This easy recipe for Sweet Potato Souffle is made with mashed sweet potatoes and a few other simple ingredients. It’s topped with pecans and a sprinkle of brown sugar. Served casserole-style, this side dish is a perfect complement to any Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!
I was never a fan of traditional sweet potato casserole because it’s generally too sweet with loads of brown sugar or marshmallows. Sweet potato souffle is a great alternative because it’s light and fluffy and packed with flavor. It’s topped with a simple pecan topping.
A southern sweet potato soufflé has similar ingredients to a sweet potato casserole, although it’s slightly more fluffy and creamy due to the milk and eggs.
This is a great recipe that pairs well with any holiday meal including Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas brunch or dinner. It’s made with fresh sweet potatoes and a hint of brown sugar keeping it relatively low in refined sugar.
To thicken sweet potato souffle, you can stir in more mashed sweet potatoes or another egg. Or try mixing in a different thickening agent, like flour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s lightly sweetened with a sprinkle of brown sugar.
- It comes together with common ingredients found in your kitchen.
- You can serve it as a holiday side dish or decadent dessert.
- This fluffy sweet potato souffle is naturally gluten free. You can adapt to make it dairy free.
You can find all of the ingredients for this sweet potato recipe at your local grocery store.
- Sweet Potato – Peeled and cubed sweet potato makes up the base of this souffle casserole and adds a natural orange color and sweet flavor. You can use canned sweet potatoes in a pinch, but be sure to drain them completely.
- Eggs – Help binds the mixture together to make it stay together and easier to serve. You can omit if needed, but the dish might not be as light and fluffy.
- Seasonings – A mix of ground cinnamon, ginger, and salt adds a comforting warming flavor to this souffle. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg for more flavor.
- Butter – Adds a rich and smooth buttery flavor and texture to the souffle base. You can substitute with vegan butter, if desired.
- Milk – Helps thin out the mixture while keeping it nice and creamy. Use whole milk for the best flavor, but any type of milk will work. You can substitute with heavy cream or use dairy-free milk. Coconut milk works best for dairy free.
- Vanilla Extract – Infuses the souffle with a light vanilla flavor.
- Light Brown Sugar – Adds a sweetened caramel-like flavor to the top of the souffle. The recipe only uses 1 tablespoon and you can omit if desired.
- Chopped Pecans – Gives the top a nutty pecan crunch that pairs well with the smooth sweet potato casserole. You can omit the nuts, if desired.
How To Make Sweet Potato Souffle
This sweet potato dish comes together with a few basic steps. Follow the instructions to make a delicious side dish for your Thanksgiving table.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Spray nonstick cooking spray inside of an 8-inch baking dish until well coated. Set aside.
- Boil the sweet potatoes: Prepare the sweet potatoes by washing, peeling, then chopping them into cubes for sharp knives. Place the potato cubes in a large pot and cover with water to ½ inch above the sweet potatoes. Bring the water to medium-high heat for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and fork tender.
- Mash the sweet potatoes: Drain the sweet potatoes in a colander, then add them to a bowl and mash the orange flesh with a potato masher. You can also use a stand mixer or hand mixer to mash the potatoes.
- Assemble the sweet potato base: To the bowl with the mashed potatoes, add the eggs, cinnamon, ginger, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla. Combine the mixture with a whisk until smooth and all ingredients are incorporated.
- Bake the sweet potato casserole soufflé: Pour the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth out until even with a rubber spatula. Evenly distribute the brown sugar and crunchy pecans evenly over the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the casserole is cooked through and golden brown on the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- For an extra fluffy and creamy souffle base, feel free to mix the sweet potato mixture with a high-speed blender, stand mixer, or food processor until smooth.
- If your oven runs hot, you can cover the dish with aluminum foil, then remove it halfway through to prevent the souffle topping from browning too much.
- To make a large batch, simply double or triple each recipe ingredient and use a large casserole dish or split it into 2-3 baking dishes.
- To make individual serving sizes, evenly distribute the mix into greased ramekins and place on a baking sheet to bake.
- Short on time? Try using canned sweet potatoes or yams in the base. Just make sure they are not packed in syrup and that they are fully drained to avoid excess moisture.
- If you’re following a nut-free lifestyle, simply omit the pecans from the topping. You can use dried fruit or marshmallows as an alternate topping option.
- Add mini marshmallows! If you really love marshmallows and want a sweeter souffle, add mini marshmallows during the last 25 minutes of baking (remove the casserole from the oven, add the marshmallows and return to the oven.)
- To make it dairy free, use coconut milk instead of regular milk and vegan butter instead of conventional butter.
While the ingredients are very similar, the main difference comes down to texture. In a souffle, the sweet potatoes are mixed with a specific amount of butter and milk to make it more creamy and custard-like. This is why it can double as a dessert!
The best way to thicken the dish is by adding eggs. This makes sure that the base binds together and helps to set it while baking. Some recipes do add flour to the mix, but this one does not need any.
The main reason it could be soggy or runny is that the potatoes may have not been properly drained after cooking. For best results, make sure they are draining in a colander for at least 10 minutes to help remove any excess moisture.
While either option could work, the risk with roasting is that it may dry out the sweet potato too much which can cause the filling to be too thick and dry. Boiling sweet potatoes and draining them will give you the best results.
Yes, you can prepare this recipe up to 8 hours in advance and bake just prior to serving. Prepare the recipe all the up to right before you bake it. Then wrap it up with plastic wrap or tin toil and store in the refrigerator. When you’re ready, remove it from the refrigerator and bake in the oven. This helps you have it ready earlier in the day for dinner or even breakfast the next day.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, store leftovers in a sealed freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat before serving.
How do you thicken sweet potato casserole?
FAQ
How do you fix a watery sweet potato casserole?
Why is my sweet potato souffle runny?
Why is my sweet potato pie watery?
How do you thicken sweet potato puree?
How to make sweet potato souffle?
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, the process of making this sweet potato souffle recipe is quite easy and quick with three steps: Prepare the sweet potatoes filling /mixture (aka the bottom layer): Mix together the sweet potato flesh with eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, milk and a pinch of salt.
Why boil sweet potatoes instead of baking them?
Baked sweet potatoes have a higher glycemic index than boil sweet potatoes. This is because the type of cooking affects the structure of the potato starch, making it more or less digestible. That is, the starch in the baked potato is digested more quickly than the starch in the boil sweet potato, thus raising the blood glucose rate more quickly and in greater amounts than when we boil the potato. Roasted sweet potatoes have a glycemic index of 94, while baked potatoes have a 46.
Can you use canned sweet potatoes for souffle?
Sweet Potato – Peeled and cubed sweet potato makes up the base of this souffle casserole and adds a natural orange color and sweet flavor. You can use canned sweet potatoes in a pinch, but be sure to drain them completely. Eggs – Help binds the mixture together to make it stay together and easier to serve.
How many sweet potatoes do you need to make a souffle?
Sweet potatoes: You’ll need 4 to 5, depending on how large the potatoes are. Butter: Adds richness to the souffle filling. Light brown sugar: The hint of molasses is wonderful in this dish. Granulated sugar: Just a bit helps make this souffle tender and sweet. Cinnamon: It’s the only spice we call for, but it’s the perfect one for this dish.