Sweet Potato Casserole with Bourbon is a sweet and warming side dish complete with a pecan crumble on top. This recipe is great for Thanksgiving or for whenever you're craving a fall dessert!
Sweet potato casserole is great as a Thanksgiving side or any time of year dessert. It's filled with warmth from fall spices and... bourbon! Bourbon adds extra depth and warmth without overpowering the sweet potato.
No sweet potato casserole is complete without a pecan crumble. We're skipping marshmallows on this one (feel free to add them if that's your thing!) but I think nothing beats toasted pecans mixed with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Move aside mashed sweet potatoes, there's a new sweet potato side in town!
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Ingredients and substitutions
Sweet potatoes: Choose orange flesh sweet potatoes. Roasting sweet potatoes concentrates their flavor.
Bourbon: Choose a bourbon that you would enjoy drinking. If it doesn't taste good on it's own, it won't taste any better in a casserole! I use Maker's Mark because it is not as high proof as other Bourbons and it goes well in baked goods.
Light brown sugar: This is the main sweetener in the casserole and topping.
Cinnamon, cloves and vanilla add warmth.
Evaporated milk is really creamy because it is just milk with 60% of the water removed. It is similar to sweetened condensed milk but does not have any sugar added, so you can't swap the two!
Eggs are added to prevent the casserole from cracking. They also make it more scoopable.
The crumble is made of up raw pecans, brown sugar, melted butter, more cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
How do you roast sweet potatoes?
Rinse the sweet potato and remove any dirt. Poke several times with a fork or knife to make air holes. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for 45 minutes to an hour.
Test for doneness by poking a knife into the center of the potato. It should yield easily and be completely soft. You can also tell the potato is ready because it will be leaking syrup.
How to make sweet potato casserole
- Add all ingredients to a food processor.
- Process until smooth and pureed.
- Make the crumb topping.
- Smoothly layer the sweet potato mixture in a two quart baking dish.
- Top with crumb topping.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until pecans are toasted and crumb topping is golden. The casserole should be pulling away from the edges.
Recipe tips
- Don't have a food processor? You can use a hand-mixer to whip the ingredients together instead.
- To cut down on prep time, you can roast sweet potatoes 2-3 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Keep leftovers refrigerate for 3-4 days. I usually reheat in the microwave but you can also reheat in the oven at 325 until warmed through.
- Bourbon can be omitted for a regular sweet potato casserole.
More Thanksgiving recipes you'll love:
- Herbed Vegetarian Sourdough Stuffing
- Gouda Mac and Cheese
- Garlic and Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Green Bean Casserole with Caramelized Onions
- Vegan Squash Casserole
Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Casserole with Bourbon
Ingredients
- 3 pounds orange flesh sweet potatoes
- 4 ounces bourbon note #1
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- ⅓ cup + ½ cup light brown sugar divided
- ½ cup melted butter divided in half
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup whole pecans
Instructions
- To roast sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Poke a few holes in the potatoes. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 400 for 45 minutes to an hour. The sweet potatoes are ready when soft and oozing syrup.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 2 quart or 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a food processor with the blade attachment, add sweet potatoes, bourbon, evaporated milk, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup melted butter, vanilla extract, 1 and ½ teaspoons cinnamon, cloves and eggs. Process on low until completely smooth and pureed. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, make the crumb topping by adding all-purpose flour, ½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup melted butter, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and salt. Stir with a spoon until combined. It will be thick and crumbly. Add ½ cup pecans and coat with the mixture.
- Pour in the sweet potato puree into the lightly oiled casserole dish. Smooth with a spatula as needed. Sprinkle the pecan crumble evenly over the sweet potato. Add remaining ½ cup pecans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The casserole is ready when it starts to pull away at the sides and the crumb is golden. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use a bourbon that you would enjoy drinking. I use Maker's Mark because I like the taste of it and it is not as high-proof as other bourbons.
- Don't have a food processor? Use a hand-mixer on low and whip the ingredients together until smooth and fluffy.
- To cut down on prep time, you can roast sweet potatoes 2-3 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Keep leftovers refrigerate for 3-4 days. I usually reheat in the microwave but you can also reheat in the oven at 325 until warmed through.
Molly
Delicious! We added an extra tbsp of bourbon to make sure it was prominent. Highly recommend this recipe!
Cassidy Reeser
Thanks so much for the review! 🙂