This sweet potato casserole with gingersnaps, topped with plenty of marshmallows is a kid-friendly Thanksgiving classic.
When I was growing up, the sweet potato casserole landed on the table right beside less-kid-friendly foods like Brussels sprouts and green beans. I always thought someone had forgotten that it wasn’t time for dessert. I never spoke up to correct the “mistake.” I simply devoured as many helpings as I could fit on my plate.–Rebecca Lang
LC Heresy Or High-Five-Worthy? Note
A scandalous riff on the classic Southern casserole, this sweet potato mash is topped not just with the requisite marshmallow but—believe it or not—crushed gingersnaps. Heresy? Or high-five-worthy? You tell us. (Although we’re thinking that in a pinch you could swap graham crackers for the gingersnaps for something just a touch less spiced and a touch more reminiscent of pumpkin pie. Just a thought.)
☞ Contents
Sweet Potato Casserole with Gingersnaps
Ingredients
For the sweet potatoes
- 4 pounds sweet potatoes unpeeled
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted and cooled, plus more for the baking dish
For the topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps or bacon fat gingersnaps (from about 30 cookies)
- 3 cups miniature marshmallows (okay, you can use jumbos if you love them)
Directions
Make the sweet potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C).
- Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes for small potatoes, 1 hour for medium potatoes, or 1 hour and 15 minutes for large potatoes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (176°C). Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and discard them. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, combine the potato flesh, eggs, heavy cream, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted butter. Mix until smooth. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the baking dish. (You can cover and refrigerate the sweet potatoes overnight and continue on with the recipe just before serving, allowing a few extra minutes in the oven to warm. You may need to loosely cover the dish with foil to prevent the marshmallows from turning too brown.)
Make the topping
- Stir the melted butter into the gingersnap crumbs. Top half the sweet potatoes with the marshmallows and sprinkle the rest with the gingersnap mixture.
Bake the sweet potato casserole
- Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until the marshmallows are lightly browned. Place the dish on the table and scoop it out in heaping spoonfuls.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This recipe was great. I had to bake my sweet potatoes for about an hour and a half, but I think they could’ve been baked a tiny bit longer. I also spread the gingersnap crumbs and marshmallows over the whole thing and it was divine! This was very easy and I fully expect this to become a holiday tradition in my house.
Because I’m always on the hunt for a sweet potato casserole that’s different from every other Thanksgiving staple, I was motivated to give this recipe a try. This is a really unique casserole with wonderful flavor. The gingersnaps add a bit of spice and a nice touch of crunch. What’s a sweet potato casserole without the marshmallows? This one brings together all the great flavors of the holiday classic with a bit of a twist. The spicy, sweet taste of the topping complements the creamy, buttery flavor of the sweet potato filling. It’d be a welcome addition to any holiday table. Truth be told, I made only the casserole this evening and no one complained that it was our dinner. Watch the baking time, as my casserole browned in 20 minutes. This seems to make a good deal of topping; however, the balance of topping and casserole is fantastic.
This recipe makes a pleasant sweet potato casserole. While I’m not a fan of the traditional type of this casserole, I didn’t mind this one at all. The addition of the gingersnap crumbs makes it a little different. One taster was all for adding more of the marshmallow topping, but I thought there was more than enough, and I’d perhaps prefer even a little less. I used mini marshmallows since there were some in the house. I’d take care not to overbrown the top, which can happen very quickly if the casserole isn’t watched. I liked the casserole part itself. I’d make this again, but next time I’d use fewer marshmallows and maybe more gingersnaps. I think I’d also use some freshly grated ginger (a tablespoon or so) in the potato mixture to add some extra zing.
I’m someone who likes sweet potatoes straight out of the oven. So that’s how we started, by baking these beautiful orange potatoes. I was intrigued by the addition of sugar, eggs, and spices. It was amazing. The marshmallows swelled up and were beautiful. We also made this sweet potato casserole for Christmas and baked it without the marshmallows for 20 minutes, then I let it cool and refrigerated it overnight. The next day we ended up using giant marshmallows and finished baking off the casserole. The topping browned beautifully and my kids loved it. Although since it takes both brown and white sugars, I’m thinking it was a little too sweet for my tastes, but I’d use this recipe again.
Originally published October 12, 2013
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Hiya,
This might sound like a really obvious question, but this recipe says to combine the potato flesh with the other ingredients.. in my mind the flesh is the skin, do you just mean the peeled potatoes?
Krys, the potato flesh is the inside part of the potato. Once baked, the skins should fall away easily, and then you can add the insides to the res of the mixture.