Canned Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe (No Nuts)

Recipe updated: April 3rd, 2024

Our canned sweet potato casserole dish is a delicious and easy-to-make side dish that is usually served during Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, and special occasions. But I think most folks realize that this classic recipe isn’t just for November and December. You can make this side dish any time during the year, it’s that good!

We serve sweet potato casserole during the Thanksgiving holiday season along with two different dressings, Southern cornbread dressing, and Thanksgiving dressing. We also serve mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, fruit salad, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cheesecake. Our holiday table is loaded with delicious Thanksgiving sides. We have much to be thankful for!

📄 What’s in this Canned Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe?

This sweet potato recipe contains canned sweet potatoes, eggs, evaporated milk, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, light brown sugar, unsalted butter, and mini marshmallows.

Note: This recipe is free of nuts, but if you want to make a nut version, you can add one cup of chopped crunchy pecans. Before baking the sweet potato casserole, split in half one cup of chopped pecans. Then put half of the pecans into the sweet potato mixture and the other half on top of the marshmallows.

🍠Key Ingredients

• 2 cans of sweet potatoes – 15 ounces each, drained and mashed
• 3 eggs – room temperature, beaten
• 1/2 cup of evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter – melted
• 3 cups mini marshmallows

👩‍🍳 How to Make Canned Sweet Potato Casserole

These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.

Step 1. Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2. Prepare the Sweet Potatoes

Drain any liquid that is inside the canned sweet potatoes. Then put the sweet potatoes (two 15-ounce cans) into a large mixing bowl.

Step 3. Mash the Sweet Potatoes

Mash the sweet potatoes that are in the large bowl with a potato masher until blended.

Tip: If you want the sweet potatoes to be more on the creamy side, you can use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer instead. We used a potato masher this time. A fork will work too, but it’s a little extra work on the wrists.

Step 4. Beat the Eggs

In a small bowl, beat 3 eggs with a fork.

Step 5. Add the Eggs to the Sweet Potatoes

Add the beaten eggs to the large bowl with the mashed sweet potatoes.

Step 6. Mix the Beaten Eggs and Sweet Potatoes

Use a hand mixer, stand mixer, spatula, potato masher, or spoon to mix the beaten eggs with the mashed sweet potatoes until well blended.

Step 7. Melt the Butter

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/4 cup of unsalted butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

Step 8. Add the Evaporated Milk, Lemon Juice, Cinnamon, and Light Brown Sugar

In the bowl with the sweet potato mixture, add the melted butter together with 1/2 of evaporated milk, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of light brown sugar.

Step 9. Mix the Sweet Potato Mixture

Use an electric mixer on low speed to thoroughly blend the added ingredients to the sweet potato filling until thoroughly blended.

Note: You can mix it until smooth, or leave a few little lumps in it to give it a bit of texture, whatever you prefer.

Step 10. Pour the Sweet Potato Mixture into a Baking Pan

Pour the sweet potato mixture into an 8×8-inch square non-stick baking dish. If you use a glass dish it is a good idea to spray the pan with cooking spray or use a pastry brush to brush a couple of tablespoons of butter (melted) on the bottom and sides of the baking dish first before pouring in the sweet potato mixture. The butter gives an extra buttery taste to the bottom of the sweet potatoes. It also helps the sweet potato casserole not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Step 11. Bake the Sweet Potatoes

Put the sweet potatoes in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Step 12. Toss on the Mini Marshmallows

After 30 minutes, remove the baking pan from the oven. Set it on an oven mitt or hot plate, or just on the stove. Evenly spread 3 cups of mini marshmallows across the top of the baked sweet potatoes.

Step 13. Put the Sweet Potatoes Back into the Oven

After you have the mini marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes, put the pan back into the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the topping ingredients (the marshmallows) is a light golden brown color.

Step 14. Put the Sweet Potato Casserole Under the Broiler for One Minute

When the 10 minutes of baking time is up, take the casserole out of the oven. Then set the oven to broil. Place the pan under the broiler. Broil the sweet potato casserole for one minute until the marshmallows turn a light brown color. You can skip this step if you think the marshmallows are browned enough.

Very Important: One minute isn’t very long under the broiler, but the broiler is a powerful heat source. So while the sweet potatoes are under the broiler, keep an extra eye on them the whole time. Do not leave the sweet potato casserole and go into the other room. You may need to remove them before the minute is up.

Step 15. Let the Sweet Potatoes Cool Just a Bit

Remove the sweet potato casserole from the oven. Then let it cool at room temperature for a few minutes before serving. It comes out of the oven very hot.

🌟 Recipe Variations

Here are a few sweet potato casserole recipe suggestions you may want to try.

• For a pecan topping and some pecans in the sweet potato mixture, add one-half cup of chopped pecans to the sweet potato mixture and then one-half cup on top of the mini marshmallows before baking.
• Some canned sweet potatoes in the grocery store have canned yams written on the label. These are perfectly fine to use for this recipe.
• You can use fresh sweet potatoes for this recipe. That would involve peeling them (or leaving the peels on), cutting them into chunks, and then boiling them in a large pot of water until fork tender (being able to stick a fork into the sweet potato with ease).
• Or you can bake them, which is much easier to do. Poke a few holes in each sweet potato with a fork, bake them in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (depending on the size), and then remove the skins after baking. The skins come off very easily after baking. You can bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time, like the day before if you prefer to do so. If you do, store them in a container covered with plastic wrap (or a lid if the container you use has one) in the refrigerator until the next day when you are ready to start making this recipe.
• You can add about 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg if you prefer.

🙋 FAQs

💡 Final Thoughts

Canned sweet potato casserole is a Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner side dish that is super easy to make. The brown sugar and cinnamon add a sweet and slightly spiced cinnamon flavor which complements the sweet potatoes and the lightly browned melted marshmallows on top.

Whether it’s the first time you are making a holiday meal for Thanksgiving day, or for that matter, any day, for your family members, friends, or guests, be assured that they will not be disappointed when they taste your amazing sweet potato casserole!

✨ Recipe Card

🥰 More Casserole Recipes You Will Love

• Chicken and Noodle Casserole (With Red Peppers) – Super easy to make and so good! This is a great recipe to make when you are in a hurry. Shredded chicken from a can added in a creamy chicken soup with onions and red bell peppers that surround a bed of elbow macaroni and topped with cheddar cheese, then baked in the oven for only 20 minutes.
• Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole (Instant Pot) – This cheesy chicken rice casserole is so delicious and easy to make in the instant pot with brown rice and lots of veggies.
• Easy Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Recipe – Packed with flavor and super simple to make. This chicken and broccoli lasagna is layered in a homemade creamy alfredo sauce and uses rotisserie chicken to add flavor between the lasagna noodles and mozzarella cheese.