It’s time to get your Thanksgiving menus finalized and I promise you won’t regret adding this Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole! I actually started developing this recipe last year when I signed myself up to bring Sweet Potato Casserole to our Thanksgiving potluck at work. I loved the idea of including a touch of bourbon for that added flavor complexity, but most of the recipes I found either used a metric ton of heavy cream or canned sweet potatoes instead of fresh. Now, there’s nothing wrong with canned sweet potatoes and they are definitely convenient, but I wanted to use the real thing. So, I played around with things a bit and now a year later, I’m ready to share my own recipe that I’d be proud to share with family and friends for the holidays.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole:
- Sweet potatoes – Obviously! There are a lot of sweet potato casserole recipes that use canned ones, but I opted to roast my own for the freshest flavor.
- Brown sugar – You’ll need this for both the filling and the topping. Dark or light brown sugar will work.
- Butter – I went with unsalted so I could more easily control the salt levels, but either will work. If you use salted butter, adjust the amount of salt accordingly.
- Heavy cream – You don’t need a ton of heavy cream to get really creamy and rich sweet potato mash, but it is an essential ingredient. You could probably get away with half and half if you want to lighten it up, but heavy cream is your best bet for texture.
- Bourbon – While you can skip the bourbon if you need to, I don’t recommend it. The oak, caramel, and vanilla flavors really enhance the sweet potatoes, making them so much more exciting. If you don’t have bourbon, another type of whiskey or even aged rum could work too. The flavor brings the party, but the alcohol content is minimal and will cook out a bit in the oven, so this is safe for kids.
- Flour – Mix this into the topping to help it get crisp in the oven. I used regular AP flour and don’t really recommend any substitutes.
- Spices – Don’t skimp on the spices! I call for cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, and ground cloves here. You could even add in some ground ginger if you want!
- Vanilla – Just a bit to bring even more flavor to the filling.
- Pecans – My favorite nut for fall recipes! You could use walnuts instead if you prefer them.
Can I Make This Ahead?
Yes, absolutely! I actually highly recommend making the sweet potato mixture ahead of time to save valuable prep time on Thanksgiving, then store it covered in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also make the topping ahead of time – store it in a separate air tight container for up to 3 days. Before crumbling it on top of the sweet potatoes, let it rest on the counter at room temp for about 30 minutes so it’s easier to crumble and spread.
crunchy pecan
Topping FTW
The topping really is the champion on this dish – it’s crunchy, sweet, and toasty – the perfect compliment to the creamy mashed sweet potatoes. I like a generous ratio of topping to sweet potatoes, so a 9×13″ pan won’t be filled to the brim with sweet potatoes. Instead you get a thinner layer of the mash to maximize the topping per bite!
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Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 5 lbs sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 fl oz bourbon
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pecan Topping
- 1 1/2 cups pecans, roughly chopped, (170 grams)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, (100 grams)
- 1/3 cup flour, (41 grams)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and add sweet potatoes, cut side down, in a single layer. Pierce each sweet potato half with a fork once or twice. Bake the sweet potatoes for 1 hr or until they are fork tender and the skin begins peeling away from the potato. Note: the cooking time can vary significantly depending on how large the sweet potatoes are.
- Allow the sweet potatoes to cool for at least 10 minutes, then scoop the potato flesh out into a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except the Pecan Topping ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until fluffy.
- Add the sweet potato mixture to a greased 9×13" baking dish in an even layer. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix all topping ingredients except the butter until well combined. Add the melted butter and mix. Spoon the topping over the sweet potato mixture in an even layer.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the topping is golden and the pecans are crunchy, being careful not to burn the pecans.
Tips & Tricks
- Make it Ahead: Check out my tips to make this ahead to save time here.
- Storage & reheating: Cool and store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Microwave for 30-60 seconds to reheat, or for the crispiest topping, air fry at 280°F for 5-7 minutes in an oven safe dish.
- Nutrition: Scan the barcode below or search for “Peanut Butter and Fitness Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole” to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
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