Sweet Potato Souffle | Cookies and Cups

Smooth, decadent, and covered in a crunchy and buttery pecan streusel topping, this sweet potato souffle is the perfect holiday side dish. It’s sweet, salty, and loaded with my cozy winter flavors. 

The Best Sweet Potato Souffle

This sweet potato souffle is easily one of my favorite seasonal recipes. It’s smooth and creamy, with eggs and butter making the mashed sweet potatoes light and fluffy. It has caramel notes thanks to brown sugar and is seasoned with cozy flavors like cinnamon and vanilla. But the star of the show is the crunchy pecan streusel on top. You’re going to love it! 

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe

This hearty and sweet souffle is a staple on my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables. Here’s why you’ve got to try this irresistible holiday side dish. 

• Easy to make. This sweet potato souffle with a streusel topping is so easy to make, and only takes 15 minutes of prep work before it’s in the oven. 
• Perfect for the holidays. It has so many perfect flavors for Thanksgiving and Christmas, like sweet potatoes, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, and nuts. Take this recipe to any holiday party and it will be an instant hit, I promise!
• Sweet and savory. I love the combination of sweet and savory. This decadent souffle takes that pairing to the next level, blending earthy sweet potatoes and salt with loads of brown sugar and vanilla. It tastes so good when mixed with the smooth and rich flavor of the butter and pecans.

Are Sweet Potato Souffle and Sweet Potato Casserole the Same?

Sweet potato souffle and sweet potato casserole are very similar, but they do have some important differences. A souffle is usually a bit sweeter, and it uses eggs to give it a lighter, smoother, and more airy consistency. This sweet potato souffle recipe also has a crunchy pecan streusel topping, while most sweet potato casseroles are topped with marshmallows. 

What You’ll Need

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make this decadent sweet and salty holiday side dish. Make sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the exact amounts of each ingredient.

For the Souffle:

• Butter – Make sure to use room-temperature butter.
• Light brown sugar
• Mashed sweet potato – It’s important to use sweet potatoes that are not seasoned or sweetened.
• Eggs
• Milk – Use whole milk for the creamiest souffle.
• Vanilla extract – Always use 100% pure extract.
• Ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt

For the Streusel Topping:

• Pecans
• Light brown sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Butter

Canned vs Fresh Sweet Potatoes

This smooth and buttery holiday souffle can be made with fresh sweet potatoes or canned sweet potatoes. To make your own sweet potato puree for this recipe, simply bake a few sweet potatoes, let them cool, and then mash them until they’re smooth. Using fresh sweet potatoes will give your souffle a stronger sweet potato flavor while using canned sweet potatoes will save you some time and effort. 

How to Make Sweet Potato Souffle

Here’s how you can make this easy cinnamon sweet potato souffle in under an hour. It’s such a simple recipe!

• Prep. Preheat your oven to 350F, and grease a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray. 
• Cream the butter. Add the butter and the sugar for the souffle to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment for 1 minute, until smooth and combined.
• Finish the souffle. Add the sweet potato, eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Mix until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
• Spread. Pour the souffle batter into the baking dish, and spread evenly.
• Make the topping. Add all of the ingredients for the streusel to a bowl, and mix until well combined.
• Add the streusel. Spread the streusel topping evenly over the souffle in the baking dish.

• Bake. Put the souffle in the oven and bake until browned on top, but still slightly jiggly. This should take 10-15 minutes.
• Cool. Let the souffle cool for at least 10 minutes, then serve. 

Tips for Success

These are a few of my favorite tricks and tips to help you make the best sweet and savory sweet potato souffle this holiday season. 

• Use room-temperature eggs. One of the best parts about this decadent side dish is that the souffle is incredibly smooth and creamy. To ensure that the souffle has that texture, use eggs that are at room temperature. Eggs that are cold don’t mix as well with other ingredients and can lead to a sweet potato souffle that’s less smooth and more dense. 
• Rotate halfway through. A lot of ovens don’t heat very evenly, which can lead to a souffle that’s overcooked on one side and undercooked on the other. To keep this from happening, rotate the baking dish halfway through.
• Let cool. This is one of the best-smelling things you’ll ever bake, and your whole kitchen will smell like brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, butter, and sweet potato. That will make it tempting to dive right into the souffle when it comes out of the oven. Resist the temptation and let the souffle cool for at least 10 minutes, or preferably longer. This will allow it to firm up slightly, giving it a much better consistency. 

Serving Suggestions

Since this smooth brown sugar sweet potato souffle is the ultimate holiday side dish, I like to serve it with a festive entree. Here are a few dinner ideas that go perfectly with this buttery souffle with a crunchy pecan streusel.

Can I Make Sweet Potato Souffle in Advance?

Yes! One of the best things about this pecan and sweet potato souffle is that you can assemble it ahead of time, and then bake it right before dinner. All you need to do is assemble the souffle entirely, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Remove it from the fridge 15 minutes before placing it in the oven. 

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

Leftover sweet potato souffle should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. You can reheat the souffle in a 350F oven for 15 minutes, or in the microwave in 30-second increments. You can also freeze the souffle in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw or defrost before reheating. 

More Holiday Side Dish Ideas

In my opinion, the secret to a good holiday spread is to have a ton of side dishes. Here are some of my other favorites for you to put on your Thanksgiving or Christmas table. 

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