I don’t know about you, but a Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is always a must on my Thanksgiving Table. This recipe is going to make your Thanksgiving cooking a whole lot easier by showing you how to make this classic into an Instant Pot Sweet Potato Casserole! Save the oven for the turkey, we’ve got you covered here.
Why Make this Recipe
- No Stovetop or Oven Necessary: Making dinner (especially on Thanksgiving) can be hard if you don’t have a lot of kitchen space. Want to make a casserole or side dish but just don’t have the oven room to do so? That’s where this recipe comes in! Take one oven item off of your agenda with this delicious Instant Pot Sweet Potato Casserole.
- Easy As Can Be: It doesn’t get much easier than mixing some ingredients together and steaming them until they’re cooked through and warm. That’s exactly what this recipe does! Use a potato masher and a spoon to mix the ingredients together, layer, and bake! You don’t get an Easy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe easier than this!
- Great for Any Occasion: Sweet Potato Casserole, at least in the United States of America, is known primarily as a Thanksgiving dish. Of course you can eat this dish for Thanksgiving, but it is a delicious side at any time of the year! We just made this a few weeks ago with chicken and broccoli as another way to add a delicious side to the table.
What Ingredients are in this Recipe?
- Sweet Potatoes: This recipe calls for 3 already cooked sweet potatoes. Make sure that you’re using large sweet potatoes! You can make Baked Sweet Potatoes in the oven if you’d like, but the easiest would be to cook them in the Instant Pot as well. To do so, you can follow these instructions.
- Pecans: I love pecans, so this Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is a dream come true for me! I use a nut chopper to chop my pecans very finely. You can also keep them whole if you’d prefer. My preference is for a finer cut so that I can get more flavors in one bite.
- Maple Syrup: For this recipe I would always recommend true maple syrup if it is easily accessible to you. The pure maple syrup has more flavor and a thinner texture than most leading syrup brands. The molasses texture of processed syrup isn’t my favorite, but they will certainly work in a pinch!
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Cook the Sweet Potatoes
Either bake your sweet potatoes or cook them in the Instant Pot until soft. Follow these instructions to cook your Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot if need be.
Step 2: Prep the Sweet Potato Filling
Peel your sweet potatoes. Use a potato masher or an electric hand mixer to mash them until smooth.
Add the sugar, egg, butter, and vanilla, then mix again. Scoop the mixture into a glass bowl or casserole dish that will fit inside your Instant Pot.
Step 3: Make the Topping
In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients until a crumble is formed. Spread this across the top of the sweet potato mixture.
Step 4: Cook
Pour 2 cups of water into the Instant Pot. Place the trivet in the pot, then place the casserole dish on top of the trivet (do not cover). Turn the pressure to HIGH for 15 minutes. When the timer is done, perform a Quick Release. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- If you prefer walnuts, you can sub them out instead. Use the exact same measurements.
- You can also omit nuts altogether if that is your preference. You do not need to change the cook time, or any other measurements.
- There should be no need to spray your casserole dish with nonstick spray, but you can definitely do so if you’re worried about it!
- Make sure to use oven mitts to remove the casserole dish from the Instant Pot… it will very hot!
Recipe FAQs
Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same Thing?
No, yams and sweet potatoes are entirely different vegetables that look very different from one another! However, the orange potatoes that you find in the grocery store tend to be sweet potatoes (even if they’re labeled as yams).
You should use Orange Sweet Potatoes for this recipe! There are also White Sweet Potatoes that are carried in the grocery stores at certain times of the year, but this isn’t the best choice for this recipe.
For a more comprehensive answer, read this article about the difference between yams and sweet potatoes.
How Do You Peel the Sweet Potatoes?
Peeling the Sweet Potatoes is very easy, especially once they have been cooked. If you have already roasted or steamed your sweet potatoes, the skin should be pulling away from the flesh of the sweet potatoes.
To remove the skin, wait until the sweet potatoes cool down enough to be handled without burning yourself. Cut a vertical line down the sweet potato. Use your hands to peel the skin away from the flesh and discard the skin!
Do I Need to Cover the Sweet Potato Casserole while Cooking?
No, you don’t need to cover your sweet potato casserole while it is cooking in the Instant Pot! Adding aluminum foil holds some of the moisture in, and you end up with a soggy topping. Instead, just place the casserole dish on top of the trivet and cook according to instructions.
This Sweet Potato Casserole is AMAZING, but they’re even better when paired with other delicious Thanksgiving veggies. Check out this list of the Best Thanksgiving Vegetable Side Dishes for some ideas!
Did you like this recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes that I picked out just for you!:
- Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Chicken and Rice Soup
- Instant Pot Cacio e Pepe
Sweet Potato Casserole Instant Pot
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Potato Masher
- Oven Mitt
- Mixing Bowl(s)
- Trivet
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Casserole:
- 3 large sweet potatoes, cooked
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ stick butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
Topping:
- ½ cup brown sugar, dark or light
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Either bake your sweet potatoes or cook them in the Instant Pot until soft. Follow these instructions to cook your Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot if need be.
- Peel your sweet potatoes. Use a potato masher or an electric hand mixer to mash them until smooth.
- Add the sugar, egg, butter, and vanilla, then mix again. Scoop the mixture into a glass bowl or casserole dish that will fit inside your Instant Pot.
- In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients until a crumble is formed. Spread this across the top of the sweet potato mixture.
- Pour 2 cups of water into the Instant Pot. Place the trivet in the pot, then place the casserole dish on top of the trivet (do not cover). Turn the pressure to HIGH for 15 minutes. When the timer is done, perform a Quick Release. Enjoy!
Notes
- Sweet Potatoes: This recipe calls for 3 already cooked sweet potatoes. Make sure that you’re using large sweet potatoes! You can bake them in the oven if you’d like, but the easiest would be to cook them in the Instant Pot as well. To do so, you can follow these instructions.
- Pecans: I love pecans, so this Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is a dream come true for me! I use a nut chopper to chop my pecans very finely. You can also keep them whole if you’d prefer. My preference is for a finer cut so that I can get more flavors in one bite.
- Maple Syrup: For this recipe I would always recommend true maple syrup if it is easily accessible to you. The pure maple syrup has more flavor and a thinner texture than most leading syrup brands. The molasses texture of processed syrup isn’t my favorite, but they will certainly work in a pinch!
- If you prefer walnuts, you can sub them out instead. Use the exact same measurements.
- You can also omit nuts altogether if that is your preference. You do not need to change the cook time, or any other measurements.
- There should be no need to spray your casserole dish with nonstick spray, but you can definitely do so if you’re worried about it!
- Make sure to use oven mitts to remove the casserole dish from the Instant Pot… it will very hot!
Judith Maloof says
Delicious!! Do you have a sweet potato recipe that also uses orange juice?
Thank you
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Judith, thank you! I do not have a sweet potato recipe with orange juice, but I will keep that request in mind 🙂
Ronda Gipson says
Do you have to put it in a casserole dish or can you just cook it directly in the Instapot?
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Ronda! I highly recommend the pot-in-pot method for this recipe, as it is likely you will get a burn notice by just putting the ingredients directly in the pot 🙂
Bett says
What would I have to do differently for a 6qt pot?
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Bett, you’ll just need to find a bowl that fits into your 6 quart pot. Other than that, everything will stay the same 🙂
Janet Maple says
I wonder if you can add liquor to an instant pot recipe? My mother-in-law used to make a sweet potato casserole very similar to this called Southern Comfort Sweet Potato Casserole, which was delicious!
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Janet! I believe it depends on how much liquor you want to add. I’ve made recipes with Marsala wine as well as vodka sauce, which includes vodka. If it’s about a half cup or less, it should be alright 🙂