My streuseled sweet potato casserole is the ultimate holiday side, with a rich, creamy base and a crunchy streusel topping. It’s packed with add-ins that make it perfect for every Thanksgiving table.

Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole
I made this streuseled sweet potato casserole to include everything I love in a decadent holiday side dish. Unlike that traditional sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows—let’s be honest, that can just go away—this dish has a next-level crunch that’s simply irresistible. With the combination of maple syrup, orange marmalade, and my favorite dried fruits, it feels more like a dessert than a side, making it the perfect complement to any savory meal.
What I love most about this recipe is how it turns the humble sweet potato into something truly spectacular. Each bite is a memorable experience, thanks to the sweet, creamy base and the crunchy topping that just keeps you coming back for more.
Why I Love This Recipe
- The texture of this dish keeps things interesting on the plate.
- The blend of flavors—from the maple to the fruity bits—makes it absolutely delicious.
- It’s super easy to put-together and can be made-ahead and baked off when you’re ready.

Ingredients
This streuseled sweet potato casserole is has a mix of flavors and textures. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup, which is simply maple tree sap boiled down to a thicker consistency. You don’t want pancake syrup.
- Orange marmalade: This fruit preserve, made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water, adds a zesty brightness that balances the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
- Vanilla extract
- Dried apricots, pitted dates, golden raisins and dried apples: These complement the sweet potatoes perfectly with their chewy texture and sweet-tart flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar
- Pecans: A classic addition to sweet potato casseroles.
- Table salt
- Sweet potatoes: Use the dark orange variety often referred to as yams.
- Unsalted butter: You can also use salted butter, just omit the table salt addition.

How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Step One: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Step Two: In a bowl, combine maple syrup, orange marmalade, vanilla extract, dried apples, dried apricots, golden raisins, and pitted dates. Mix it all up until it’s well combined.
- Step Three: In a large pot, simmer the sweet potatoes in water for about 15 minutes, until they’re just tender. Once done, drain them.
- Step Four: Add that fruit mixture to the drained sweet potatoes and give it a good stir to combine, lightly crushing the potatoes with a fork as you go. Transfer everything to a 1 1/2-quart baking dish (either 7×10 or 9×9 inches).
- Step Five: In a food processor, pulse all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and unsalted butter until crumbly. Toss in some pecans for that classic crunch.
- Step Six: Sprinkle that delicious streusel topping over the sweet potato mixture.
- Step Seven: Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the topping is browned and bubbly.
Recipe Tips
Here are some helpful tips for making this delicious streuseled sweet potato casserole:
- Make it ahead. This casserole can be prepped a day in advance. Just assemble it in the baking dish, cover it, and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, simply pop it in the oven straight from the fridge—just add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- Swap it up. Feel free to play around with the dried fruits you use. If you have other favorites like dried cranberries or figs, toss them in for a different twist.
- Crunch factor. If you want an even crunchier topping, consider adding a bit of oats to the streusel mixture. It adds texture and pairs nicely with the other ingredients.
Storage and Freezer Tips
Here are some storage and freezer tips for your streuseled sweet potato casserole:
- If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Just reheat in the oven for a few minutes to bring back that delicious crunch on top.
- This casserole freezes well, making it a great make-ahead option. To freeze, let it cool completely, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and foil. It can be frozen for up to three months.
- When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake at 375°F until heated through and the topping is crispy again.

More Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet potatoes are so tasty! Who doesn’t love to turn them into all sorts of delicious creations? Here are a few more recipes:
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin
- Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
- Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue
- Sausage and Sweet Potato Hash
- Sweet Potato Muffins with Cranberries and Chocolate
- Sweet Potato Pasta Salad
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Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped dried apple
- 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
- 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4″- thick slices
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar or dark
- 6 tbsps. cold, unsalted butter, cubed
- pinch of table salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a bowl, combine the maple syrup, orange marmalade, vanilla extract, dried apples, dried apricots, golden raisins, and pitted dates.2/3 cup pure maple syrup, 1/4 cup orange marmalade, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates, 1/2 cup chopped dried apple
- In a large pot, simmer the sweet potatoes in water for about 15 minutes, until just tender. Drain.2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4″- thick slices
- Add the fruit mixture to the drained sweet potatoes and stir to combine, lightly crushing the potatoes with a fork. Transfer to a 1 1/2-quart baking dish (7x10 or 9x9 inches).
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugars, salt, and butter until crumbly. Toss in the pecans and pulse a few more times.1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 6 tbsps. cold, unsalted butter, cubed, pinch of table salt, 1 cup chopped pecans
- Sprinkle the streusel over the potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Deeba says
Stopped me in my tracks alright! tried to take a bite…couldn’t. tried to have some more…still couldn’t!! WAH…what a torturer you are Cathy! This is one yum casserole! And just look at MS’s scraggy looking cat…LOL!
snowmoonelk says
Mmmm! looks delish, BUT, and forgive my ignorance, please)is this dish a pudding or one of those weird and wonderful side-dishes you Americans love so much – I mean would you serve this after the main course or WITH it? Should I break out the cream or the gravy – you get my drift…
Rachel (S[d]OC) says
I think for many of your readers Thanksgiving will never be the same again.
clumbsycookie says
That cat has that face because he really wants to eat that streussel. And so do I actually!
Leslie says
Anything with a crumb topping sucks me right in!
melissa says
Oh my yum yum yum
I am so hungry right now!
Love the mangy looking cat!
katie says
Those do scream Fall way more than a bunch of marshmallows.
Rachel says
I am so making those sweet potatoes! I want to eat them for breakfast! Yum!!!
Loving Annie says
I’ll wash and dry the dishes if you’ll invite me over to your house for that 🙂
Have a great weekend !
Bunny says
wll this is another one that will grace my holiday table! I bought cute martini glasses lastnight to make your tinis in ! These are fantastic recipes Cathy keep ’em comin!!
Marcy says
Love the creepy black cat. We try to steer clear of potatoes for the most part since to most diabetics its like fueling the fire… but those sure look good..
Andi Sexton (rrlscrapgal) says
Great!.. Now I have that Meatloaf song in my head (from your post title!)… lOL!
I am saving this recipe! I SUCK at sweet potato casseroles… Tried one last year.. it was really bad!
Awesome mouth watering photos!
Thotlady says
Cathy, you take the most amazing food photos. So crisp and clear. How do you do it. The close-ups are so clean.
The recipe sounds amazing too. I don’t like sweet potatoes, but my husband does, so I will have to try this recipe.
Sarah says
Oh, THANK YOU, Cathy, for saving us from another year of marshmallow-y sweet potato casserole! This version looks fabulous (and not as sticky-sweet)! Now, if we could just find a way to avoid that shredded carrot-raisin salad that my aunt always serves, I’d be all set 🙂
ELRA says
Meeeeaoooo…that cat scares me…
Looking délice Cathy, never made this kind of casserole (in fact, never made any potato casserole) before. I take your word, that this is the best EVER!
Mine is coming soon! Well done dear!
Cassie says
I hate the marshmellow dish. I usually just make mine with pecans and brown sugar. I am so totally making yours this year. YUM!
Bren@Flanboyant Eats says
okay chic, picture no 3 and 5 make me wanna smack you for this goodness! I’m not being mean, it’s really a compliment! and i can’t thank you enough for suggesting we scrap the same ol’ candied yams (what I call it) dish for this time of year. I swear by that thing! lol!
Teri says
OH.
MY.
YUMMY.
SWEETNESS.
Alisa says
I am slowly falling in love with you. Sorry, but there it is.
That cat scared the bejeebus out of me. I didn’t even know I had a bejeebus.
Liz C. says
We are never home for Thanksgiving any more, but I’ll have to try it another time… perhaps Christmas. It looks just fabulous!
For the first time, we’re eating out this year. In Austin. Not sure how that’s going to turn out.
I love the crazy looking kitty, lol.
Karen Deborah says
OMG just feed me please, see my mouth, put that fork in it. Lawdy you kill me, I’m too tired to cook. In fact I’m so pooped my brain is in full blown dementia, I wanta punkin drink and a bowl of this and a handful of candy and and and can you hear me? I am WHINING, puhleeze be my mom and feed me. Food is love in my book.
Amanda says
Wow, seriously? This was really AMAZING! This is so much better than regular sweet potato casserole..so much texture.
Asthmagirl says
Love the sweet potatoes!
Jenni not in KS says
Okay, you’ve talked me into it. I was going to at least fix an alternate to the traditional marshmallow covered sweet potatoes, but I think I will do just this one sweet potato dish. That’s how much faith I have in your recipes. If you don’t hear from me after Thanksgiving, it’s not because your recipe was no good, it’s because not having the traditional marshmallow goo caused a mutiny. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. Next year we’re going after the Jell-O salads! Thanksgiving may never be the same.
Kevin says
What a great way to serve sweet potatoes! It was really tasty.
Jennifer says
This casserole was absolutely amazing..omg…best ever.
dawn says
I’m with you and I’m ready for a bite. Oh yeah, these are way better than marshmallow topped stuff.
Yeah, this is crazy yummy good.
Thanks for sharing this. And thanks for your comments on my blog, you have no idea how depressed I was. When we move we are just leaving this place, with only 2 months notice; I don’t care if we break our lease and how many months are left. If she tries to come after us in court she will never ever win.
Maureen says
Cathy this looks A.MAZING. Now I know for sure what will be added to our Thanksgiving menu. I was looking through Food and Wine today for inspiration, and NOTHING looked even half as good as this. Thank you for posting!!
Tammy says
Anything with sweet potatoes gets my attention.
Once we had dinner at a restaurant that had sweet potatoes the size of a newborn….it was awesome!
Love the kitty ~~
Cassie says
ROFL! The size of a newborn. *giggle*
I love sweet potatoes too. There is a restaurant nearby that makes a sweet potato salad and it seems like half the potatoes are whipped and half are just chopped up. It is sooooo good. Melt in your mouth good.
Fun House Jennifer says
Mmmmmm! I love anything w/ sweet potatoes!! Sounds great!
claudia (cook eat FRET) says
bookmarked
sounds fabbo
Leah Q says
Holy Toledo Batgirl…I was scrolling and drooling minding my little ‘ol business checking out the amazing and gorgeous photos of your sweet potatoes when it dawned on me I need to make this NOW…it was amazing!
Marjie says
Good lookin’ stuff. I love sweet potatoes. However, on Thanksgiving, I simply must have them mashed with brown sugar, whipping cream and butter. With mine, you don’t feel the burn. You feel the flab!
Marianne says
This looks so good that I’m drooling all over my keyboard!! I just don’t know if I could share it with anyone else. ANYthing with butter, maple syrup and brown sugar gets my attention! Now, all the cooks in my family have to decide who gets to bring it for Thanksgiving…..mmmmm…thanks…. :-3
Dr. John says
I am just going to have to start watching Martha Stewart.
If we host Thanksgiving this year I will try to get Bettty to make this, the dish not the cat.
Tanya says
This streuseled sweet potato casserole is a total winner! I love the mix of dried fruits—especially the apricots. The crunchy topping is what really makes it for me.
Jeanette says
This is just in time. It is Canadian Thanksgiving weekend here and I am going to make this.
Now I have always made a side dish utilizing sweet potatoes, never with marshmallows though. I can not imagine what it would be like eating marshmallows with the main meal. Mine has a pecan topping, just no marshmallows.
But the dish you display here looks so nice and appealing with all the mixed fruits… I just have to give it a try.
After our celebrations, I will advise how it turned out and if my guests enjoyed it.
noobcook says
your close up photo made me so hungry, I’m bringing forward my lunch an hour early hehe
Susan at Sticky,Gooey,Creamy,Chewy says
That looks fantastic! It almost makes me wish I was going to be slaving in the kitchen for Thanksgiving instead of going on a cruise in the Caribbean. Almost! 😉
Tater Mama says
I swear, if it weren’t 1:15 a.m., I’d go to the store, get all the stuff for this dish, and get busy! Of course, that would frighten my husband since I normally avoid the kitchen at all costs……
pam says
Made this for Thanksgiving, and everyone went back for seconds. The orange marmalade added such a nice zing to the sweet potatoes. Definitely my new go-to side dish!
Starwoodgal says
Yummy for my tummy! Get in my Belly!
I love sweet potatoes. Love! LOVE! LOVE THEM!
Foodycat says
Wow that looks good! I have always been very dubious about the marshmallow thing, but this looks like a triumph of American cooking. And your photography is amazing!
Scary Mommy says
Oh, yum! I have a ton of sweet potatoes and am totally making this. Awesome timing & I love all of the decorations!
Tami says
I LOVE sweet potatoes! I don’t care what’s included in this dish, your pictures make it look scruptious!
I want to participate in your monthly ho down! I have to do some thinkin’ on what to make! Such fun!!
Egghead says
I have to admit I have never been a huge fan of sweet potatoes but having the crunch of nuts in there just might win me over. I think I will try this for Thanksgiving. You have the coolest decorations for Halloween.
sassy says
I was skeptical about the dried apples, but they added a great texture. The pecans on top really gave it that classic casserole crunch. Will be making this again for sure.
Indigo says
I never really got the sweet potato/marshmallow thing – is it supposed to be a dessert, or what? Cross-Atlantic differences strike again. But this, I can understand. And my god, it looks good.
chanelireli says
That looks so yummy delicious!
grace says
AWESOME alternative to the typical sweet tater casserole! i love every component of it–bravo!
Deborah says
I prepped this the night before, and it baked up perfectly. It was so easy to throw together, and the flavors were spot on. The maple syrup really shines through!
Jeanette says
Ok, I said I would tell you how my guests enjoyed this side dish. It went over very well indeed. For me personally, I found the topping a bit too sweet. Next time, I will cut the regular white sugar in half.And I think I am going to increase the amount chopped pecans to about 1 1/2 cups. But the filling of mixed fruits and squash is just perfect.
The Fisherman's Daughter says
Looks like I’ve found a substitute for crack…
vanessa says
these sweet potatoes on the other hand…are the best I’ve ever had. Brilliant additions for texture.
Hillary says
This was outstanding Cathy!
Jacey says
This casserole is way better than the usual marshmallow version. The combination of sweet potatoes and that crunchy streusel is perfect. I’ll be making this every holiday
maris says
Your sweet potato dish looks fantastic! I love sweet potatoes.
And I’m loving your Halloween-a-Day pics! October is such a fun month.
tipper says
Mmmm who couldn’t love this-looks delicious!!
imbeingheldhostage says
OMGOSH. Sweet potato casserole is absolutely my favorite thing ever… THIS is definitely my favorite recipe for sweet potato casserole. It is out of this world.
Katrina says
That looks SOOOO good and so right up my alley. Printing. Great photos.
Melissa says
Fantastic Cathy. What a wonderful alternative. We enjoyed very much.
kimberleyblue says
I loooove sweet potatoes, and this seems wonderful!
monica says
This was delicious. I just convinced myself that it would be worth the $25 the maple syrup would cost to make this and TRUST me it was. Best I’ve ever had.
Kitcat says
Nice potatoes!. This was absolutely amazing…everyone had seconds!
Mariam says
This was as good as it looks. I made this sweet potato casserole last Thanksgiving, ran out and had to make more in the next day to go with the left overs. It is amazing! Thanks for sharing.
kitty says
This was the absolute BEST sweet casserole I’ve ever made!
K says
Hello, I just wanted to say that I have been making this casserole for my family holiday meals for many years now, with a few variations, of course, to suit our taste. Instead of orange marmalade, we typically use apricot or, even raspberry, jam. We like the fruit juice sweetened, no sugar jam. We found the casserole to be overly sweet with the two cups of dried fruit in it, so we use two cups of fresh apples, diced, skin intact, instead. We use gluten-free flour, as we have some folks in our family group with Celiac disease who must have that. In place of the pecans, we use a raw nut/seed blend. We typically use cashew pieces, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and pecans. The nuts and seeds roast in the baking dish, making them very flavorful! And, we cut down on the butter, and the sweetener in this recipe as much as we can, to taste. One year, I discovered that if I make the casserole a day or two ahead of time, and reheat it in my slow cooker or crock pot, the apples, sweet potatoes and the rest of the ingredients cook down and thicken the sauce and make the topping extra toasty and yummy! I’m sure if it was frozen and thawed the same way, or even in the oven, you’d get the same results! If you think this casserole is yummy after being baked once, wait til you try it after its been baked, or heated, twice! Yum!
Daryl says
Has anyone tried an alternative to maple syrup? We are currently living overseas and maple syrup is not available
Cathy says
You could try making a brown sugar syrup…lots of recipes available. Good luck.
Danny says
Holy wow, we devoured this. I mean I am going to make this weekly it was that good!
Leisa says
I’ve made a variation of this dish in the past and can’t wait to try yours. I’m making this for Friendsgiving Potluck at work. My question is what is the best way to bake then bring to work. I plan to double the recipe and have two options to bring to work. One is a 13 X 9 baking dish that has a padded carrier to retain the heat. My other option is to bake it in the oven in a slow cooker ceramic dish that is 13 X 9 then keep in warm in the slow cooker once I get to work. The time between getting there and the luncheon is 2 1/2 hours. What are your thoughts? Thanks!
Cathy Pollak says
Both options could work, but here are a few thoughts to help decide:
13×9 baking dish with padded carrier: If you go this route, bake the dish right before you leave for work to maximize heat retention. The padded carrier will help hold the heat, but over 2.5 hours, it may cool a bit. This is a good option if you don’t mind your dish being served warm rather than hot. For a little extra heat retention, you could add a layer of aluminum foil over the dish before securing the lid.
Slow cooker ceramic dish: This option gives you more control over keeping the dish hot. You can bake it in the ceramic insert, then set it on the warming function once you arrive. This will keep your dish at a more consistent temperature and is a solid choice if your dish benefits from being served hot.
Overall, the slow cooker method might be the best way to keep it warm until the luncheon. Just make sure your slow cooker doesn’t get too hot on the warm setting to avoid overcooking. Good luck, and happy Friendsgiving!