This sweet potato souffle is a creamy blend of sweet potatoes and spices topped with a brown sugar and pecan streusel. An easy and elegant side dish that’s perfect for the holidays and always gets rave reviews!
When I’m entertaining I look for dishes that feed a crowd and look impressive. Some of my favorite side dish recipes include cranberry Jello salad, hashbrown casserole, slow cooker mac and cheese, corn casserole, hasselback potatoes and this decadent sweet potato recipe.
Sweet potato casserole is great and all, but have you ever tried a sweet potato souffle? It’s a similar concept, except that the sweet potatoes are pureed into a super creamy mixture that adds great texture. Best of all, this dish can be made in advance! This recipe pairs perfectly with a dry brined turkey or baked ham for the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner. Be sure to add a Thanksgiving salad to the menu too, and don’t forget pumpkin meringue pie for dessert!
Table of Contents
- Sweet Potato Souffle Ingredients
- How Do You Make Sweet Potato Souffle?
- Tips For The Perfect Souffle
- Quick Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Flavor Variations
- More Great Side Dish Recipes
- Sweet Potato Souffle Video
- Love This Recipe?
- Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe
Sweet Potato Souffle Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes: I recommend using orange fleshed sweet potatoes such as the Garnet or Jewel varieties for the best flavor and a striking orange color.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness to the souffle.
- Salt: A pinch of salt helps to enhance the flavor of this dish.
- Vanilla Extract: Choose pure vanilla extract for the best results. Imitation vanilla is not a good substitute.
- Large Eggs: The eggs help to bind the potato mixture together as it bakes.
- Cinnamon: Check to make sure your jar of cinnamon is fresh before you use it! Expired spices lose a lot of their potency. You can also use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon.
- Butter: This recipe works with both salted and unsalted butter.
- All Purpose Flour: Flour is crucial component to bind the streusel topping. Gluten free flour may be used if needed.
- Pecans: Pecans add a great crunch to this dish! Try using candied pecans for extra flavor.
How Do You Make Sweet Potato Souffle?
Place cooked sweet potatoes in a food processor along with sugar, eggs, butter, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Puree the mixture until smooth. Place the the mashed sweet potatoes into a baking dish, them make the streusel topping. For the streusel, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans in a large mixing bowl until a crumble forms. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the potato puree, them bake until the souffle is golden brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips For The Perfect Souffle
- I find that a food processor produces the best results for this sweet potato casserole. If you don’t have a food processor, try using a blender, a food mill or an electric hand mixer to mash your potatoes.
- This souffle can be assembled up to one day before you plan to bake it. Cover your baking dish with aluminum foil and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. You will need to add a little more bake time to compensate for starting with a cold dish.
- No fresh sweet potatoes on hand? Canned sweet potatoes will work, just make sure they don’t contain any added sugar. If your canned yams do contain sugar, you’ll need to reduce the amount of sugar in the filling.
Quick Tip
Leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
How do you cook sweet potatoes?
This recipe calls for cooked sweet potatoes, which can be roasted, boiled or steamed. I prefer to roast my potatoes. For this technique, prick whole potatoes with a fork, then place them on a baking sheet. Cook at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until potatoes are fork tender. Cut the potatoes in half, then scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place it in the food processor. Discard the peels. You can also boil chunks of peeled sweet potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain, then use in the recipe.
What is the difference between a casserole and a souffle?
The main difference between a souffle and a casserole is that souffles tend to have a lighter texture and are leavened by egg whites. For this particular dish, the difference between a sweet potato casserole and a souffle is in the texture of the potatoes. A sweet potato souffle has a very smooth texture, whereas a casserole has a chunkier texture and the potatoes are often mashed by hand.
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Flavor Variations
This souffle is delicious as-is, but you can change up the flavors to customize it to your tastes.
- Filling: Amp up the flavor by adding minced ginger, orange zest, maple syrup, nutmeg or allspice to the sweet potato layer.
- Nuts: Swap out the pecans for diced almonds or walnuts.
- Topping: Add an extra layer of sweetness with a handful of mini marshmallows.
While this sweet potato souffle is a classic holiday offering, you really can make it year round! It’s a classic that never goes out of style.
