Sweet potato pudding is popular during the winter holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving and rolling straight into Christmas. But you can enjoy this sweet-topped dish any time of year. It’s a one of those classic sweet potato recipes everyone loves.
Made with mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar and spices, our sweet potato pudding recipe is like a sweet potato pie without the crust. Our version gets topped with big, puffy marshmallows that get blistered in the oven—similar to a sweet potato casserole. You can top it all off with nuts, or simply enjoy as is!
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Pudding
- Sweet potatoes: This recipe calls for about 4 pounds of sweet potatoes which are peeled and cubed for easier and faster boiling.
- Butter: Let the butter come to room temperature before mashing so it melts easily into the warm sweet potatoes.
- Brown sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar in this recipe. Just know that dark brown sugar will give your pudding a darker hue.
- Egg: Egg helps give the pudding its lofty texture.
- Spices: All the classics are here: vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. You’ll also use a little bit of salt, which enhances all the spice flavors.
- Marshmallows: This recipe calls for the big, puffy marshmallows, but if you prefer miniature marshmallows, go for it. If you want to make your own, even better! These homemade holiday marshmallows (minus the candy coating) make a perfect topping for sweet potato pudding.
Directions
Step 1: Boil the sweet potatoes
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a 6-quart pot, and add water to cover. Bring the sweet potatoes to a boil. Reduce the heat, and cook, uncovered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes in a colander, and place in a large bowl.
Step 2: Blend the sweet potatoes
Beat the sweet potatoes until they’re super smooth. Add the milk, butter, brown sugar, egg, cinnamon, vanilla, allspice, salt and nutmeg. Beat until everything is evenly incorporated.
Editor’s Tip: To ensure super-smooth sweet potatoes, mash them first, then add the other ingredients, and beat with a hand mixer (or an immersion blender). If you want a more rustic, chunky texture, use only a potato masher.
Step 3: Bake the sweet potato pudding
Spread the sweet potato mixture into a greased 2-1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Bake the pudding, uncovered, until it’s heated through, 40 to 45 minutes.
Step 4: Add the marshmallows
Increase the oven setting to 425°. Top the sweet potato pudding with marshmallows, and bake until the tops are lightly brown and puffy, three to four minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Swap the mallows for a crunchy topping: For a crunchy topping instead of marshmallows, reduce the brown sugar in the sweet potato mixture to 1/4 cup. For the topping, combine 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 3/4 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 cup melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the mashed sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350° until the topping is browned, 50 to 55 minutes.
- Serve with whipped cream: You can skip the sweet toppings altogether, and serve the pudding with a dollop of fresh whipped cream instead.
- Make mini puddings: Instead of using a large baking dish, scoop the pudding into oven-safe ramekins for individual portions. The baking time will need to be adjusted. Aim for 30 minutes, then add more time as needed. Follow the recipe for the marshmallow topping.
Can you make sweet potato pudding ahead of time?
You can make sweet potato pudding ahead of time, which is great for busy holiday kitchens. But there’s little benefit to baking it first, so simply assemble the sweet potato pudding through step 2, store in the refrigerator or freezer, and pop it in the oven when you need it. The unbaked pudding will be good for two to three days in the refrigerator and even longer in the freezer.
To bake the pudding from the refrigerator, let the cold casserole sit out for 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°, then follow the directions in steps 3 and 4. To bake pudding from the freezer, first let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, let it sit out for 30 minutes while the oven preheats. You may need to add a little extra baking time if the casserole is still cold when you pop it in the oven, so make sure the center of the pudding reaches at least 160° before you serve it.
Sweet Potato Pudding Tips
How else can you cook sweet potatoes for sweet potato pudding?
You can cook sweet potatoes whole and unpeeled for sweet potato pudding. In a large pot, cover the sweet potatoes with water. Bring to a boil, and cook until the sweet potatoes are soft. Remove the sweet potatoes from the water, and let cool. Peel the sweet potatoes, and cut them into cubes. You can also roast whole sweet potatoes in the oven, but the moisture you’d get from boiling them helps create the smooth pudding texture you want.
What do you serve with sweet potato pudding?
You can serve all your traditional Thanksgiving recipes with sweet potato pudding, including seasoned roast turkey, stuffing, and green bean casserole. Is it a dessert or a side dish? That’s up to you!
