Brown Butter Cookie Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel

Chef Cynthia
Servings

12

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

2 hours

Category

Side

A sweet potato casserole that skips the marshmallows and plays the brown butter card instead. The sweet potatoes are roasted, not boiled, so their sugars caramelize and the base bakes up dense and silky, closer to sweet potato pie than mash. It gets whipped with real browned butter, evaporated milk, orange zest, and a splash of bourbon, then capped with a toasted pecan and oat streusel. Spiceology Brown Butter Cookie Spice Blend runs through every layer, bringing sugar sweetness, nutty brown butter, and warming spices to the base, the crunchy streusel, and a final dusting right before serving. Flaky salt keeps it all in balance, which makes this a Thanksgiving side dish that holds its own on any holiday table.
Brown Butter Cookie Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel Recipe

Ingredients

    Sweet Potato Base

    • 4 lb orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, such as Garnet or Jewel, scrubbed (1,800 g; about 5 to 6 medium)
    • ½ cup unsalted butter, for browning (113 g)
    • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed (105 g)
    • 2 Tbsp Spiceology Brown Butter Cookie Spice Blend
    • 1 tsp kosher salt, Diamond Crystal (3 g)
    • 1 tsp orange zest, from 1 navel orange, no pith
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or pure vanilla extract
    • 2 Tbsp bourbon (30 ml), optional; swap fresh orange juice
    • ¾ cup evaporated milk, room temperature (180 ml); heavy cream works too
    • 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
    • 1 Tbsp softened unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

    Pecan Streusel

    • 1 cup pecan halves (115 g)
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour (60 g)
    • ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (40 g), not quick oats
    • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed (105 g)
    • 1 Tbsp Spiceology Brown Butter Cookie Spice Blend
    • ½ tsp kosher salt, Diamond Crystal (1.5 g)
    • 6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-in cubes (85 g)

    To Finish

    • 1 tsp Spiceology Brown Butter Cookie Spice Blend, for dusting through a fine-mesh sieve
    • ½ tsp flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, crushed lightly between your fingers

    Directions

    1. Roast the sweet potatoes. Heat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Pierce each potato 4 to 5 times with a fork and set them on a foil-lined sheet tray. Roast on the center rack 60 to 75 minutes, until a paring knife slides in with no resistance and dark syrup is weeping and caramelizing on the foil. Cool 15 minutes, until you can handle them.
    2. Toast the pecans. When the potatoes have about 10 minutes left, spread the pecans on a quarter sheet tray and toast on the lower rack 5 to 7 minutes, until fragrant and one shade darker. Check at 4 minutes; they go from toasted to bitter fast. Cool, then chop coarsely.
    3. Brown the butter. While the potatoes cool, melt the ½ cup butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling constantly. It will foam, go quiet, then the milk solids will drop and turn hazelnut brown and smell like toffee, 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately scrape it, solids and all, into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking. Cool 10 minutes, until warm rather than hot.
    4. Make the streusel. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, oats, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp Brown Butter Cookie Spice Blend, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until no dry flour remains and the mixture forms clumps from pea to hazelnut size. Fold in the pecans. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes; cold streusel holds its clusters in the oven instead of melting into a sheet.
    5. Build the base. Reduce the oven to 350°F (177°C). Split the potatoes, scoop out the flesh, and discard the skins, scraping any caramelized syrup from the skins and foil into the bowl, because that syrup is flavor. You want about 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) of flesh. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the flesh on low until smooth, about 1 minute (a food processor makes it extra silky). Add the browned butter, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 Tbsp Brown Butter Cookie Spice Blend, 1 tsp kosher salt, orange zest, vanilla, and bourbon, and mix on low to combine. Stream in the evaporated milk. Taste and adjust the salt now, before the raw eggs go in. Check that the base feels warm, not hot, then add the eggs and mix on low just until absorbed, about 30 seconds. Overbeating whips in air that makes the custard puff, then crack and sink.
    6. Assemble. Butter a 9×13-in (3-qt) baking dish with the softened butter. Spread the base in an even layer with an offset spatula. Scatter the streusel evenly all the way to the edges, pressing lightly so the clusters stay intact.
    7. Bake. Bake on the center rack at 350°F (177°C) for 40 to 45 minutes, until the edges are puffed, the center is set with only a faint jiggle, the streusel is deep golden, and a probe thermometer in the center of the base reads 160°F (71°C). If the streusel is browning too fast before the 30-minute mark, tent loosely with foil.
    8. Rest and finish. Rest 15 minutes so the custard sets and the streusel crisps. Dust 1 tsp Brown Butter Cookie Spice Blend over the top through a fine-mesh sieve, then sprinkle with the flaky salt. Serve warm.
    Recipe Products
    It's back and here to stay
    Blend

    Brown Butter Cookie Spice Blend

    Key Ingredients

    Brown Sugar, Brown Butter, Cinnamon, Baking Soda