This Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams is creamy, buttery, and topped with toasted pecans and mini marshmallows. Perfect slow cooker sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving or any holiday gathering.

Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams

Let’s be real .. Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a sweet potato casserole that’s both comforting and crowd-pleasing. This Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams is the hero side dish you didn’t know you needed. It’s got that perfect balance of creamy, sweet, and crunchy, and the best part? It frees up your oven space so you can focus on the turkey (or, you know, sneak a few extra bites of stuffing).

That’s the beauty of this sweet potato casserole, you simply stir your ingredients together and move on to other things like spending time with your family … or trying to hide from your family … whichever works for your particular situation. No judging..

Why This Recipe Works

Set it and forget it: Toss everything into your slow cooker, and let it work its magic while you prep other dishes or relax with a glass of wine.
Magic: This casserole tastes like you slaved away all day in your kitchen but it only takes about 10 minutes to pull this together. Shhhh … it will be our secret!
No oven required: Perfect for those busy holiday cooking days when oven space is at a premium.
Make-ahead friendly: Assemble the casserole the night before and let the slow cooker do the work the next day.
Dual topping delight: Can’t choose between marshmallows and pecans? Have both! This recipe offers a delightful combination of both toppings.

Choosing the Right Ingredients & Why They Matter

Sweet potatoes: Naturally sweet and creamy, they’re the foundation of this casserole. Using canned sweet potatoes saves time and ensures a consistent texture, while fresh sweet potatoes bring a slightly earthier flavor if you prefer to peel and boil them.
Butter: Adds richness, moisture, and that comforting buttery flavor we all crave in a holiday casserole. Don’t skip it.. this is your flavor bridge.
Sugar & Brown Sugar: Sugar balances the savory notes of the sweet potatoes and enhances their natural sweetness. Brown sugar in the topping creates that classic caramelized crunch.
Orange Juice: A splash of citrus brightens the sweet potato flavor and keeps the casserole from tasting overly sweet.
Eggs: They bind everything together, giving the casserole structure and a slightly custardy texture.
Evaporated Milk: Provides creaminess without making the casserole watery. It’s the secret to that silky smooth bite.
Pecans: For the topping, they add crunch, nuttiness, and a little visual flair that makes this dish feel extra special.
Mini Marshmallows: The magic makers! They toast up golden and gooey, melting into the pecan topping for that nostalgic, campfire-meets-holiday flavor moment.
Flour: Combined with butter and brown sugar, it thickens the topping and helps create that coveted crisp layer.
Vanilla Extract: A subtle note that rounds out the sweetness and adds a warm, aromatic dimension.

Heather’s Note: Every ingredient matters here .. skip one and you lose the balance between creamy, sweet, and crunchy that makes this slow cooker sweet potato casserole irresistible.

How To Make Crockpot Sweet Potatoes

To make this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole, start by spraying your slow cooker with non-stick spray.
Next, drain your canned sweet potatoes, add to the slow cooker and using a fork or a potato masher, lightly break up the sweet potatoes and mash them to your desired consistency.

Next, add in the sugar, vanilla, butter and brown sugar along with the orange juice, eggs, evaporated milk and spices and using a hand mixer, beat together to combine.
Smooth mixture out evenly and in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, melted butter and pecans.

Sprinkle evenly over the sweet potatoes. Cover and cook on High for 3 – 4 hours.
Right before serving, top with mini marshmallows and maybe a few extra pecans, cover and let marshmallows melt. Reduce your heat to Warm and serve your Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole directly out of the slow cooker.

Tips and Tricks

Don’t want to serve this with both a marshmallow and a pecan topping? Leave out whichever you don’t prefer and your sweet potato casserole will still be delicious.
This sweet potato casserole filling can be made the night before and then added into your slow cooker the day of.
Don’t skip the orange juice – it gives the sweet potatoes a little bit of “zing”!

Storage, Freezing and Making Ahead

Make-ahead option: Prepare the casserole up to step 3 the night before. Cover and refrigerate. On the day of serving, proceed with steps 4 through 7.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: This casserole freezes well. After cooking, let it cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH PECANS OR MARSHMALLOWS?

Whether to make sweet potato casserole with marshmallows or sweet potato casserole with pecans, that’s dealers choice.

I, personally, prefer sweet potato casserole with pecans whereas my hubby likes marshmallows.

The addition of BOTH pecans and marshmallows really add a crunchy, sweet topping to your casserole that pairs perfectly with the mashed sweet potatoes.

For this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole, I combined the best of both worlds to avoid any awkward holiday fighting but feel free to customize this recipe to however your family likes it.

Canned Yams vs. Fresh Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes vs. yams is a sweet potato casserole discussion that usually results in heated arguments and hurt feelings. Haha.. just kidding.

You most certainly can use fresh sweet potato to make your sweet potato casserole dish. Simply peel, chop and boil four large sweet potatoes until they are soft enough to mash. Then follow on with the rest of the instructions.

For this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, I used the canned sweet potatoes to make this slow cooker side dish recipe as easy and flavorful as possible. I’ve tried making this side dish with both and I personally prefer using the canned sweet potatoes over fresh potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use fresh sweet potatoes instead of canned?
Yes, you can use fresh sweet potatoes. Peel and cube them, then cook until tender before mashing.

Can I add marshmallows on top?
Absolutely! Add mini marshmallows during the last 30 minutes of cooking for a gooey, sweet topping.

Can I make this casserole dairy-free?
Yes, substitute the butter with a dairy-free margarine and use a non-dairy milk alternative like almond or oat milk.

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

This slow cooker sweet potato casserole is the ultimate blend of creamy, sweet, and crunchy .. with buttery pecans and gooey mini marshmallows that make every bite feel like a holiday hug. It’s effortless to prep, frees up oven space, and still tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen (even if you didn’t). Whether you’re making it for Thanksgiving, a cozy weeknight, or any special occasion, this casserole is guaranteed to disappear fast .. so make extra, and don’t say I didn’t warn you

xoxo, Heather 💋