Sweet Potato Souffle with Pecans

This Sweet Potato Souffle with Pecans Recipe is my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Creamy mashed sweet potatoes meet a crisp, buttery pecan streusel topping that pretends to be a side dish but tastes suspiciously like dessert.

Why you’ll love it:

• The filling is silky and rich, not too sweet.
• The topping bakes into a golden, crunchy layer instead of soggy nuts.
• It reheats beautifully — ideal for make-ahead holiday prep.

Is Sweet Potato Souffle a Dessert or Side Dish?

It can be both but we traditionally serve it as a side dish. The sweet potato souffle is sweet and has a texture just like pie. The brown sugar and pecan streusel topping add even more sweetness and crunch. You can definitely serve this as a dessert in place of a sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie.

Why This Recipe Works

Balanced texture. The combination of whipped sweet potatoes and a crumble topping gives you that dreamy contrast: soft base + crisp, caramelized pecans on top.
Simple ingredients, big flavor. No fancy steps, just pantry basics that transform into something company-worthy.
Crowd-pleaser factor. It bridges the “too-sweet” casserole crowd and the “savory-sides-only” people. Everyone wins.
Bonus: It doubles easily for larger gatherings just bake in a 9×13 dish and extend cook time by about 10 minutes.

Ingredient Highlights

• Sweet Potatoes: Use orange-fleshed (Beauregard or Jewel) for color and sweetness.
• Butter: Because it’s a holiday, not a health retreat.
• Brown Sugar: Adds molasses depth that white sugar just can’t.
• Milk: Whole milk for creaminess; half-and-half if you’re feeling fancy.
• Eggs: They give the souffle its lift and custardy texture.
• Pecans: The hero of the topping! Toast them lightly for extra flavor.

Here is an article on freshness/how long a sweet potato lasts.

Making Sweet Potato Souffle Ahead of Time

Can sweet potato souffle be made ahead of time? Yes, you can make it up to three days ahead of serving time. Once out of the oven allow the sweet potato souffle to cool. Once cooled cover and keep refrigerated. To reheat cover the souffle with aluminum foil. Place in a heated 350 F oven and allow it to heat through. Roughly 20 minutes.

I have not frozen then reheated the souffle so I cannot say how it will turn out after being thawed/reheated. My thoughts are that you can; considering that this souffle is similar to a pie. Since I have not tested my theory, I can’t recommend freezing this sweet potato souffle.

Recipe Tips

• If you have an Instant Pot, instead of boiling sweet potatoes, steam them in your instant pot for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Removing the sweet potato skins is easy. Once they are cooked the skin peels right off. Just punch the skin with a knife and peel. The skin and the potato detach during cooking.
• Remove stringy fibers. These fibers will be stuck on your mixer’s beaters.
• Double the streusel recipe for MILE HIGH Streusel topping.
• This recipe can be made in a 9×13 or a 2-quart baking dish.

Sweet Potato Souffle Leftovers

How long is sweet potato souffle good for? If refrigerated it can last up to 4 days. I made this souffle on a Monday and the leftovers were still good on Thursday. The texture of the souffle and streusel topping was great. The pecans were still crunchy too.

If you have leftovers be sure to cover them with foil or transfer them into a container with a lid.

I even enjoy the sweet potato souffle cold the next morning with a cup of coffee. Even though it is served as a side dish it does remind me of pie! I love cold pie and coffee for breakfast. It is such a great combination.

More Sweet Potato Recipes

• Candied Yams (Extra Rich)
• Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe