Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole (Easy Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Side)

This Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole takes all the flavor of the classic holiday side and lets your slow cooker do the work instead of your oven. It’s a simple slow cooker sweet potato casserole, perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, or any holiday table where you want to save precious oven space. Creamy, sweet, and topped with melted marshmallows and a crunchy pecan topping, it might just become your new favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole

When it comes to holiday cooking, moving any Thanksgiving side to the crockpot is a win in my book. This one has become a favorite because it cooks low and slow while my oven is busy with the turkey, the rolls, and everything else on the menu.

It is a little different from the classic oven-baked version, and I want you to know that going in. The texture is thinner and creamier by nature since it isn’t baked in a casserole dish, but that’s honestly part of what I love about it. It’s rich, buttery, and full of warm spices.

The best part? Sometimes people ask if my sweet potato recipe has crunchy pecans or gooey marshmallows… and my answer is: BOTH!!

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

It frees up valuable oven space. Thanksgiving morning is chaos enough without squeezing one more dish into an oven that’s already full. This one cooks start to finish in the crockpot, so your oven stays free for everything else on your holiday menu.

It’s simple, with just a handful of ingredients. Fresh sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, a few warm spices, and a good sprinkle of marshmallows and pecans… that’s really it. No fussy steps and no special equipment, just a reliable, good sweet potato casserole.

It’s a crowd-pleaser. Creamy mashed sweet potatoes topped with melted mini marshmallows and a crunchy pecan topping is about as classic as Thanksgiving sides get. Between this and a green bean casserole, my Thanksgiving table is complete.

Tools Needed

​No special tools are needed to make this Crock Pot Sweet Potato casserole.

• Large crockpot (slow cooker), plus a crock pot liner if you want easy cleanup
• Cooking spray, to grease the crock pot insert
• Large mixing bowl
• Potato masher (a food processor works too, if you like things extra smooth)

Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients for this perfect holiday side dish, and most of them are probably already in your kitchen or easy to find at any grocery store..

• Fresh sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed. Large sweet potatoes are easiest to peel and cube.
• Unsalted butter, melted
• Light brown sugar (dark brown sugar works too)
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Salt
• Heavy cream
• Pure maple syrup
• Miniature marshmallows
• Chopped pecans, for the crunchy topping. Leave these off, or swap in a streusel topping, for a nut allergy-friendly version.

Find the full recipe with ingredient measurements in the printable recipe card below.

How to Make Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole

This classic Thanksgiving side dish comes together in just a few simple steps.

1. Grease your crockpot with cooking spray, then add the sweet potatoes to the bottom.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, maple syrup, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until fully combined.

3. Pour the mixture over the diced sweet potatoes, then put the lid on the crockpot.
4. Cook on HIGH for three hours. Sweet potato pieces can cook unevenly, so check for fork-tenderness during the last hour of cooking, especially if your pieces vary in size.
5. Once the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, mash them right in the crockpot with a potato masher until smooth.

6. Sprinkle the mini marshmallows and chopped pecans evenly over the top. Put the lid back on and cook about 20 more minutes, or until the marshmallows have melted.
7. Serve warm.

Pro Tips

Here are a few tips so you get the best possible Southern Sweet Potato Casserole.

• This isn’t a thick, oven-baked style casserole by nature… it has a thinner consistency straight out of the crockpot. Letting the creamy sweet potatoes rest on the warm setting with the lid off for about 30 minutes will thicken it up nicely.
• Want that toasted, roasted marshmallow look? Scoop some of the casserole into an oven-safe ramekin, top it with a few extra mini marshmallows, and pop it under the broiler for a minute or two until they’re golden-brown. Marshmallows go from golden to burnt fast, so keep a close eye on them.
• A crock pot liner makes cleanup so much easier on an already-busy day.

Variations

• Swap the pecans for a streusel topping for extra crunch, or leave the nuts off completely for a nut-allergy-friendly version.
• Stir in a splash of vanilla extract for a little extra warmth.
• White sugar can stand in for the brown sugar, though the brown sugar gives it that deeper, more caramel-y flavor.
• A pinch of nutmeg on top of the pumpkin pie spice adds an extra layer of cozy flavor.

Serving Suggestions

This crockpot sweet potato casserole is one of those classic Thanksgiving sides that belongs on every holiday table. I love pairing it with all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes…

• Turkey
• Green beans 
• Cornbread dressing with cranberry sauce
• Mashed potatoes
• Corn Casserole

It’s the kind of side dish that rounds out a big holiday meal without asking much of you on an already busy day, and it’s a perfect addition next to almost anything on your Thanksgiving menu.

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Store it in an airtight container or cover the whole dish tightly with plastic wrap, and for food safety’s sake, don’t leave it sitting out at room temperature for more than a couple of hours.

You can also freeze leftover sweet potato casserole. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat gently before serving.

FAQ

Can I use canned sweet potatoes instead of fresh? You can, though I prefer fresh sweet potatoes for this particular recipe since the texture and flavor turn out so much better. When using canned, drain them well and reduce the cook time since they’re already soft.

Can I make this in an Instant Pot instead of a slow cooker? While I prefer the crockpot recipe, you can absolutely do this in your Instant Pot.Pressure cook the sweet potatoes until fork-tender, then mash them and finish the marshmallow topping under the broiler in an oven-safe dish, since an Instant Pot doesn’t have a broil setting.

What type of sweet potato should I use? Regular orange-fleshed sweet potatoes work best here. Just look for large sweet potatoes without a lot of bruising or soft spots.

Can I double this recipe for a bigger crowd? Absolutely, as long as your crockpot is large enough to hold it. You may need to add a little extra time to the first cooking stage since there’s more volume to heat through.

I hope this delicious side dish earns a permanent spot on your holiday menu this year. It really is a great recipe for a busy day… a good sweet potato casserole with hardly any effort, and it leaves your oven free for everything else on Thanksgiving morning.

Tried this recipe? I’d love it if you left a comment and a star rating below… it helps this little blog grow so much, and I always love hearing how it turned out for your family!

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