Get the recipe for this delicious, sweet potato casserole complete with homemade marshmallows, as well as four other festive desserts you can enjoy this holiday season!
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This time of year is nostalgic for most people, especially when it comes to food. Everyone seems to be enjoying their favorite pumpkin recipes, grandma’s apple pie, and looking forward to turkey day.
To celebrate the nostalgia of the season and to give you more inspiration for classic recipes, I’ve teamed up with some other blogging friends to share our favorite, holiday recipes with you all!
We are all sharing festive recipes to inspire you for the holiday season ahead. You’re in luck, because you can almost create a whole, holiday meal with the recipes we are sharing! There’s rolls, a stove top Brussels sprouts recipe, sweet potato casserole by yours truly, and two different dessert recipes!
Whether you are hosting for the holidays this year, or bringing a dish for a potluck, you’ll be sure to have plenty of delicious ideas!
Be sure to make it all the way to the bottom of the post to get the links to the other posts. We hope you enjoy and you are able to make some yummy food for your friends and family this season.
I absolutely love making our food from scratch. Its always a fun challenge for me to cook/bake new things, especially things that aren’t normally homemade. It reminds me of times past and old fashioned ways, and it makes me feel more self-sufficient (which isn’t a common feeling nowadays!)
Sweet potato casserole is one of my favorite side dishes at Thanksgiving and during the holidays. I love how the sweetness is the perfect compliment to the turkey and vegetables at dinner. And sweet potato casserole isn’t sweet potato casserole if it doesn’t have marshmallows, am I right?!
Well, in the honor of all things homemade, feeling more self-sufficient, and the holiday season, sweet potato casserole with made from scratch marshmallows needed to be made.
I’ve never attempted homemade marshmallows before now, and boy am I smitten. These. Are. DELICIOUS. I had one in my decaf coffee the other morning… and suddenly I felt like I was nestled away in a cozy cabin with snow outside the window and a fire crackling beside me. Dramatic? Maybe. But these marshmallows really are amazing and give you all the cozy feels.
You’ll wish (like me) that you’d been making them for years!
Aside from saving a few to be dunked in your coffee or hot cocoa, these homemade marshmallows are layered over top a traditional, sweet and creamy sweet potato mixture. Then, they are baked until melted and golden brown to be served along a juicy turkey, homemade rolls, and stove top Brussels sprouts.
Volunteer now to bring something because your Thanksgiving side dish will literally be next level this year.
How to Make Homemade Marshmallows
If you are planning on making this dish for the holidays, the only thing you need to remember is to plan ahead. The homemade marshmallows are very easy to make, but they do need to ‘set up’ for at least a few hours, or overnight.
You can make them several days or even a week in advance (they last up to 3 weeks), and use the extras in other ways! Drop some in your morning coffee or your evening cocoa, wrap a few up in cellophane as a handmade gift, or simply eat them as is.
Start off by getting all of your ingredients and equipment ready! This will make the process much smoother.
For this recipe you’ll need a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Using a stand mixer makes the recipe ten times easier (and safer! you’ll be whisking boiling syrup when you make the marshmallows!).
You’ll also need a 2 quart saucepan, a hand whisk, an 8×8, square, cake pan, non-stick cooking spray, and plastic wrap!
Ingredients:
3 packets of unflavored gelatin, .75oz (I get mine from King Soopers, but THIS is a good option if you want to purchase yours online)
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Start by getting a sheet of plastic wrap that is a little more than double the size of your pan. Lay the plastic wrap out flat on your counter and spray with cooking spray. Gently place the plastic (sprayed side up) centered inside of your pan.
The sides will hang over but that’s okay, you’ll be folding them over the marshmallow mixture to seal it while it sets.
In the bowl of your stand mixer add the cold water, then sprinkle in your gelatin. Let sit for 10 minutes.
While the gelatin mixture is setting, add sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water to your sauce pan over medium heat. Stir the mixture with your whisk until the sugar dissolves and it begins to boil. Stop stirring at this point, and let the mixture hard boil for 1 minute. Its important that you don’t continue to stir!
After its hard boiled for a minute, carefully pour your hot syrup mixture into your stand mixer bowl, over the gelatin mixture. Turn the whisk on low, then slowly up to high. Add in the salt and whisk on high for 10-12 minutes or until fluffy and cooled in temperature.
At this point you can add in your vanilla extract and continue to whisk until its fully incorporated.
Spray your rubber spatula with cooking spray, as well as your hands (its going to be very sticky!).
Using your spatula and your hands if necessary, pour the marshmallow mixture into your prepared pan and spread out evenly. Fold over the greased sides of the plastic, one side on top of the other, so that the marshmallow is sealed.
Allow to cool and ‘set’ for a few hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to cut it into your desired size of marshmallows, dust your work surface, your knife, and your hands with powdered sugar. Place the marshmallow onto powdered sugar surface and cut into squares. Roll the squares in more powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
Store in an airtight container until you are ready to make your sweet potato casserole!
You’ll need about half of what this makes for your casserole. The size of the marshmallows doesn’t matter too much as long as they are not huge. Think somewhere in between regular marshmallows for s’mores and mini mallows.
Any extra marshmallows can be stored at room temperature for up to three weeks. Add some into your homemade hot cocoa for a delicious treat on cold nights. YUM!
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole With Homemade Marshmallows
Ingredients:
5-6 cups peeled & cubed sweet potatoes (about 2 large sweet potatoes or 3-4 medium ones)
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish.
Place your cubed sweet potatoes in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for a bout 15 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for several minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add in butter, milk, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix until smooth and creamy. You could use a hand mixer to blend at this point if you like.
Poor sweet potato mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with homemade marshmallows in a single layer. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and marshmallow topping is golden.
I hope you enjoy! I would love to know if you make this recipe. Comment below what you favorite holiday dish is!
Get the printable recipe card below!
Sweet Potato Casserole With Homemade Marshmallows
Equipment
- stand mixer with whisk attachment
- 2 quart sauce pan
- 8×8 baking dish
- plastic wrap
- spray cooking oil
- whisk
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
- .75 oz unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
For the Sweet Potato Casserole
- 5-6 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 stick butter
Instructions
For the Marshmallows
- Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap out on your counter that is a little more than double the size of your pan. Spray the plastic lightly with cooking spray. Gently place the plastic (sprayed side up) centered inside of your pan. There will be overhang on the two sides that you'll eventually fold over to cover the marshmallows.
- Add 1/2 cup cold water to the bowl of your stand mixer and pour the gelatin over top. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in your 2 quart saucepan, add sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat while whisking, until all of the sugar has dissolved. At this point its very important to stop whisking. Allow the mixture to hard boil for 1 minute with out stirring.
- Once the syrup has boiled for a minute, very carefully pour it into the bowl of your stand mixer, over top of the gelatin mixture. Add your salt. Turn the stand mixer to low, and then to high and whisk for about 10-12 minute or until it is cooled and is light and fluffy.
- At this point you can add in your vanilla extract and mix well to combine.
- Spray your hands and your rubber spatula with the non-stick cooking spray, and carefully pour the marshmallow mixture into your prepared pan. Smooth it out so its even.
- Fold over the already greased sides of the plastic wrap, one at a time, so that the marshmallow is completely sealed.
- Allow to 'set' for a few hours or overnight. When you're ready to cut it, dust your cutting surface with powdered sugar, as well as your hands and a large knife. Cut the marshmallows into squares about 1/2" x 1/2".
- You'll only be using about 2/3 of the marshmallows for your sweet potato casserole, so you can cut some of them in other sizes if you'd like.
- Dust each marshmallow generously in powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Store in an airtight container until you are ready to use.
For the Sweet Potato Casserole
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Add your cubed sweet potatoes to a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until your potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- To the sweet potatoes add brown sugar, butter, vanilla, milk, eggs, and salt. Mix until it is smooth. Pour into your prepared baking dish.
- Place one layer of homemade marshmallows over top of the sweet potatoes.
- Bake until hot and golden, about 20-30 minutes.
Pin it for Later!
Check out the other festive recipes in the blog hop below and get some inspiration for the holiday season ahead!
Soft Dinner Rolls by Hearts Content Farmhouse
Cranberry Harvest Pie by The Everyday Farmhouse
Crispy Brussels Sprouts by The Duvall Homestead
Pumpkin Cupcakes With Caramel Buttercream by Tidy Cape Cod
I have never made marshmallows but my kids ask to do it ALL THE TIME. I am definitely trying this for Christmas dinner.
I hope you do, the marshmallows are so much easier than you probably think! Especially with the stand mixer!
I made marshmallows years and years ago, and they were sooooo good! Much better than store bought. I may have to introduce my little ones to them again. Also, I love sweet potato anything! Thanks for sharing and coordinating a fun hop!
Thanks for joining in! Yes they are much much better than store bought, and so fun! Especially with kiddos!