Call dibs now—you want to bring this Sweet Potato Souffle to Thanksgiving this year! Velvety roasted sweet potatoes beaten into a fluffy frenzy with butter, sugar, and eggs, then showered with a crunchy pecan topping and baked until golden, it has the distinct habit of stealing the side dish show.

This recipe is sponsored by ALDI.

Plus, you are going to sound ultra-impressive when you casually mention that you are bringing a souffle.

Though the word “souffle” suggests a dish that’s fussy (and you can allow your friends to assume as much), sweet potato souffle is EASY.

Souffle vs. Casserole

Unlike a classic French souffle, southern sweet potato souffle requires zero meticulous whipping and folding of egg whites or hovering by the oven as it bakes to pray to the food gods that it won’t fall.

The process to make sweet potato souffle is more like making a casserole: prepare filling, add delicious topping, then bake.
The primary difference between a casserole and souffle is the texture of the sweet potatoes. Because eggs are beaten with the sweet potatoes in a sweet potato souffle, they become fluffy and light, just like a classic souffle.

Sweet potato souffle is also much more affordable to make than its fancy name indicates, especially if you pick up your groceries at ALDI.

I’ve been shopping at ALDI since Ben was in graduate school and we were on a serious budget. I am excited to be partnering with them to create this recipe today, because I firmly believe that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice eating well just because you don’t have unlimited money to spend on groceries.

ALDI offers fantastic value and quality for its products, an attribute I especially appreciate this time of year.

The holidays are special, but between presents, entertaining, and giving to good causes, the numbers add up.

Making a change as simple as picking up your groceries at ALDI can go a long way towards stretching your dollar, without having to give up the good eats that make the holidays so special. (In fact, ALDI is proud that customers can get everything they need for a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including the turkey, sides, and pumpkin pie, all from ALDI and all for less than $30.*!)

The Sweet Potato Bake Debate

One of the great battles of our time (not to be dramatic or anything) is whether or not Thanksgiving sweet potatoes should include marshmallows.

I am a hard NO, preferring instead a more savory take like these Glazed Sweet Potatoes.
My sister Elizabeth? She loves the marshmallow version so much, she could practically eat it for breakfast.

This recipe for sweet potato souffle is the ideal middle ground.

It’s sweeter than the Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes in my cookbook and my Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole, but nowhere near as cloying as the marshmallow variety.

How to Make Sweet Potato Souffle

Fluffy sweet potato souffle is Southern by origin and remains popular at Thanksgiving throughout the South.

Traditionally it is VERY sweet; most of the recipes I found contain more sugar than Sweet Potato Pie.

I found I could cut down on the sugar significantly, especially if I roasted the sweet potatoes instead of steaming or boiling them.
Roasting concentrates the sweet potatoes’ natural sugars, making the souffle taste sweeter.

Roasting works with what this delicious, healthy vegetable gives us naturally, instead of covering it up with more sugar than a dessert.

The Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes. My fave holiday side! I picked these orange beauties up at ALDI, along with the rest of my regular produce for the week. Sweet potatoes are packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

While often confused for one another (and sometimes labeled incorrectly), sweet potatoes and yams are not the same.

The sweet potatoes most typically available in North America are large with orange flesh and smooth skin.
Yams have a brown, tough, bumpy skin similar to bark and are the size of small potatoes.
The texture of yam flesh tends to be more starchy and dry than a sweet potato.
Yams are not readily available in North America. Chances are what you are seeing at the store is a sweet potato. Carry on!

Eggs. The key to the fluffy sweet potato souffle’s airy texture. I prefer to purchase organic, as I notice a distinct difference in the quality and taste. Organic doesn’t have to break the bank—I used Simple Nature Organic Cage Free Brown Eggs from ALDI.

Pecans. Nuts are another ingredient that can be pricey, which is why I pick up a bag of Southern Grove Pecan Halves on almost every ALDI trip (they are also an excellent excuse to bake Pecan Pie Bars).

Market Swap

For sweet potato souffle with walnuts, swap the pecan halves in the topping for walnut halves.
If you prefer a sweet potato souffle without nuts, you can omit them.

Butter. Butter adds rich, necessary holiday flavor to both the sweet potatoes and the pecan topping.
Milk. Helps make the sweet potato mixture extra creamy. I used 1% milk, but you can use any milk you have on hand.
Sugar + Maple Syrup. I tried to keep this sweet potato souffle healthy relative to most by cutting down on the amount of sugar used compared to many traditional recipes. Instead of using only refined sugar, I opted to add in a little maple syrup for natural sweetness. It’s also a divine pairing with sweet potatoes and pecans.
Vanilla. Adds a warmth and coziness. Vanilla is surprisingly wonderful in sweet potato bakes.
Cinnamon. Cinnamon and sweet potatoes are a dream team.
Flaked Coconut. While optional, I love the touch of extra nuttiness it adds to the topping. The flavor is not strong, so even if you are not typically a coconut fan, you will likely enjoy it here.

The Directions

Roast the sweet potatoes.

Scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl.

Wet ingredients for souffle in a mixing bowl

Add the remaining filling ingredients.

Beat until smooth.

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.

Prepare the topping, then sprinkle it over the sweet potatoes.

Healthy sweet potato souffle in a baking dish

Bake the sweet potato souffle at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, then DIG IN!

simple sweet potato souffle in a white baking dish

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate leftover souffle in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or gently in the microwave.
To Freeze. Freeze souffle in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Meal Prep Tip

Up to 1 day in advance, prepare the filling and place it in the baking dish. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to add the topping and finish the recipe.

What to Serve with Sweet Potato Souffle

Instant Pot

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin

45 mins

Appetizers

Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

30 mins

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

48 mins

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Canned Yams to Make Sweet Potato Souffle?

Yes, but do so with caution. Because canned yams (or canned sweet potatoes) come pre-sweetened, I recommend leaving out most of the sugar and maple syrup from the filling to start. Once it’s mixed, you can taste it and adjust if you’d like your filling sweeter (remember, the topping is sweet too).

What Can I Use Instead of Maple Syrup?

If you don’t have any maple syrup on hand, you can swap it for honey.

Can I Microwave the Sweet Potatoes Instead?

Baking the sweet potatoes adds wonderful, important flavor to this dish, so I highly recommend taking the time to do this step. However, if you’re crunched for time, you can microwave the sweet potatoes. Pierce each potato 3 to 4 times with a fork, then microwave them for about 5 minutes.

(For a quick sweet potato side dish, don’t miss my Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes.)

The marshmallow casserole fanatics, the nay-sayers, and even those who in other circumstances are sweet potato averse will all find something to love in this spiced, sweet, and savory sweet potato side dish.

Depending upon your family’s selection of topics, I can’t promise the same peace for your dinner table discussions, but at least we can all agree on sweet potato souffle!

*Based on the items and quantities included in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey, for dinner for up to 10 with a 12lb Butterball turkey and additional miscellaneous items (e.g. coffee, butter, flour, sugar, eggs) not included in the survey. Available in-store and online. Tax and online fees not included.

Sweet Potato Souffle

This Southern sweet potato souffle is an easy side dish that steals the show! Fluffy sweet potatoes topped with sweet, crunchy pecan topping.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 464kcal

Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated

Ingredients

FOR THE SOUFFLE:

5 large or 6 medium sweet potatoes about 7 cups once mashed
6 tablespoons Countryside Creamery Unsalted Butter melted or at room temperature
2 large Simple Nature Organic Cage Free Brown Eggs
1/4 cup Baker’s Corner Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Specially Selected Pure Maple Syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Stonemill Ground Cinnamon increase to 1 teaspoon if you LOVE cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup milk (I used 1%)

FOR THE TOPPING:

1/4 cup Countryside Creamery Unsalted Butter
1 1/4 cups Southern Grove Pecan Halves finely chopped
¼ cup flaked coconut optional (I used unsweetened; sweetened will work too)
1/2 cup Baker’s Corner Brown Sugar packed
1/3 cup Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Bake the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed bakingsheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. With a fork, poke holes in the outsides of the sweet potatoes. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes (timing will depend upon the size of your sweet potatoes), until very tender when pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the souffle: Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 casserole dish or similar 2 ½ quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, slip off the peels. Scoop out the flesh and place in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add the butter, eggs, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and milk.
Beat until smoothly combined.
Scoop into the prepared baking dish.
Prepare the topping: In a medium mixing bowl, melt the butter. Sprinkle the nuts, coconut, brown sugar, flour, and salt over the top. Stir until evenly moistened and combined. Scatter the mixture over the sweet potatoes in an even layer.
Bake the sweet potato souffle until the topping is lightly browned and your kitchen smells amazing, about 40 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes, then enjoy warm.

Notes

TO STORE: Refrigerate souffle in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
TO FREEZE: Freeze souffle in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition

More Healthy Holiday Side Dishes

Casseroles

Healthy Green Bean Casserole

55 mins

Salads

Brussels Sprouts Slaw

20 mins

Side Dishes

Butternut Squash Casserole

1 hr 20 mins

This post is sponsored by ALDI. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the brands and companies who support Well Plated and make it possible for me to continue to create high quality content for you! For recipe inspiration and to learn more, visit ALDI’s blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.

READ: Sweet Potato Souffle