Joanna Gaines Sweet Potato Casserole
This copycat Joanna Gaines sweet potato casserole might just steal the show at your holiday table! Featuring fluffy sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy cornflake and pecan mixture. Don’t forget the toasted marshmallows on top!
This isn’t the usual sweet potato casserole recipe. It’s a copycat version of the recipe from Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table cookbook, and trust me, it’s that good! I love everything of hers that I’ve made and this one is no exception.
It’s the topping that gets me! I’ve had versions with pecans, marshmallows, and even a streusel topping but the cornflakes are what makes it special. I know cornflakes aren’t really “special,” but their added crunch is!
While sweet potato casserole is a holiday classic, this version is so good you’ll want to make it all year round. It’s great with smoked turkey and honey smoked ham for Easter.
Serve it with my loaded green bean casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots, and buttery dinner rolls with homemade gravy for the ultimate holiday spread.
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet potatoes – Use regular large sweet potatoes. I like to use fresh or frozen ones. You can boil them but I love roasting them for extra flavor.
- Cereal – Use plain cornflakes not the frosted ones. Substitute rolled oats, crackers, or crushed graham crackers.
- Nuts – Toasted pecans are my go-to for this or swap them for walnuts or almonds.
- Marshmallows – Miniature marshmallows are my favorites but you can also use large ones and cut them into smaller pieces. Scoop marshmallow creme on top if you don’t have them. Want to leave them off? Use Frosted Flakes cereal instead. Or swap out all of this for a streusel topping!
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How To Make Joanna Gaines Sweet Potato Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 450F. Rinse and place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Poke holes with a fork.
- Wrap them in foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375F. Unwrap and scoop the insides and place in a large bowl.
- Add the butter, milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared dish in an even layer.
- Combine the pecans, cornflakes, and brown sugar in a separate bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the marshmallows over the top.
- Return to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes. If you like them more golden brown, broil for 1 minute. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave, at 30 second intervals, or in a 350F oven, until heated through.
How To Prep Ahead
Prepare and bake the sweet potato mixture. Cool completely and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and let come to room temperature.
Top with the cornflake mixture and marshmallows and bake for 5 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden brown.
Don’t make the potato mixture and store it unbaked in the fridge. It’s not recommended because they contain eggs and dairy. Bake and then store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beaten eggs allow the casserole to bake up light and fluffy!
1: The potatoes are not roasted enough to remove the right amount of moisture. Or you use frozen potatoes and they have too much water in them.
2: It’s too hot when you serve it. Allow it to rest 5 minutes after you take it out of the oven so the juices can be reabsorbed.
3: You might have left out the eggs which are a binder in the casserole.
As a side dish, you can get 12 servings. But if you use a large spoon you might only end up with 8.
Side Dish Casseroles
To make my side dishes even easier, I love to make casseroles. Here are a few of my favorites!
- Sweet Onion Casserole – Budget friendly and vegetarian.
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole – Easier than making individual baked potatoes.
- Captain Crunch Casserole – A fun twist on sweet potato casserole, even if the name doesn’t say so.
- Mashed Potato Casserole – Delicious way to use up leftover mashed potatoes and make the store-bought ones even better.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Perfect texture – Use a hand mixer or potato masher to mix ingredients. Add in 4 ounces of cream cheese to make it richer and creamier.
- Ingredient swaps – Substitute coconut milk for cream/milk if you prefer.
- Sweeten it up – Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and maple syrup to the sweet potato mixture and turn it into dessert.
- Herb are amazing – Roast fresh rosemary or thyme with the sweet potatoes for extra flavor.
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This copycat sweet potato casserole recipe from Magnolia Table is perfect for any occasion, not just a special holiday!
Joanna Gaines Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
Casserole
- 6 large sweet potatoes roughly 5 pounds
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick butter unsalted, softened
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1 cup cornflakes cereal
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons butter melted
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Poke the sweet potatoes with a fork or knife a few times. Wrap each sweet potato in foil and bake in the oven until tender. Roughly 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and cool about 15 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375F.
- Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray.
- Unwrap the sweet potatoes, cut open, and scoop out the cooked sweet potato.
- Place in a large bowl. Add the cream, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt.
- Mix to combine.
- Spread into prepared casserole dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cornflakes, pecans, light brown sugar, and butter.
- Spread mixture over the sweet potatoes.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove and sprinkle with miniature marshmallows.
- Return to oven and cook another 3-5 minutes. Or you can broil for 1 minute to toast the marshmallow and get it a light golden brown versus just melting them. (Watch carefully)
- Remove, rest for 5 minutes, and serve warm.
Notes
- Perfect texture – Use a hand mixer or potato masher to mix ingredients. Add in 4 ounces of cream cheese to make it richer and creamier.
- Ingredient swaps – Substitute coconut milk for cream/milk if you prefer.
- Sweeten it up – Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and maple syrup to the sweet potato mixture and turn it into dessert.
- Herb are amazing – Roast fresh rosemary or thyme with the sweet potatoes for extra flavor.
Nutrition
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