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Switching things up this Thanksgiving with this Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans. The classic sweet potato casserole we know and love, but topped with sweet and savory bacon pecans. These sweet potatoes are buttery, hinted with cinnamon, and lightly sweetened. The pecan streusel topping is just a touch spicy, perfectly sweet, herby, and a little salty too. When baked together the potatoes and topping create the perfect balance and make for the BEST sweet potato casserole. Make these ahead of time for an easy holiday side dish that everyone will love.

overhead photo of Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet n Savory Bacon Pecans

It’s the second week of November and I very much have Thanksgiving on my mind. Anyone else?

It’s been a little tricky to get my menu fully planned, photographed, and written up in between traveling for HBH Super Simple. But I’m excited to finally say that I will be sharing my full menu this week! Are you guys in planning mode? Hoping so, because I have some good recipes coming, and it all starts with this casserole.

I’m sure I have said this before, but when it comes to Thanksgiving I really love a traditional menu. Herby roasted turkey, buttery mashed potatoes, popovers, vegetable sides, and of course, sweet potato casserole. Some of you may be surprised to hear this, since I love to share all kinds of different recipes, but when it comes to both Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’m all about tradition. And the older and more traditional the better.

The classics keep things simple and perfect every time. It’s why we look forward to the holidays so much. All the traditions!

That said, every year I try to create a few new dishes that are spins on the classics. They still feel like the classics, just updated a bit. My brothers only care about the turkey, mashed potatoes, and rolls, so I keep those basic (but good). But when it comes to the vegetables? I have some room to play with, and have a little fun.

Enter this sweet potato casserole. It’s just like my grandma’s sweet potatoes, but with a sweet, savory, and salty pecan crumble topping…that everyone loves.

raw sweet potato with steam

Let’s talk about the sweet potatoes…

Like most sweet potato casseroles, this bourbon sweet potato casserole is so simple and easy to make. The longest part of the process is roasting the potatoes. But nothing is hard and you might even have all the ingredients on hand right now.

So…start with the sweet potatoes. Yes, you can buy canned sweet potatoes, but I highly recommend roasting fresh potatoes for best flavor and color. If you have an instant pot, you can cook the potatoes quickly in there. If not, go the oven route. It’s my preferred method.

Once the potatoes are fork tender, peel away the skins (then use them to make these sweet potato skin chips) and then mash. Then add in a touch of light brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, melted butter, and a splash of bourbon, and that’s it. This is my grandma’s base recipe and it never fails. Simple, but so delicious, and not overly sweet, which I think is really nice.

Question: are you a sweet or savory, sweet potato casserole person? I prefer a savory casserole…with just a touch of sweetness!

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole before adding the pecans

Now about those bacon pecans…

While the potatoes are roasting, start working on the bacon pecans.

Oh, these bacon pecans. Basically, this is a topping of candied bacon with pecans, and it’s incredibly delicious. Sweet and savory with a little crunch from the pecans, and saltiness from the bacon. I added sage and a little rosemary to bring in some savory flavors and balance out the sweetness. These herbs may sound like an odd addition but go with me on this because it’s so GOOD.

Also, if rosemary isn’t your thing, or you’re worried it may overpower the other flavors, then simply leave it out. My dad’s not the biggest rosemary fan. He sometimes complains that it’s overpowering. Use your best judgment here and go with your own personal taste.

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet n Savory Bacon Pecans before baking

Put it all together…

Last up, layer the topping over the sweet potatoes in a casserole dish and bake. It’s simple, nothing too fancy, and so EASY. While this bakes, your house will smell incredible, just like Thanksgiving should. You’ll soon find out that every bite is just as delicious as it smells.

These potatoes are sweet and buttery and the topping is crunchy. It’s the sweet potato casserole your Thanksgiving table needs. Promise.

And finally, you can easily prepare this ahead of time and freeze, and yes, it travels well too. If you’re on side dish duty this Thanksgiving, this is your dish!

overhead photo of Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet n Savory Bacon Pecans with spoonful removed from casserole

If you make this bourbon sweet potato casserole with sweet ‘n’ savory bacon pecans, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 426 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until soft and tender. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, slice them in half and allow to cool.
    2. Meanwhile, make the bacon pecans. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain onto a paper towel. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, pecans, butter, cayenne, sage, and rosemary (if using). Stir in the bacon.
    3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Peel the skins away from the flesh of the sweet potato. Add the sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl. Mash well. Mix in the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, milk, butter, eggs, and bourbon until combined. Season with salt.
    4. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over top.
    5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the pecans are golden. Serve warm topped with flaky sea salt.

Notes

To Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole through step 4. Cover and store the assembled casserole in the fridge for up to 2 days. To bake, remove the casserole from the fridge while the oven preheats, then bake as directed. 
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour. 
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overhead close up photo of Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet n Savory Bacon Pecans

This post was originally published on November 11, 2019
4.06 from 2006 votes (1,850 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Hello,

    The recipe calls for 4 medium sweet potatoes. I have a 3 lb. bag of small sweet potatoes. How many should I use?

    Thanks!!

    Reply

    1. Hey Melissa,
      I would use the whole bag. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I make this recipe yearly, and have a question. My grandmother can only eat canned sweet potatoes due to her stomach issues.
    Can this be made with canned and still be delicious? Do I need to do anything differently (aside from skipping the cooking potatoes step)

    Reply

    1. Hey Francesca,
      Sure, I bet those would work just fine following the recipe as is! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan

      Reply

      1. Hi, this will be my first time making this recipe and was wondering if the oven temp could be reduced to 325 and just cooked a little longer? My turkey takes a while and the temp it needs is 325. Thank in advance 🙂

        Reply

        1. Hey Maya,
          Yes, that will be just fine to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan

          Reply

    1. Hey Jessie,
      Unfortunately, neither of those methods will give you the lovely crispy topping so I would stick with the oven for this one. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  4. Hi there,

    This sounds super easy and delicious. We have a nut allergy, so do you think that it could be made without the topping?
    Or what would you suggest for a topping if you can’t have nuts ?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hey there,
      You could definitely skip the topping:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

      1. my family has a nut allergy too. do you suggest leaving the bacon topping just removing nuts? or would there be more adjustments?

        Reply

        1. Hey Emily,
          You could totally do the bacon without the nuts. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

          Reply

        2. You could do what another commenter suggested and use pumpkin seeds instead of the pecans— I bet that would be delicious!

          Reply

  5. 5 stars
    This recipe is now a regular request for Thanksgiving. Since I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year, my oven will be taking up space with the turkey. Can this be cooked in a crockpot? If you don’t recommend using a crockpot, then I will figure it out 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hey Britney,
      Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! Unfortunately, you won’t get that crispy top in the slow cooker, so I would stick with the oven:) xTieghan

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    We made this recipe on a trial run and it was over the top delicious!!!! Ate the entire casserole! Will be doubling the recipe for Thanksgiving! Every recipe of yours is awesome! Thank you! Can’t wait for your new cookbook!

    Reply

  7. Hi there! First off I love you and all of your recipes! My family loves everything I make from you! My question is my daughter had an egg intolerance…wanting to make you’re sweet potato casserole this thanksgiving…any suggestions on what to replace the egg with? Or can I just leave the egg out and it will be fine?

    Reply

    1. Hey Emily,
      The egg acts as a binder for all of the ingredients in this recipe, I would recommend to try using an egg substitute that you typically use and see if that works. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. This looks delicious! If I want to leave the sweet potatoes chunky, would I still roast them first for the entire time, or under cook them and have them finish cooking when the entire casserole goes back into the oven?
    Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hey Jeanene,
      I would follow the recipe as is, just don’t mash them as much and leave them a little chunky to your liking. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

      1. 5 stars
        I made these last year, left the potatoes chunky (my preference) and they were delicious! I will be making them again this year. Thank you for the recipe!

        Reply

  9. I need to double this recipe for friends giving. Do you recommend just doubling all the ingredients together and putting it one big baking dish or separating it into two dishes?

    Reply

    1. Hey Amanda,
      I would probably use 2 separate baking dishes just to ensure the dish bakes probably. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

    2. I first made this two years ago, and it was the most talked about dish on the (extensive) buffet. It’s become a staple for us.

      Reply

  10. Would love your input. My son cannot eat pecans or walnuts due to a tree nut allergy. Which would you recommend in the pecans place-almonds or hazelnuts? Would love to try this recipe for Thanksgiving. Thanks!!

    Reply

  11. Just a question about the make ahead directions! When you say can keep in the fridge for up to 2 days – if making for Thanksgiving (Thursday) does that mean it can be made Tuesday? Just want to get all my timing right!

    Reply

  12. Hello, your recipe calls for sweet potatoes. In your photo your potatoes are orange looking. Usually sweet potatoes are yellow and yams are orange. Which potatoes did you use?

    Reply

    2. Yams are not available in the US although some markets called sweet potatoes yams. Our “yams” in the US are all sweet potatoes of various varieties. The orange ones are jewel or garnet and the yellow ones are most likely Hannas. You can also get white or purple sweet potatoes (mostly from Asian markets).

      I tend to use jewel or garnets as they have a great sweetness to them, but I have used the purple ones in my Asian cooking and they are fantastic.

      Reply

  13. 5 stars
    I recipe tested this in advance of Thanksgiving and omitted the bacon because I have a lot of vegetarians. AMAZING!

    However – I’d like it to be a bit thicker in my pan so i want to double the mashed sweet potatoes. If I double, does baking tile remain the same?

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    Made it last night as a trial run before Thanksgiving and it’s a winner! All ready shared the recipe with a friend. ?

    Reply

  15. Can you make through step 4 and freeze? If so for how long could you keep in freezer? Then after freezing what would the cooking instructions be?
    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hey Mollie, yes that should be just fine! As far as cooking after freezing, I would bake for 25 minutes covered and then 20 minutes uncovered, or something along those lines! 🙂 xTieghan

      Reply

      1. Would you be able to thaw it from the freezer in the fridge and then go from the directions from the “make ahead” section?

        Reply