This bourbon sweet potato casserole is the ultimate Thanksgiving side! With warming spices, a hint of bourbon, and a toasted pecan crumble on top, this dish is sure to impress.
This sweet potato casserole is great as a Thanksgiving side or as a cozy side any time of year. It's filled with warmth from fall spices and... bourbon!
Bourbon adds extra depth and warmth to the casserole by complimenting the sweet potato flavor.
I like to serve this bourbon sweet potato casserole during the holidays because its gentle sweetness is a nice contrast to the other salty and savory side dishes that are usually served with Thanksgiving dinner (like fresh green bean casserole and sourdough stuffing!)
Looking for a savory way to cook sweet potatoes? I also have a Savory Sweet Potato Casserole and Savory Butternut Squash Casserole!
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Why this recipe works
- Gently sweet and warming: The sweet potato casserole is made with brown sugar, warming spices, and it has an extra hint of warmth and depth from Bourbon.
- Why add bourbon? Bourbon has sweet-tasting notes that naturally pair well with cinnamon and sweet potatoes. I tested this recipe to make sure that it has the exact right amount of bourbon. Just enough to notice its lovely flavor, but not enough to make the sweet potato casserole taste like a cocktail!
- Delicious crumb topping: The sweet potatoes are topped with a crisp pecan crumble topping, which adds texture and extra fall flavor to the recipe.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Sweet potatoes: Choose orange flesh sweet potatoes like Jewel or Garnet. Roasting the sweet potatoes concentrates their flavor.
- Bourbon: Choose a bourbon that you would enjoy drinking. If it doesn't taste good on its own, it won't taste any better in a casserole! I use Maker's Mark because it is not as high-proof as other bourbon brands. This helps it to meld nicely into the sweet potato casserole.
- Light brown sugar: This is the main sweetener in the casserole and topping. Dark brown sugar will work in a pinch.
- 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 to bake sweet potatoes
This sweet potato casserole is made with baked sweet potatoes instead of canned sweet potato puree. Baking sweet potatoes concentrates their flavor and yields a much more flavorful result than boiled or canned sweet potato.
To roast the 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 that the sweet potato is completely baked through 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.
Step by step instructions
- Combine the ingredients: Add all sweet potato casserole ingredients, except for the topping ingredients, to a food processor with a standard blade attachment. Make sure to remove the skin from the sweet potato!
- Process just until smooth: The sweet potatoes should be mostly smooth. For a chunkier sweet potato casserole, just pulse until mostly broken down. Stop pureeing as soon as the sweet potatoes are smooth.
- Make the crumb topping by mixing together the flour, butter, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Stir in the pecans until well-coated with the crumb.
- Transfer to a baking dish: Smoothly layer the sweet potato mixture in a two-quart baking dish.
- Add the topping and bake: Top with the crumb topping and the raw pecans. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until pecans are toasted and the crumb topping is golden. The casserole should be pulling away from the edges.
Cassidy's tips
- Don't have a food processor? You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the ingredients together instead.
- Don't overmix: Stop processing the sweet potatoes as soon as they are broken down. Overmixing the sweet potatoes can affect their texture, resulting glue-y sweet potato casserole.
- For a chunkier casserole: Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher, then mix the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. This results in a much chunkier sweet potato bourbon casserole with the same flavor.
- Baking dishes: I used an 11x11-inch baking dish in the photo, which holds roughly 2 quarts. Any similar size, like 8x11- or 10x10-inch dish will work.
- Bourbon amount: You can definitely taste the bourbon in this recipe but it's not overwhelming. If you love a strong bourbon flavor you might want to increase it a smidge. You can cut the bourbon amount in half if you want the lightest hint of bourbon.
FAQ
Yes! The bourbon adds warmth and spice but you can definitely make the sweet potato casserole without it.
Sure! I don't add them because I'm not a fan of sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, but you can add them. Add the marshmallows then top with the streusel and pecans. Bake until the marshmallows and pecans are golden.
Yes, you can use an equal amount of canned sweet potatoes, but the flavor won't be as good. Canned sweet potatoes will have extra moisture from the canning liquid, so pat them with a paper towel/clean dish towel before adding to the food processor.
This is more likely to happen when sweet potatoes are boiled or if you use canned sweet potatoes. If it happens with baked sweet potatoes in this sweet potato casserole, it may be because the sweet potatoes were underbaked before adding them to the casserole.
Storage and make-ahead tips
Roasting sweet potatoes in advance: To cut down on prep time, you can roast sweet potatoes 2-3 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to use.
A note about freezing: You can freeze the base sweet potatoes without the topping, but freezing the topping will alter the texture/quality. For the best quality, I recommend making the dish in advance and storing it in the fridge instead of freezing it.
To prepare in advance: Yes, you can prepare the bourbon sweet potato casserole up to 2 days in advance and keep it in the fridge. Spread the sweet potato casserole filling into the baking dish or store it in an airtight container. I recommend making the crumb topping the day of cooking for best quality.
Storage and reheating: Keep leftovers refrigerated for 3-4 days. To reheat an entire casserole dish, cover it tightly with foil and bake at 325F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until completely warmed through.
More Thanksgiving recipes you'll love
Thinking about serving bourbon sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving this year? It pairs really well with sourdough stuffing, gouda mac and cheese, and fresh green bean casserole.
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
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Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
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. Carefully remove the skins from the sweet potatoes.
- 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 (without the skin), 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.
Video
Notes
- Bourbon: 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.
- Make in advance: To cut down on prep time, you can roast sweet potatoes 2-3 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to use. The sweet potato filling can be made up to 2 days in advance. I recommend making the crumb topping the day of.
- Leftovers and reheating: 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.
- Prefer videos? I also have a step-by-step YouTube video that shows how to make this sweet potato casserole.
Michael P says
My family has had bourbon sweet potatoes on the Thanksgiving menu for as long as I can remember (roughly 7 decades), and it fell to me this year (2024) to make the dish others professed to be tired of. I made a small dish without whisky for any conscientious objectors and otherwise followed Cassidy's recipe with two exceptions: I left the skins on and let the Cuisinart reduce them to barely recognizable spots, and I topped the topping with a layer of little marshmallows because that's what the family expects the dish to look like when it comes to the table tanned on top. I can say without qualification it was the most popular veggie dish of many offered for the feast, and I don't remember a year when I myself liked it more. The whisky-free option was hardly touched. Thanks, Cassidy for easy-to-follow instructions and an absolutely delicious Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole.
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks so much for the wonderful review! I’m so glad the recipe was a hit. 🙂
Carole says
I don’t have a food processor so will use a hand mixer (or stick mixer) Won’t the peels make it lumpy?
Cassidy Reeser says
Good question— you do not add the skin/peel to this recipe, it should be removed after baking the potatoes. I will clarify that in the instructions. So a hand mixer will work just fine! Enjoy.
Kathy Logsdon Byrd says
This has been the recipe I have used for my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for over 30+ years. The holidays wouldn't be the same without it!
Pam C says
Can this be made with a dairy free milk?
Cassidy Reeser says
I recommend using a thicker dairy-free option like canned coconut milk because evaporated milk is thicker than regular milk. If using almond or soy, decrease to 1/2 cup.
YVONNE says
Making this on Wednesday for Thanksgiving this week. Can'twaittotry it. .
Molly says
Delicious! We added an extra tbsp of bourbon to make sure it was prominent. Highly recommend this recipe!
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks so much for the review! 🙂