Easy Sweet Potato Pudding
Southern sweet potato pudding, also known as sweet potato soufflé, is a classic holiday staple. Topped with marshmallows, pecans, and warm spices, it’s creamy, smooth, light, and absolutely luscious—a perfect companion to your classic holiday meals.
Southern Sweet Potato Pudding
Growing up, southern sweet potato pudding was always served alongside our Turkey. As a kid, it was one of my favorite side dishes. I mean you can’t go wrong with sweet potatoes and marshmallows.
Why This Sweet Potato Pudding Works
You probably have most of the ingredients to make it! I opted to roast my sweet potatoes instead of boiling them, because it has a more sweet savory flavor that way.
The filling in this sweet potato pudding is light and smooth and it’s not overly sweet and it’s so easy to make and guaranteed to please your whole family.
How to Cook the Sweet Potatoes
Before you assemble this dish, you need to prepare the sweet potatoes. Here are two options.
- Roast the sweet potatoes. Poke holes all over the sweet potato. Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and poke several holes into the foil. Roast in the oven until very tender.Roasting times will vary depending on the size of your dice. The bigger the potato the longer it will need to bake. I baked mine for about an hour.
- Or, Boil the sweet potatoes. Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them in half, and place them in a pot filled with water and some salt. Bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender. Typically, this takes about 20 minutes.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pudding in Advance
You can prepare sweet potato pudding fully cooked ahead of time, for the holidays.
- First you’ll need to put the marshmallows to the side for a bit. Cover and store the pudding in the fridge.
- To reheat, simply set stove to 350-degree Fahrenheit. Place the pudding in the hot oven and baked until warmed through. Then top it with the marshmallows and bake until the marshmallows are melted and golden.
You can also prepare the pudding in advance then when cooled, put it into a container with a tight fitted lid. When you are ready to make it, just add the pudding into a lightly greased with butter baking pan and proceed with the recipe directions below.
How to bake the potatoes in advance:
Alternatively, you can prep your sweet potatoes one day in advance.
Oil them and roast them and store in the refrigerator. The next day, all you’d have to do is mash the potatoes, brown the butter (optional) or melt it then make the filling, and bake the sweet potato pudding in the oven.
Tips for Southern Sweet Potato Pudding
- Salt – If you boil the sweet potatoes, use more salt than you think you’ll need.
- Melted Butter – I used brown butter but if you don’t have time you can just melt your butter before whisking into the filling. Melted butter blends into the filling much more smoothly. If you don’t know how to brown butter, check out Bonappetit easy recipe.
- Filling Texture – If you like your sweet potato pudding to be velvety smooth, roast your sweet potatoes and use an immersion blender, electric mixer or a food processor to achieve that perfect consistency. If you prefer yours to have a thicker texture mash by hand with a fork or potato masher.
- Add-Ins – Different households incorporate different spices into their pudding recipes. You can add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and / or allspice if you enjoy the type of flavors.
- Toppings – If you want to add some crunch to your sweet potato pudding, top with your favorite pecans or walnuts.
How to Speed Up Cooking Time
If you’re boiling the potatoes, the best way to speed up the cooking time of your pudding is to cut your sweet potatoes in halve. They’ll roast quicker in the oven this way.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pudding
- Boil or roast the sweet potatoes. I roasted mine. FYI, foil isn’t necessary. It’s just my personal preference.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit . To prepare this dish, you’ll need to add all the ingredients in to a bowl and then use whatever appliance you have to make the it smooth. I used my food processor.
- As I mentioned earlier, If you like yours to be velvety smooth, roast your sweet potatoes and use an immersion blender, electric mixer or a food processor to achieve that perfect consistency. If you prefer yours to have a thicker texture, mash by hand with a fork or potato masher.
- Assemble the sweet potato pudding. Grease the pan all over with butter.
- Pour the sweet potato pudding into a the baking dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes. See recipe below for more details.
- Lastly, take the sweet potato pudding out of the oven. DON’T turn off the oven just yet.
- You can leave it as is (without pecans or marshmallows) or make it more decadent by topping it with marshmallows and pecans. Once you add the toppings, bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the marshmallows are gooey and golden brown. This is best served at room temperature.
If you make this sweet potato pudding, please let me know by leaving a comment below!
Sweet Potato Pudding with Marshmallows
Ingredients
Browned Butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter Browning the butter is optional **See notes below
Sweet Potato Pudding
- 2 lb sweet potatoes
- 2 eggs plus one yolk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- small pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 cup brown sugar plus an additional 2 tbsp
- 1/4 cup white sugar plus an additional 1 tbsp
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or regular milk
Topping
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 16 oz marshmallows
Instructions
Browned Butter
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Rub sweet potatoes with oil and wrap them in foil. Bake for about 1 hour, or until they are very soft. Allow them to cool slightly, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
- Scoop the flesh of the sweet potatoes into a bowl. Mash the potatoes until smooth using a food processor, hand mixer, or by hand.
Sweet Potato Pudding
- Mix in the eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, pineapple juice, heavy cream, and the browned butter until everything is well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until the pudding is set in the center and no longer jiggles when you gently shake the dish and the edges may slightly pull away from the sides of the baking dish.
- Remove the pudding from the oven and top it with marshmallows and pecans. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the marshmallows are golden and gooey.
Notes
For the Sweet Potatoes
- Roast, Don’t Boil: Roasting sweet potatoes (wrapped in foil at 400°F) intensifies their natural sweetness and keeps them from becoming watery.
- Mash Until Smooth: Use a food processor, hand mixer, or fine-mesh sieve to ensure a silky, lump-free texture. This gives your pudding a creamy, luxurious consistency.
Flavor Boosters
- Brown Butter: Incorporate browned butter for a nutty, rich depth of flavor.
- Balanced Sweetness: Add a touch of citrus (like lemon juice or orange zest) to balance the sweetness from the marshmallows and sugars.
- Spice it Up: Use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of ginger for warm, aromatic flavors.
Enhancing Texture
- Heavy Cream: Use heavy cream instead of milk for a richer, smoother pudding.
- Eggs: Don’t skip the eggs—they bind the pudding and give it a custard-like structure. Beat them thoroughly before mixing to ensure even distribution.
Perfecting the Marshmallow Topping
- Layer Strategically: Bake the pudding fully before adding marshmallows. This prevents them from melting into the hot batter.
- Avoid Burnt Marshmallows: Add the marshmallows during the last 10-15 minutes of baking and keep a close eye on them. Broil briefly at the end for extra toasting, if desired.
- Mini Marshmallows for Even Coverage: They melt and toast more evenly than large ones, creating a gooey and golden topping.
Add a Crunchy Twist
- Pecan Crumble: Mix chopped pecans with brown sugar and a bit of melted butter, and sprinkle under the marshmallows for a sweet, crunchy layer.
- Candied Bacon: For a bold twist, crumble candied bacon over the marshmallows for a savory-sweet contrast.
Serving Tips
- Let it Cool Slightly: Allow the pudding to rest for 10-15 minutes after baking to firm up and make it easier to serve.
- Balance Textures: Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of maple syrup for extra indulgence.
Nutrition
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