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!
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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.
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.
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!
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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?
- Find out why we call it The Very Best Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Serve Baked Acorn Squash with Apples for an elegant touch to your table
- Don’t be afraid! Traditional Roast Turkey is easier to make than you might think
Pecan Praline Sweet Potato Bake
Course: Christmas Recipes, Cook, Sides, Thanksgiving Recipes, Vegetables12
servings30
minutes1
hour1
hour30
minutesThis easy-to-make Pecan Praline Sweet Potato Bake blends rich mashed sweet potatoes with the buttery, caramel crunch of pecan pralines.
Ingredients
- For Sweet Potatoes
5 lbs sweet potatoes
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For Pecan Praline Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup flour
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 9×13″ 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.
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I love pecans and I love Praline…. why not put them together?! This recipe sounds wonderful!
Thank you! I prefer this so much more than the marshmallow version.
This looks like it would be so easy to make vegan. Will have to give it a try over the holidays 😋
I agree! With the proper substitutes you definitely can veganize it.
Whoa, that looks so good. I am a big fan of sweet potatoes
Me too! And I especially love them this way. I hope you will, too!
Looks so good. Will have to try this soon!
Thank you! It would be a great addition to your holiday meal!
This dish sounds so good! And I’m pretty sure I can veganize the recipe. I’ll try it.
It should be pretty easy to make a vegan version by using dairy substitutes for the milk and eggs. 🙂
Either of your variations sound divine! My family likes sweet potato pie, but they are not enamored with the marshmallow topping. This would be a great substitute!
Yes, I got tired of the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes, too. That’s why we do this one now.
Omg this looks so good. I have to try this!! Probably going to substitute some things to make it vegan. Yum!
Definitely do that and let us know how it turns out!
I love sweet potatoes. I’m going to see if there’s a way I can make this without eggs and dairy. It looks so good!
You should be able to use both egg and milk substitutes just fine!
This looks delicious!
It’s one of my family’s favorite recipes!
WOW! This looks heavenly!
Thank you! It’s deliciously rich!
How delicious looking and sounding! We are always seeking out new recipes to try. Thank you for sharing.
This is a fantastic one for the holidays! Have fun with it!
I’ve never tried sweet potatoes. This looks incredible! I will definitely try it! Thank you
If you try these, I’m pretty sure you’ll be a sweet potato fanatic!
I think this is the new sweet potato dish for the holidays! This looks delicious!
It’s always requested at our holiday meals!
This dish looks delicious! Perfect recipe for fall.
Yes, those fall flavors are oh, so good!
Yum! This is so much better than sweet potato marshmallow bake to me!
I definitely prefer this one over the marshmallow sweet potato bake!
I am a fan of sweetening up the sweet potatoes. I bet this is so good!
I really like the added crunch from the pecans!
This looks delicious!!
Thank you! It truly is. We seldom have leftovers.
I love sweet potato and this look easy to make. I’m sure my family would enjoy it.
My family sure does! It’s expected every year now.
I love sweet potatoes, and it’s great this can be made ahead! It’s getting added to our Thanksgiving table!
I like that, too. In fact, I’m making my sweet potatoes this week and tucking them into the freezer for Thanksgiving. 🙂
This entire recipe just looks yummy. I’m not a real sweet eater or baker but I might try this for Thanksgiving for the fam!
It’s a big favorite at our Thanksgiving table! And it’s an easy recipe for people who don’t cook often. Best of luck to you!