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Silky smooth sweet potato soufflé baked with a nutty crumb topping is a sweetly satisfying side. This dish can easily be doubled to feed a crowd and made in advance which makes it perfect for entertaining.
No Thanksgiving plate is complete without a scoop of sweet potatoes, or better yet, a scoop of sweet potato soufflé. For this holiday I like my sweet potatoes sweet, like the pie, but minus the crust.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore sweet potato pie and firmly believe that pie could be it’s own food group, but on Thanksgiving I prefer the pies on the dessert table.
Like a sweet potato pie, MINUS the crust!
Not that you miss the crust with this dish. You won’t. promise! The sweet potatoes are blended with fall spices and a splash of orange juice until silky smooth, then topped with a nutty crumble.
Once baked, the nut topping provides a toasty crunch to balance out the creamy sweetness.
A soufflé? On Thanksgiving?!
Now don’t be put off because I’m calling this a soufflé. There are no eggs to be separated, no whites to be whipped and folded in, nor is this a dish that has to be made just before serving.
While not technically a soufflé, this dish is not as dense as many sweet potato casseroles, but instead has a light and fluffy texture. Both components of this dish can be made in advance, the topping sprinkled on just before popping it into the oven to bake.
When you have a meal with as many bells and whistles as Thanksgiving, advance prep is key to getting it all on the table without looking like you just completed the NYC marathon. While there is always a flurry just before serving, I really try not to spend the entire day in the kitchen.
After all, even a food obsessed girl like me can take a step back and realize that it’s the people around the table, not what’s on it, that truly makes it Thanksgiving.
Let’s make Sweet Potato Soufflé
- Microwave (or bake) the sweet potatoes until tender so they can be pierced easily with a fork. Let them cool slightly and remove the peels from the flesh.
- Combine the all the ingredients for the sweet potato filling in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
- Blend until very smooth.
- Spread the sweet potato mixture into a greased casserole dish.
- Combine all the ingredients for the nut topping in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
- Process until finely chopped and mixed.
- Top the sweet potato mixture with the nut topping.
- Bake until the the casserole is puffed slightly and set, but with a slight jiggle. Serve immediately.
Tips for success
- Sweet potato mixture can be made 1 day prior and stored unbaked in the refrigerator. Place mixture in prepared pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Do not put crumb topping on until ready to bake. Take pan out of refrigerator at least 30 mins before baking, top with crumble, and follow baking directions.
- Crumb topping can be made ahead and frozen, up to 3 months.
- Deeper dishes will have a longer baking time than a shallow dish. Be sure the souffle is set, with just a tiny bit of jiggle before taking it out of the oven.
- If the topping begins to brown too deeply, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
Silky smooth sweet potato soufflé baked with a nutty crumb topping is a sweetly satisfying side. This dish can easily be doubled to feed a crowd and made in advance which makes it perfect for entertaining.
- 2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 large)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- dash of cloves
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 3-4 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
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Individually wrap each sweet potato in a paper towel and place all the potatoes in the microwave.
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Microwave on high until sweet potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork, about 12 mins.
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Allow the sweet potatoes to cool slightly, then remove the peels with a pairing knife.
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Place the sweet potatoes in a food processor with sugar, eggs, cream, butter, orange juice, spices, salt, and vanilla. Puree until smooth, about 2 mins. Pour into the prepared pan.
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Place the nuts, sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon in bowl of a food processor and pulse several times.
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Add melted butter and pulse several times until crumb topping is well combined. Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potato mixture in an even layer.
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Bake, uncovered, for 35 – 40 minutes or until set and topping is browned. Deeper baking pans may take up to 5-10 minutes longer.
- Sweet potato mixture can be made 1 day prior and stored unbaked in the refrigerator. Place mixture in prepared pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Do not put crumb topping on until ready to bake. Take pan out of refrigerator at least 30 mins before baking, top with crumble, and follow baking directions.
- Crumb topping can be made ahead and frozen, up to 3 months.
- Deeper dishes will have a longer baking time than a shallow dish. Be sure the souffle is set, with just a tiny bit of jiggle before taking it out of the oven.
- If the topping begins to brown too deeply, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in November 2015 but was republished with step by step photos and tips in October 2019.
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Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I prefer to eat my sweet potatoes just like this Cathy with no crust. That topping is calling my name!! Thanks for sharing!
Cathy says
Thanks Mary Ann! Happy early Thanksgiving!