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This mini sweet potato casserole comes out of the oven with golden, puffed marshmallows over crunchy pecans and creamy, spiced sweet potatoes. You get both classic toppings in one small dish, perfectly sized for one or two people.
Featured Comment
“This was a delicious addition to Thanksgiving! Made exactly as the recipe stated and loved the pecans and marshmallows!”
– Becky W.
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Equipment: 5×5-inch baking dish
- Cook Method: Oven
- Servings: 1 or 2
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Sweet potato and brown sugar with deep cinnamon and nutmeg, and the sweetness of toasted marshmallow.
This small batch sweet potato casserole can be assembled the night before and baked the next day, one less dish to make on a holiday morning.
Why You’ll Love This Small Sweet Potato Casserole
Dig a spoon through the marshmallow topping on this small sweet potato casserole and you hit toasted pecans, then soft, cinnamon-spiced sweet potatoes. It has all the flavor of the classic holiday dish, baked in a dish you can finish.
I developed this small batch recipe around a one large sweet potato. One egg in the filling gives it structure as it bakes, and everything is made from scratch with ingredients you probably have on hand right now.
What sets it apart is the topping. You get the pecans and the marshmallows together on one casserole, a combination one reader called the best of both worlds. I love making it when I’m cooking a holiday meal for one or two, because it feels festive without leaving a week of leftovers behind.
Looking for more small batch Thanksgiving side dishes? Try our small green bean casserole, small batch corn casserole, and small batch cornbread dressing.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Here’s what each ingredient does in this single serving sweet potato casserole, plus the swaps that work. For ways to use any leftover ingredients, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are the base of the casserole and give it its body and natural sweetness. You’ll need 1 cup cooked and mashed, which is about 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes. Canned sweet potatoes work too, and in many US stores they’re labeled yams. Drain and rinse them before mashing. An extra sweet potato can be used to make a small batch of sweet potato fries or a sweet potato and black bean salad.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar sweetens the filling and adds a hint of molasses flavor. If you’re out, you can make your own brown sugar with granulated sugar and molasses.
Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg lead the spice blend, with allspice, ginger, and cloves in smaller amounts. Kosher salt balances the sweetness so the casserole doesn’t taste flat. If you’d rather not measure five spices, use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice in their place.
Egg: One large egg binds the mashed sweet potatoes so the casserole holds together and sets as it bakes. Beat it lightly in a small bowl first so it mixes evenly through the filling.
Pecans: Pecans go over the top before baking and add crunch against the soft filling. Walnuts or almonds work in their place, or you can leave the nuts out for a nut-free casserole. Use leftover pecans in a mini pecan pie or a small batch of pralines.
Marshmallows: Miniature marshmallows go on for the last 10 minutes of baking, long enough to puff up and turn golden without burning. Extra marshmallows make a s’mores dip for one.
How To Cook Sweet Potatoes For Sweet Potato Casserole
You can cook the sweet potato ahead of time or use leftover baked sweet potatoes. Either way, cook it until it’s completely soft, because a firm potato won’t mash smooth.
- Bake: Poke the sweet potato a few times with a fork and roast at 425°F (218°C) for 40 to 50 minutes, until a fork slides into the center with no resistance. Scoop out the flesh and mash it until no lumps remain.
- Boil: Boil the sweet potato whole with the skin on for 30 to 50 minutes, depending on its size, until a fork slides into the center with no resistance. Drain it, and the skin will peel right off. For a faster option, peel it, cut it into chunks, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Drain well before mashing.
- Instant Pot: Follow our Instant Pot sweet potatoes recipe for a hands-off method.
Recipe Variations
These swaps change the topping or the serving size of this single serve sweet potato casserole, and each one uses the same filling.
Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecan Streusel
For a sweet potato casserole without marshmallows, swap the pecan and marshmallow topping for a buttery pecan streusel. Mix ¼ cup chopped pecans, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, and 3 tablespoons room-temperature butter until it forms coarse crumbs. Sprinkle it over the filling and bake for 25 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
Individual Sweet Potato Casseroles
To make two individual sweet potato casseroles, divide the filling between two 10-ounce ramekins and split the pecans and marshmallows between them. The two ramekins hold the filling at about the same depth as the 5×5-inch dish, so bake for 15 minutes, add the marshmallows, and bake 10 minutes more, until they’re puffed and golden.
Sweet Potato Casserole For Two
The base recipe makes two side servings. For two generous servings, or a casserole for two with some left for the next day, double every ingredient and bake in a 6×8-inch dish or two 5×5-inch dishes. The 6×8-inch dish holds the doubled filling at about the same depth, so the bake times stay close.
Nut-Free Sweet Potato Casserole
A nut-free sweet potato casserole only needs one change: leave off the pecans. Bake the filling for 15 minutes on its own, then top with the marshmallows and bake 10 minutes more. The marshmallows still give you a sweet, toasted top over the spiced filling.
How To Make A Small Batch Sweet Potato Casserole
These step-by-step photos show how to make sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and pecans for one or two people. You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Cook 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes until completely soft (see the cooking methods above), or use canned sweet potatoes, drained and rinsed. Mash until smooth, then measure 1 cup into a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, allspice, ginger, and cloves. Stir the spice mixture into the mashed sweet potatoes until no streaks of brown sugar remain.
- Add the lightly beaten egg and stir until it disappears into the filling.
- Spread the filling evenly in the prepared dish and sprinkle the pecans over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges start to set.
- Take the dish out of the oven and scatter the marshmallows evenly over the pecans. Return it to the oven for 10 minutes, until the marshmallows are puffed and golden. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
Taste the filling before the egg goes in: How much spice tastes right is personal, and cloves and allspice are strong. Stir the spices into the mashed sweet potatoes and taste, then adjust before adding the egg, since you won’t want to taste the filling once the raw egg is in.
Use fresh ground spices: Ground spices lose flavor the longer they sit in the pantry. If your cinnamon or nutmeg smells faint when you open the jar, replace it, because the spices carry most of this casserole’s flavor.
Stick with a small baking dish: The bake times are set for a 5×5-inch baking dish which holds the filling at the right depth. A larger dish spreads the filling thinner, so it bakes faster and can dry out around the edges.
Watch the marshmallows at the end: Marshmallows go from golden to scorched quickly. Start checking a couple of minutes before the 10 minutes are up, and remove the dish from the oven as soon as the tops are puffed and golden.
What To Serve With Sweet Potato Casserole
Serve this sweet potato casserole for one next to a small holiday main:
Troubleshooting
Here’s how to fix the problems that come up most often with a mini sweet potato casserole.
Will boiling the sweet potatoes make my sweet potato casserole watery?
No, boiled sweet potatoes won’t make this sweet potato casserole watery as long as you drain them well before mashing. Boiling is how I usually cook the sweet potatoes for this recipe, and the filling bakes up thick and spoonable.
What do I do if the marshmallows burn?
If the marshmallows on your sweet potato casserole burn, scrape off the burnt layer, scatter fresh marshmallows over the top, and return the dish to the oven just until they puff and turn golden. They burn when they go in too early or bake too long, which is why they go on only for the last 10 minutes.
Why did the marshmallows melt into my leftover sweet potato casserole?
Marshmallows soften and melt into the sweet potato filling as the casserole sits in the fridge. When you reheat leftovers, scatter a few fresh marshmallows on top so it comes out of the oven with a toasted top again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make sweet potato casserole up to 1 day ahead. Assemble it without the marshmallows, cover, and refrigerate, then add the marshmallows during baking just before serving.
Yes, you can freeze sweet potato casserole for up to 3 months if you freeze the filling before adding the pecans and marshmallows. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, add the toppings, and bake as directed.
Sweet potato casserole lasts 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Let it cool completely, then cover it tightly or move it to an airtight container.
Yes, canned sweet potatoes work well in this sweet potato casserole. Drain and rinse them, then mash and measure 1 cup.
Yes, this small sweet potato casserole makes 2 side servings, so it’s sized for 1 or 2 people. For bigger portions, see the sweet potato casserole for two variation above.
Reheat sweet potato casserole uncovered in a 350°F (177°C) oven for about 15 minutes, until it’s warmed through.
RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this single serve sweet potato casserole please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Mini Sweet Potato Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 large egg – lightly beaten
- ¼ cup pecans
- ½ cup miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Place the mashed sweet potatoes in a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, allspice, ginger, and cloves. Stir the spice mixture into the sweet potatoes until no streaks of brown sugar remain.
- Add the beaten egg and stir until it disappears into the filling.
- Spread the filling evenly in the prepared dish and sprinkle the pecans over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges start to set.
- Take the dish out of the oven and scatter the marshmallows evenly over the pecans. Bake for 10 minutes more, until the marshmallows are puffed and golden.
- Let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This was a delicious addition to Thanksgiving! Made exactly as the recipe stated and loved the pecans and marshmallows!
How much pumpkin pie spice would I use in place of the other spices?
Just found your website. Looking forward to trying your recipe. We are empty nesters. My husband and I don’t eat the same things. So it is nice to find recipes for one person.
God bless and thank you for your help
I’m so glad you found our site! Yes, you can absolutely use pumpkin pie spice instead. For this recipe, use about 2 teaspoons in place of the individual spices. It’ll give you the same warm flavor blend without needing to measure each one separately.
This was utterly delicious!!
I love trying U.S recipes and this was just lovely. Definitely be a regular treat for me!
Warren. UK
I unexpectedly found myself alone for Thanksgiving so instead of feeling “blah” I decided to “fancy up” my holiday meal. It helped that I didn’t have to scale down our family favorites but could use recipes like this Mini-Sweet Potato casserole. The blend of spices was excellent. I’d never had both marshmallows AND pecan toppings in the same dish but this worked out quite nicely! The best of both worlds.
Thank you for sharing this! I’m so glad the recipe helped make your holiday special. I agree, the marshmallow and pecan topping is such a treat—so happy you enjoyed it!
Left off the marshmallows and added dried cranberries! Perfect for me.
Sounds wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Made this recipe. it was really good. I’m diabetic so I substituted monk brown sweeter for the brown sugar. Since I have to watch my carbs I divided into 2 ramekins. Next time will divide into 3 and use a little less of the cloves.
Vary good
The sweet potato casserole is delicious according to my daughter in law. She enjoyed it completely yesterday at our Thanksgiving dinner. Good recipe Joannie. Thank you.
I’m so happy she enjoyed it. Thank you.
This was delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Helen. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
This recipe has potential. I made 2 one cup ramekins and that was still too much for one. I woke have it make four 1/2 cup ramekins. I do like spice but this has too much and I think I would cut all in 1/3 to a half of the recipe.
This recipe sounds yummy but can I substitute the marshmallows and pecans for something else as I do not like either of them.
You can leave them out of the recipe if you would like.
Add a touch of crushed pineapple or raisins. Mmm….
Great idea, Elaine!
Mmmmm! The ramekins make it look so festive!
OMG! I am totally making this for myself this week! Hubby is on the road and I get to eat all the foods I love that he won’t eat. Hehehe
Jennifer, that’s exactly what I do when my husband is out of town! Enjoy 🙂 !!
I LOVE my Mom’s sweet potato casserole…She does the marshmallows on top too and they’re the best, especially when they’re a little burnt. 🙂 PS: I am in Houston too…You ever need me to come by and do a taste test you let me know. 😉