One of the most well known and beloved side dishes of any holiday meal just got a little sweeter! This easy-to-make Pecan Praline Sweet Potato Bake blends rich mashed sweet potatoes with the buttery, caramel crunch of pecan pralines. Whether you’re serving it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a special meal, your guests will be looking for seconds…and even thirds!

This Thanksgiving favorite will have you reaching for seconds!

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What Is Pecan Praline Sweet Potato Bake?

This side dish is a southern-style adaptation of traditional Thanksgiving sweet potato dishes. Marshmallow topping is replaced with a brown sugar and pecan crumbly topping that provides a crunchy texture and melt-in-your mouth sweetness that almost puts this dish into the dessert category.

Pralines are a sweet, caramelly confection made primarily from nuts and sugar. They were first made in 17th century France, but the exact story of their inception is unknown. It is widely accepted, however, that they were made popular by César, duc de Choiseul, comte du Plessis-Praslin, and the name praline comes from his title.

Original French pralines were made from almonds, but once the confection made its way to America, almonds were hard to come by. Instead, southern chefs reached for the pecans which abounded in the region, and pecan pralines were born.

This Pecan Praline Sweet Potato Bake merges two beloved southern dishes, pralines and sweet potato pie, into one delicious side that makes a wonderful accompaniment to holiday feasts.

This sweet potato recipe is wonderful for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Can This Be Made Ahead?

Yes!

You can assemble this dish and refrigerate it up to three days before baking it. Cover it with the pan lid or foil to keep it fresh. When it’s time to bake, allow a little extra time to heat since it’ll be starting at a colder temperature.

You can also freeze this dish before baking. Top the pan with a layer of snug-fitting plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. If you have a lid, you can fit the lid over the foil for added protection and stackability. You can bake it from its frozen state, or you can thaw it in the refrigerator before baking. Either way, allow a little extra time for thorough heating.

Enjoy sweet potato bake whether you have a large group or a small party.

Can This Be Made Without Nuts?

Absolutely!

For a nut-free variation of this dish, replace the 1 cup of pecans with 3/4 cup of rolled oats. This results in a streusel topping, which does the job of adding texture to the dish while maintaining sweetness. For a little extra flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg to the streusel mixture.

You can also simply omit the pecans from the recipe, which will result in a candied topping made from the melting butter and brown sugar. Give both a try to see what you prefer!

Directions

Peel, cook, and mash sweet potatoes. This can be done any way you like. I like to peel mine, cut them into pieces, and boil until tender.
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat eggs in a small bowl. Add to mashed sweet potatoes and mix until well blended.
Add sugar, melted butter, heavy cream, allspice, nutmeg, and vanilla to the sweet potato mixture. Stir well and set aside.
In another bowl, mix the praline topping: Stir together brown sugar, flour, pecans, and small pieces of butter.
Pour half the sweet potato mixture into a greased 9x13u0022 pan. Add a layer of the praline mixture.
Spoon the remaining sweet potatoes over praline mixture. Spread out to create an even surface. Top with the rest of the praline topping.
Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 60 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are warmed through.

Looking for More Holiday Sides?

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