Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole

This Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole is the easiest holiday side dish recipe that will be the hit of the whole meal. It’s a great recipe for beginner cooks and is also easy to prep in advance, keeping entertaining stress-free.

Every Thanksgiving when the sweet potatoes come to the dinner table, there are always lots of smiles and shrieks of joy. Our Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole has all of the same flavors of the classic recipe with minimal work and clean up. I like to call it our hassle-free version of the recipe because the slow cooker does all the work for you.

It’s truly a lifesaver of a holiday dish because it let’s me focus on entertaining guests and also frees up oven space to use for cooking other recipes (like the turkey!). You should definitely give it a try. It pairs so nicely with our Southern Cornbread Dressing and Whipped Mashed Potatoes.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• 8 ingredient sweet potato recipe. This is so simple and a recipe you don’t have to worry about on Thanksgiving Day thanks to your crockpot. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples you probably already have at home.
• Foolproof sweet potato casserole for beginner cooks. If you are making a holiday meal for the first time, try out these potatoes! They’re hassle-free and everyone will be asking for seconds.
• Prep in advance for minimal work on the holiday. You can measure out the ingredients and slice the sweet potatoes the day before. The day of the big meal all you have to do is place everything into the crockpot.

Laura Ashley’s Tip: Add nuts if you desire, chopped pecans or walnuts would be delicious!

Ingredients

Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below

• Brown sugar: Adds nice caramel notes and sweetens the potatoes perfectly.
• Maple syrup: Gives light caramel flavor plus extra sweetness to the potatoes.
• Salted butter: Adds richness and fat in every bite. We like salted since it helps to season the mixture.
• Vanilla extract: Just a little bit helps to bring out all the sweetness of the different ingredients.
• Ground cinnamon: The warming spice we all love in sweet potatoes.
• Ground nutmeg: A second spice that has warming flavor and compliments the cinnamon so nicely.
• Large sweet potatoes: You’ll want about 4 pounds to make the base of this classic Thanksgiving side dish.
• Mini marshmallows: The sweet and pillowy goodness on top! Mini is best so they melt evenly in your slow cooker.

Tools You’ll Need

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Liquid Measuring Cups
• Crockpot
• Chef’s Knife
• Cutting Board
• Butane Torch
• Butane

How to Make Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole

1. Grease the inside of a 6 quart or larger crockpot with butter or nonstick spray.
2. Peel, clean, and slice sweet potatoes in 1/2-inch slices.

3. In a microwave safe bowl, combine maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter. Cook in the microwave in 30 second intervals until the mixture has melted and sugar has dissolved. 
4. Stir vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt to the mixture .

5. Place the sliced sweet potatoes in the slow cooker. Pour the melted mixture evenly over the top.

6. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. 
7. Add marshmallows to the top of the sweet potatoes. Optional, brûlée the tops of the marshmallows with a mini blow torch.

8. Scoop and serve hot.

Expert Tips

• Be sure to dissolve the sugar into the butter in the microwave before adding into the slow cooker. This is essential for allowing the sugar to evenly sweeten the potatoes as they cook for many hours.
• Slice the sweet potatoes into even thicknesses so they cook at the same rate. If some potatoes are thickly sliced and some are thin, you chance not having your potatoes fully tender when you you are ready to serve.
• Make sure you stir every 30 minutes while cooking. This guarantees that the potatoes cook evenly and also let’s you see if they are tender or not.
• Add the marshmallows at the end of cooking. Stirring some into the potatoes also helps to sweeten them and gives the potatoes that creamy texture.
• Toast without a torch. If you don’t have a mini torch, add the potatoes to an oven safe dish, top with marshmallows, and broil in the oven. Watch it closely.
• Make ahead. You can pre-slice the sweet potatoes and store them in water in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Drain and pat dry before cooking.
• Add crunch. Finish with toasted pecans, walnuts, or even candied nuts for texture.

What to serve with slow cooker sweet potato casserole

You have to serve this delicious classic among all the other holiday fix-ins. Here is what we always like to make:

• Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
• Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
• Turkey and Stuffing Roll Ups
• Turkey Tenderloin
• Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Storage

Store any leftover slow cooker candied sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350ºF oven or in the microwave for a couple of minutes until warmed through. You can add more marshmallows if you want.

You can freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months as well, just thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat according to the instructions above.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Delicious Holiday Side Dishes

• Semi-Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• Cheesy Corn Casserole
• Pineapple Casserole
• Cushaw Pie