Free up oven space on holidays with this easy Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole. Creamy sweet potatoes topped with a gooey marshmallow topping and pecans made right in the crockpot!
Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole
A couple years ago I first shared my sweet potato casserole recipe but that one is baked in the oven. To free up oven space for Thanksgiving dinner, making this delicious side dish in the slow cooker makes a lot of sense.
The potatoes are cooked until tender and then mashed, topped with miniature marshmallows and then sprinkled with pecans before serving.
While this casserole is fantastic for Thanksgiving or Christmas, this side dish can be served any day of the week! It is perfect for family dinner or to share at gatherings.
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooked Sweet Potato Casserole
- Hands Off – Because the potatoes cook in the slow cooker, you don’t have to watch the stove while they’re boiling.
- Holiday Meal – This traditional Thanksgiving side dish is a staple on turkey day but easy enough for weeknights.
- Perfect Side Dish – This sweet casserole is always a big hit on the Thanksgiving table.
Equipment you’ll need
- Slow Cooker – Make sure the size of your slow cooker can accommodate the potatoes. I use a 6 quart.
- Potato Masher – I like to use a simple hand-held potato masher for these.
- Potato Peeler – I have this one & it has served me well for years.
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Fresh Sweet Potatoes – Raw sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into approximately ½-inch cubes.
- Brown Sugar – Dark or light, either kind of brown sugar will work.
- Butter – I like to use salted butter to balance the sweet.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can sub in ¾ teaspoon cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon ginger.
- Ground Cinnamon – Try to opt for a high quality ceylon cinnamon instead of cassia for the best flavor.
- Salt – A pinch of salt for balance.
- Vanilla Extract – I know vanilla is expensive but try to use pure vanilla extract (homemade is just fine!) instead of imitation.
- Mini Marshmallows – Mini marshmallows melt quicker for maximum gooiness.
- Pecans – This recipe calls for whole pecans, but use what you have on hand. To take it up a notch, try bourbon pecans or candied pecans!
How to Make Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole
- STEP ONE: Spray crockpot with non stick cooking spray. Wash and cut sweet potatoes and add to the slow cooker insert.
- STEP TWO: Whisk together the brown sugar, butter, spices, salt, and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the sweet potatoes and stir to combine.
- STEP THREE: Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until sweet potatoes are tender. Remove the lid, mash the sweet potatoes, and top with marshmallows.
- STEP FOUR: Replace the lid and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes to melt the marshmallows. Sprinkle with pecans and serve immediately.
What to serve it with
Add this crock pot sweet potato casserole to your holiday menu along with slow cooker turkey breast, green bean casserole, slow cooker broccoli casserole, cranberry sauce, traditional herb stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and some dinner rolls.
How to store leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, it can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave before serving.
How to reheat sweet potato casserole
The next day, Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave.
If you have a large portion to reheat, it can be placed back into the slow cooker and warmed until heated through or poured into a casserole dish and heated in the oven.
FAQs
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes! This casserole can be made up to two days in advance but hold off on topping it and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it.
Can I use canned sweet potatoes?
You can use canned sweet potatoes, but I recommend fresh. Canned potatoes often come in syrup or with added white sugar, so you’ll need to adjust the added ingredients.
Do I have to use a crockpot?
No, you don’t have to use a crockpot, check out my baked sweet potato casserole.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, this recipe can be easily doubled. Just double the ingredients listed on the recipe card, cooking time should not be affected but make sure your slow cooker is large enough to accommodate everything.
How do you keep sweet potato casserole from being runny?
The key to a good sweet potato casserole is to make sure the sweet potatoes are cooked through but not over-cooked. You don’t want them to be too mushy or too firm. If you overcook them, you can force too much water out of your sweet potatoes, which can ruin the whole dish.
What is the difference between sweet potato casserole and yams?
Sweet potatoes have thin, reddish-brown skin, a sweet flavor, and are readily available in grocery stories.
Yams have a thick, rough skin, almost like bark, and a more mild, neutral flavor.
Need more Thanksgiving sides? Try these:
Cheesy Potato Casserole – Some people call them funeral potatoes, but they’re holiday potatoes to me.
Honey Cornbread – I told you, I like options when it comes to carbs.
Oven Roasted Green Beans – I always make green beans or carrots or zucchini…or a mix of the three.
Green Chile Corn Casserole – only 8 ingredients and 5 minute prep make this delicious side a necessity.
Click here for my entire collection of side dish recipes.
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
- 1 cup pecans whole
Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker insert with non-stick spray.
- Wash, peel, and cut sweet potatoes and add to slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, spices, salt and vanilla.
- Pour the butter mixture over the sweet potatoes and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove the lid and mash the potatoes.
- Sprinkle the marshmallows evenly over the top and then replace the lid for 5-10 minutes allowing them to melt.
- Sprinkle with pecans and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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These were delicious!! I opted to skip the mashed part & leave them chunky. It was a trial run for Thanksgiving & my little fam loved them, too! Can’t wait to make them for the 15 guests we’ll be hosting this year! Thanks Melissa!
Love this, thank you for reporting back! 🙂