Sweet Potato Soufflé

By
Laurel Randolph
Photo of Laurel Randolph
Laurel Randolph
A fervid lover of the culinary arts and all things Instant Pot, Laurel has been writing about food for 10 years. One of her cookbooks was the #2 cookbook of 2017.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/2/21
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Sweet Potato Soufflé

The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 5 mins
Total: 2 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Yield: 1 casserole
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
408 Calories
16g Fat
62g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 408
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 78mg 26%
Sodium 184mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 62g 22%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 27mg 134%
Calcium 93mg 7%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 714mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Thanksgiving certainly brings its share of sweet potato recipes, but it simply isn't complete without a sweet potato casserole. This Southern take on the holiday classic is extra creamy and fluffy with a sweet, crunchy topping. While not a soufflé in the French sense, it's completely delicious.

Start by baking sweet potatoes and letting them cool a bit before peeling, which can be done ahead of time. The potatoes are beaten until creamy with sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and half-and-half. Then, it's topped with a quick and easy brown sugar and pecan crumble and baked until puffed and crisp on top. (If you have a nut allergy or don't care for pecans, you can simply leave them out.)

This dish is usually served alongside stuffing, roast turkey, and green bean casserole, but it also pairs nicely with ham and pork chops for a tasty family dinner any time of year.

"This sweet potato soufflé will go into my recipe box—it is delicious! The filling was easy to mix with an electric mixer and the cinnamon streusel topping was quick and easy and made a generous amount. If you need a great-tasting sweet potato soufflé for your holiday menu, this is an excellent choice." —Diana Rattray

sweet potato soufflé
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Soufflé:

  • 3 pounds sweet potatoes, about 5 to 6 medium

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup half-and-half

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Topping:

  • 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup chopped pecans, optional

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Sweet Potato Soufflé ingredients

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  2. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Prick the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork and place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

    potatoes on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  3. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on their thickness, until they can easily be pierced through by a paring knife or fork.

    baked potatoes on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  4. Let cool enough to handle, peel, and add to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and grease a 2 1/2-quart, 9 x 13, or 7 x 11 baking dish.

    sweet potatoes in a bowl

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  5. To make the soufflé, beat the potatoes for a few minutes until well-mashed and smooth.

    sweet potatoes in a bowl, hand mixer

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  6. Add the softened butter, sugar, brown sugar, and salt and beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fluffy after each one.

    sweet potato, butter, sugar, brown sugar, and salt mixture in a bowl, hand mixer

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  7. Add the half-and-half and vanilla extract and beat well to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.

    sweet potato mixture in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  8. To make the topping, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small mixing bowl with a fork or your hands.

    brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small mixing bowl

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  9. Mix in the chopped pecans (if using) and the melted butter to form a crumbly dough.

    crumble in a bowl

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  10. Crumble the topping over the sweet potato mixture evenly.

    Crumble the topping over the sweet potato mixture in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  11. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until puffed, the topping is browned, and the middle has a slight jiggle. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

    Sweet Potato Soufflé in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Tips

  • You can always bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time. Cool and store them, unpeeled, in a container in the fridge for up to a day.
  • Although baking the potatoes develops the best flavor and keeps the casserole from becoming watery, you can also boil them. Peel and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Bring a large pot filled about halfway with water to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain well before using.

Recipe Variation

You can use other nuts in place of the pecans, such as walnuts, almonds, or macadamia nuts. For nut allergies, you could replace the nuts with rolled oats or coconut flakes.

How to Store and Freeze Sweet Potato Soufflé

  • Store leftover sweet potato soufflé in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
  • Reheat in the microwave or a 350 F oven for 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
  • You can also freeze this dish in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350 F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until hot all the way through.

What is the difference between sweet potato casserole and soufflé?

In American cuisine, sweet potato casserole and sweet potato soufflé are similar and sometimes interchangeable. Casseroles are sometimes topped with marshmallows, whereas sweet potato soufflé usually has a crunchy brown sugar topping and tends to be a bit fluffier. In French cuisine, a soufflé is a light and airy dish made using whipped egg whites.

Are yams and sweet potatoes the same?

The terms sweet potato and yam are used interchangeably in the U.S. to describe orange sweet potatoes. However, yams are a separate root vegetable common in Africa and are notably distinct from sweet potatoes. "Yams" in an American supermarket are often actually sweet potatoes.

Can I use canned sweet potatoes in a sweet potato soufflé?

3 1/2 to 4 cups of canned sweet potato pureé may be used in the sweet potato soufflé instead of fresh. If using cut sweet potatoes or "yams" in syrup, rinse off the syrup and blot dry the pieces before mashing.

Recipe Tags: