Name: Sweet Potato Crunch
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 40 oz. can cut sweet potatoes in light syrup, drained; 1/2 cup 2% milk; 2 eggs, whisked; 1/3 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup butter, softened; 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (check for gluten-free); 1 tsp. vanilla (check for gluten-free); 1/2 tsp. salt; 2 tbsp. butter, softened; 1/2 cup crushed pecans or walnuts (check for gluten-free); 1/4 cup brown sugar

Sweet Potato Crunch is a traditional midwest recipe. This Sweet potato casserole with canned yams and a pecan crunch topping is simple to make and is absolutely delicious!

Sweet Potato Crunch – a casserole recipe that is on nearly every table during the holiday season. You can always find this side dish on my table for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Sweet Potato Crunch, a sweet potato casserole with canned yams, showing the baked recipe in a baking dish on a countertop.

My favorite part about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and cooked the next day. Plus, sweet potato crunch uses canned sweet potatoes so the time to cook and cool potatoes are eliminated!

Check out this video to learn how to create this Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams or Sweet Potatoes.

How to Make an Easy Sweet Potato Casserole:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine drained sweet potatoes, milk, eggs, sugar, butter, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla, and salt, mashing potatoes and stirring well.
Pour into an oven-safe dish, set aside.
In a small bowl, combine butter, pecans, and brown sugar until well blended.
Sprinkle pecan mixture over casserole.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until set.
Let sit 10 minutes. Serve hot.

A top down view of a white pan with sweet potato casserole out of the oven next to a serving spoon and kitchen towel.

What’s the Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes?

You can use either canned yams or sweet potatoes for this baked sweet potato crunch. However, there is definitely a difference between the two root vegetables. Here is a list of differences to help you decide which vegetable you prefer:

Yams are larger in size compared to sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are more nutritionally dense than yams
Yams are sweeter than sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes often have elongated ends while yams have rounded ends

In a large bowl, combine drained sweet potatoes, milk, eggs, sugar, butter, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla, and salt.

a glass bowl filled with all the ingredients being mixed.

PRO TIP: The sweet potatoes need to be well-drained. I used a fine-mesh strainer and let them sit for at least 5 minutes to make sure all extra liquid was gone before mashing them for the sweet potato casserole.

Once all your ingredients are in the bowl, mash the sweet potatoes and stir well until all ingredients are combined.

pecans, brown sugar and butter in a large glass bowl.

In a small bowl, combine butter, pecans, and sugar until well blended.

the wet and dry ingredients combined in a baking dish on a countertop.

PRO TIP: You could swap the pecans for old-fashioned oats or marshmallows to make a sweet potato crunch no nuts or sweet potato crunch with marshmallows version.

Slowly pour the mashed sweet potato mixture into your baking dish. Then, crumble on the pecan topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving to allow the dish to cool. Serve warm.

Sweet Potato Crunch,baked in a dish on a countertop.

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