Looking for the Best Sweet Potato Casserole in Crock pot? Look no more! Sweet potatoes coated in brown sugar, and topped with pecans and marshmallows, is the perfect slow cooker sweet side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas menus. You will love the no fuss, no mess way that you can whip up this Traditional Thanksgiving side dish and keep your oven clear for other goodies. What’s not to love about sweet potatoes and brown sugar, amiright??
One thing I struggle with every holiday, is planning what food finishes cooking at what time.
It can be a real struggle making sure that the oven has one temperature and there are an appropriate amount of side dish options, cold fridge salads, and of course desserts.
I have had a Thanksgiving where my sides finished well before my turkey and it was a personal disaster (although no one else minded). Ever since that happened, I have really befriended slow cooking. I have quite a few slow cookers and line them up and the great thing is, if something finishes early (like green beans or Brussels sprouts), I can just keep them warm.
Heck, I can even do desserts in my crockpot!
In an effort to help save the holiday menu this year, I am starting my planning early and right on the top of the list are these sweet potatoes. You wont believe how incredibly easy, creamy, and sweet these potatoes taste and when you make them in a slow cooker, almost zero planning. I mean of course you have to peel the potatoes and that always takes time, but other than that, this is a side dish that you can count on to be there right when you need it without needing the oven like traditional oven baked sweet potato casserole.
And this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe (With marshmallows!) in the slow cooker is not only a MUST for the season, but it’s also perfect for the holidays because it serves a ton of guests. In fact, I would say this candied sweet potato casserole easily serves 10-15, which is so much more difficult to do in an oven baked situation. Trust me, it’s a decent size batch!
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Slow cooker sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving, coated in brown sugar, and topped with pecans and marshmallows, is the perfect sweet side dish.
Of course if you are looking for something a lot quicker, you could always microwave baked sweet potatoes too (awesome recipe!)
- 3-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces (not canned)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- whole or pieces of pecans for serving
RELATED RECIPES: my favorite oven baked sweet potato casserole recipe, diced sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes and onions, pressure cooked sweet potatoes
What kind of brown sugar?
Often I get asked what kind of sugar to use – brown or light brown. The truth is, it doesn’t matter. If you have one or the other in your pantry, its delicious either way!
Slow Cooker Preparation
- First you will need to peal and dice up your potatoes in chunks, 1-2 inches is fine but the main thing is to try to keep them even so they cook the same level. Perfection not required.
- Grease a 6qt slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Best Sweet Potato Casserole in Crock Pot
Place peeled and diced sweet potatoes in slow cooker.
In a separate bowl, add sugar, butter, spice, vanilla, water and salt and mix well.
Pour brown sugar butter mixture over potatoes and stir to coat. The coating will not be overly saturated, but is typically more than enough once fully cooked.
Cover slow cooker and heat on high 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until potatoes are tender.
Reduce heat to low.
Chunky Potatoes or Creamy Potatoes – the choice is yours! When your potatoes are ready to go and super tender, you can either use a potato masher
BEFORE SERVING: Sprinkle sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows and cover until melted, about 3-5 minutes.
If you put the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes too soon, they will melt into the potatoes and not have a nice top layer.
Because this recipe is in a crock pot, you wont get that same golden brown color on your marshmallows, so if aesthetically that is something you want, you can use a kitchen torch
Serve slow cooker sweet potato casserole topped with whole pecans or if you want to get fancy, try my candied pecans recipe!
Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Side Dishes
More Delicious Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
- Homemade Creamed Corn
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole
- Watergate Salad
- Broccoli Casserole with Ritz Crackers
- just about any Broccoli Side Dish <—my favorite is here
Slow Cookers I Recommend
If you do not have a slow cooker or need additional slow cookers for the upcoming cooking season, here are the ones I own
- Crockpot 8 quart – I have one of these crockpot 8 quart slow cookers. It has the warm, low, and high button. It basically just runs till you turn it off and is pretty basic
- Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker – I have this slow cooker which allows me to set the time from 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours of cooking time and what level. This one is great if you have a dish that really only needs a few hours of cooking time and do not want it to overcook.
Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 3-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes - peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter - melted
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- whole pecans for serving
Instructions
- Grease a 6qt slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray to help prevent sweet potatoes from overly sticking.
- Place peeled and cut sweet potatoes into the slow cooker.
- In a separate bowl, add brown sugar, melted butter, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, water and salt and mix well until all combined.
- Pour mixture over potatoes and stir/rotate sweet potatoes to coat all sides.
- Cover slow cooker and heat on high 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until sweet potatoes are tender and soft. Reduce crock pot heat to low.
- BEFORE SERVING: Sprinkle mini marshmallows with top of potatoes with marshmallows and cover slow cooker again until marshmallows are just melted, about 3-5 minutes.
- Serve Sweet Potato Casserole topped with whole, chopped, or sugar covered pecans.
Donna Valente says
Is there a substitution for the pumpkin spice if I can’t find it? Also can I use a liner in the crock pot to make clean up easier?
Trisha says
You can def use a liner. You should be able to find pumpkin pie spice fairly easily, its really common. Its usually one of those half size bottles in the seasoning aisle w a red top. Pumpkin pie spice is a collection of fall favorites like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and nutmeg. Its like a premix of it.
Donna Valente says
Thanks Trisha. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving
Kim says
Could you make the sweet potatoes the day before and then melt the marshmallows and put the pecans on top the day of your dinner?
Trisha says
I dont see why not, but it would still need time to warm up.
Marylene says
Trying it for the first time today!
Deyna says
My mixture wasn’t watery like yours was. Followed the measurements exactly. What’s different??
Trisha says
I am not 100% sure because its hard to know what other people did exactly. You are welcome to email me a picture and I can try to troubleshoot with you. It may just be the potatoes you had as far as how dry or large they were? Most of the moisture comes from the melted butter, sugar, and marshmallows.
Daisha says
I didn’t have pumpkin spice seasoning so I substituted for cloves, all spice, nutmeg, and cinnamon!
Slow cooked for 3 hours in the crockpot!!! Added the mixture to a “glass dish”, added the marshmallows and covered with Tim foil.
When the dinner was almost served, I popped it in the oven! It was perfect for our small gathering for covid! Her kids, hubby and me!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Trisha says
I love how you put everything together with the spices on your own, thats such a nice way to make sure you include a little extra dash of cinnamon! Sounds delicious 🙂
Ashley Ross says
How many potatoes in total you need I’m confused ?
Trisha says
3 1/2 pounds 🙂