topping all over the sweet potatoes.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
Yes! If freezing the sweet potato casserole with pralines, freeze it without the topping. Cover it in aluminum foil followed by plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight. The next day, whip up the praline topping, spread it onto the casserole, and bake it until cooked through.
Watery sweet potato casserole is usually caused by either omitting the eggs which helps to fluff it up or by boiling the sweet potatoes and not roasting them.
This casserole works as a side dish to any meal. Typically, it’s served with a roasted chicken or turkey for larger meals, but it works just as deliciously with ham at easter too.
Printed this recipe. I’m making these for Thursday! YUMMY!!!
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