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This Sweet Potato Soufflé recipe is a side dish that feels both special and easy enough for a weeknight! With fluffy mashed sweet potatoes, a buttery pecan-streusel topping, and minimal fuss, this dish is perfect whether you’re setting the table for holiday dinner or pulling together a cozy family meal.
Round out your holiday menu with my Cornbread Dressing and Broccoli Casserole. They’re both reader favorites here on All Things Mamma!
Why you’ll love this light & fluffy sweet potato dish!
Sweet Potato Soufflé is like Sweet Potato Casserole with a little bit of French flair. If you’ve ever had traditional soufflé (or even this Easy Corn Soufflé), you know that it’s fluffy, silky smooth, and rich.
That’s what you’ll get in this recipe too, but with some crunchy pecans, cozy cinnamon, and brown sugar for holiday vibes. Basically, it’s so good, my kids forget that they’re eating sweet potatoes without marshmallows on top!
- Soufflé made simple: Traditional soufflé recipes can be complicated, but I’ve streamlined the process with this sweet potato version. Because we don’t need to add any more stress when we’re prepping for the holidays!
- Roasted potatoes for natural sweetness: Baking the potatoes in the oven is SO worth it, bringing out all their natural sweetness.
- Versatile: While it’s ideal for Thanksgiving, this recipe is also wonderful as a cozy dinner side any time of year.
- Awesome contrasting textures: You get the creamy sweet potato interior with crunchy pecan topping for perfect balance.
Sweet potatoes are wonderful in so many dishes. Try my take on the classic Paula Deen Sweet Potato Casserole and Yam Casserole too!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Souffle
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Sweet potatoes – Choose firm orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (not canned yams) for the best flavor and texture.
- Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Eggs – Eggs are what makes this casserole a soufflé.
- Milk – Use whole milk for richness, although 2% milk will work as well.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Topping
- Brown sugar – Here you can also use light or dark brown sugar.
- Ground cinnamon – Make sure your cinnamon is fresh and fragrant so it adds lots of cozy flavor to the topping.
- Pecan halves – Pecans add a wonderful crunchy texture. Walnuts would also work, or try pepitas for a nut-free option.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter for balanced flavor.
Variations
- Add oats to the topping: To make the topping more like a streusel, you can add 1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats along with the flour when making the topping.
- Make it richer: For a richer soufflé, you can substitute heavy cream or half-and-half for the whole milk.
- Add a little maple syrup: Substitute maple syrup for the granulated sugar in the filling for a hint of natural sweetness.
- Marshmallow-topped version: Swap part of the pecan-streusel for mini marshmallows for a more classic “sweet potato casserole” vibe.
How to Make Sweet Potato Soufflé With Pecans
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Wrap them in foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, and them allow to cool until you can remove the skins without burning your fingers. Remove the sweet potato skins before proceeding with the recipe.
- Mix the sweet potatoes with the butter, sugars, and cinnamon: In the bowl of a mixer or with an electric hand mixer, beat the cooked sweet potatoes on medium-high until smooth. Add in the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon, and mix again until fully combined.
- Add in the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt: Continue beating, and add in the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt to the sweet potato mixture. Beat on medium-high until the ingredients are smooth and fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Make the topping: Whisk together the brown sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon, then add the pecans and butter. Scatter the topping over the sweet potato mixture. Bake the soufflé until the center is set. Remove from the oven, and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Sweet potato souffle is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that works well for other holidays, or simply as a wonderful vegetable side for a weeknight dinner! Here are some of my favorite ways to serve sweet potato souffle:
- At Thanksgiving. This is a classic dish to serve with your Thanksgiving meal alongside roast turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, and cheesy green bean casserole.
- With ham. I love making easy crock pot ham and this serving sweet potato souffle alongside it!
- With chicken. This recipe is also wonderful with chicken. Make it with roasted or baked chicken thighs.
How to Store Sweet Potato Souffle
- Refrigerator: Store leftover sweet potato souffle in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: Place the soufflé on a microwave-safe dish, and heat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Or, place the soufflé in an oven-safe dish, and transfer it to the oven, letting it warm under low heat until your desired temperature is reached.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can, but fresh sweet potatoes give better flavor and texture. If using canned, drain them thoroughly and taste the mixture—canned may already be sweeter so you may reduce the added sugar.
Sweet potato souffle takes a base of mashed sweet potatoes and combines it with brown sugar, eggs, milk, butter, and a little cinnamon and vanilla. Then, we top it off with a crunchy topping made of brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, pecans, and butter!
Yes. Sweet potato souffles contain dairy and eggs, meaning leftovers should be stored in the fridge to ensure they remain safe to eat.
I don’t recommend it. The soufflé is likely to deflate and get watery after freezing, thawing, and reheating.
More Sweet Potato Recipes You’ll Love
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Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
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Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips
Waffle Recipes
Sweet Potato Waffles
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Sweet Potato Soufflé
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- Hand or stand mixer
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Baking sheet
- Foil
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes resulting in about 6 cups of mashed potato
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Topping
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups pecan halves
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Wash and dry the outside of the sweet potatoes then wrap them in aluminum foil and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork.4 large sweet potatoes
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and allow to cool until you can remove the skins without burning your fingers, about 30 minutes. Remove the sweet potato skins before proceeding with the recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer or with an electric hand mixer, beat the cooked sweet potatoes on medium-high until they become smooth, about 2 minutes. Add in the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon and mix until fully combined.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Continue beating and add in the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium-high until the mixture is smooth and all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.2 eggs, ½ cup whole milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Now, make the topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon until well combined. Add the pecans and toss to coat. Stir in the melted butter and stir until the butter is absorbed, forming a sort of crumble/dough mixture. Scatter the topping evenly across the top of the sweet potato mixture.½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 ½ cups pecan halves, 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Place the soufflé in the oven and bake it until the center of the soufflé is set and does not jiggle when tapped, about 45 to 55 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Boiling option: Instead of baking the sweet potatoes, you can boil them. Peel the sweet potatoes and quarter them. Place them in a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook the potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes, allow to cool slightly, and proceed with the recipe.
- Swap in heavy cream: For a richer soufflé you can substitute heavy cream or half-and-half for the whole milk.
- Don’t skip the resting: Let the finished dish rest for about 5 minutes before serving so the topping sets and the texture holds better.
If you’re looking or a winning recipe for the holidays, THIS is still one of my favorites!