Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs (900 g) Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed or whole for roasting
  • ½ cup (115 g) Unsalted Butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
  • ½ cup (100 g) Granulated Sugar
  • ¼ cup (55 g) Light Brown Sugar, packed (for base)
  • 2 large Eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) Whole Milk or Evaporated Milk
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Vanilla Extract
  • ½ tsp (2.5 g) Ground Cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp (1.25 g) Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp (pinch) Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 cup (125 g) All-Purpose Flour (for topping)
  • 1 cup (220 g) Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed (for topping)
  • ½ cup (115 g) Unsalted Butter, chilled and cut into small cubes (for topping)
  • 1 cup (110 g) Pecan Halves or roughly Chopped Pecans

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare potatoes: If roasting, wash and prick potatoes thoroughly; if boiling, peel and cube.
  2. Cook Potatoes: Roast whole potatoes until soft and easily pierced (approx. 45–50 minutes) or boil cubes until fork-tender (approx. 20 minutes).
  3. Mash and Cool: Allow potatoes to cool slightly. Scoop out flesh or drain thoroughly, then mash or use a hand mixer until mostly smooth.
  4. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl with the mashed sweet potatoes, whisk in the melted butter, beaten eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
  5. Add Dry Ingredients: Stir in both the granulated and brown sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix thoroughly until the base is smooth and homogeneous.
  6. Transfer: Lightly grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Pour the sweet potato base into the prepared dish and smooth the top with a spatula.
  7. Combine Dry Topping: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour and brown sugar required for the topping.
  8. Cut in the Butter: Add the chilled, cubed butter to the dry mixture. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.
  9. Fold in Pecans: Gently fold in the pecan halves or chopped pecans.
  10. Top the Casserole: Evenly sprinkle the praline topping mixture over the sweet potato base, ensuring full coverage.
  11. Bake: Place the casserole in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the topping is deeply golden brown and the filling is set. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil.
  12. Rest: Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. This resting period is crucial for the filling to fully set.