Is it a side dish or a dessert? Actually, this fluffy sweet potato souffle can be either! A twist on classic sweet potato casserole, this soufflé is a brown sugar streusel-topped delight which pairs just as well with Thanksgiving turkey as it does in a bowl with vanilla ice cream. It's always worth knowing how to make a multipurpose recipe!
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Sweet potatoes are a wonderful ingredient to work with. They are versatile enough to become anything from a soup to a casserole, cobbler, fries, or even pie. Their soft, moist flesh pairs beautifully with all kinds of ingredients.
In this fluffy sweet potato souffle recipe, the sweet potatoes pair up with vanilla, nuts, and more, to make a filling and delicious soufflé. And don't get nervous about the word “soufflé” which is actually a myth that soufflé is hard to make. This one is easy, I promise you.
Main Ingredients
Let's take a look at what you need to make this delicious fluffy sweet potato souffle dish. Here are some of the main ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes: The star of the show. Since this dish is made with cooked mashed sweet potatoes you could even use leftovers. Well, as long as they haven't been mashed with salt of course! Otherwise, you can quickly make mashed sweet potatoes by microwaving them until tender and then removing the flesh with a large metal spoon.
- Nuts: To give some crunch. Chopped nuts on top add flavor as well as crunch. Choose from chopped mixed nuts or stick to one type, such as hazelnuts or pecans for example. Walnuts would also be good.
- Sugar: For sweetness. White sugar goes into the sweet potato layer and brown sugar is used to make the streusel topping. You could use white in both or brown in both if you'd rather, but I like the added flavor dimension of using both.
- Flaked coconut: Adds a tropical flavor. I love using coconut in the topping. It adds such an exotic flair to the taste of this dish. If you're using sweetened coconut flakes you might want to cut down on the amount of brown sugar you use.
Instructions Overview
Mix some of the butter with the mashed sweet potatoes, white sugar, vanilla, milk, and eggs. Transfer this mixture to a baking dish.
Next, you need to mix the rest of the butter with the brown sugar, flour, coconut, and nuts, then add this on top of the sweet potato layer. Bake for about half an hour then serve hot.
Common Questions
Not only are they fine to eat (well, within 4 days of cooking if kept refrigerated) but they are versatile. Take this recipe for instance. You can scoop out the flesh of your leftover sweet potatoes and make this tasty soufflé. It's a great way to use up leftover baked sweet potatoes or yams and saves on cooking time too. Reheat leftover soufflé at 350°F in the oven or in the microwave.
The key to a firm soufflé is adding eggs. They provide structure and volume and help to get the consistency of the soufflé just right. If you follow this recipe to the letter, you shouldn't need to thicken anything. It should come out so good you will want to grab a fork immediately!
This is a regional thing. The terms “sweet potatoes” and “yams” are used interchangeably in the United States. However, technically they're not the same. Yams have rough brown skin and are starchy and kind of dry while sweet potatoes have smooth(ish) red skin and a moist, creamy interior. When using fresh, ensure you pick sweet potatoes, not yams. If you're using the canned kind though, either will work!
Absolutely! Whether you have a nut allergy or just a disdain for all things nuts, you can leave them out. And if you like nuts, you can use pecans, walnuts, or even almonds (or combine them) as long as you chop them for a better texture.
Yes, you can freeze sweet potato souffle. However, you should only make the body of the souffle first and make the streusel topping fresh when you’re ready to bake it. It will be good in your freezer for up to 1 month.
While this isn’t the typical French-style souffle, it is still a souffle because it is made with eggs. The eggs make it have a soft and light texture which means you can serve it as a side or a dessert as you see fit. Meanwhile, a casserole is more of a medley of ingredients that are baked.
Chopnotch Tips
- Make a batch of this tasty soufflé. It freezes well in portions and you can thaw it when you need a side dish or a dessert!
- Although I’m a huge coconut fan and use it in everything from smoothies to coconut pudding, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, so just leave it out if you aren't a fan.
- If you’re making this for Thanksgiving, you might want to add some mini marshmallows as well as the coconut. I know not everyone loves these, but sometimes it's nice to be festive!
- You can use canned yams to save time, though this recipe will taste far better if you use fresh sweet potatoes and take the time to cook and mash them first.
- This recipe merely specifies chopped nuts for the streusel, leaving the nuts up to you. You can omit them if you’d prefer or use pecans, almonds, or walnuts to make your chopped nut mix.
- The all-purpose flour in this recipe can be swapped for a gluten-free variety. Use one with a 1:1 ratio that includes a binding agent to ensure the texture stays as it should.
Light and fluffy sweet potato souffle makes an incredible side dish for poultry. It also makes a sweet, delicious dessert. Talk about versatility!
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Recipe
How to Make
Fluffy Sweet Potato Soufflé
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
- 1 cup nuts, chopped
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ⅓ eggs
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine together ⅓ cup soft butter, mashed potatoes, ¾ cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup milk, and beaten eggs. Spoon into a baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine together ⅓ cup melted butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup flaked coconut, and 1 cup chopped nuts. Sprinkle over the potato mixture.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for around 30 to 35 minutes.
- Serve right away!
Notes
- Make a batch of this tasty soufflé. It freezes well in portions and you can thaw it when you need a side dish or a dessert!
- Although I’m a huge coconut fan and use it in everything from smoothies to coconut pudding, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, so just leave it out if you aren't a fan.
- If you’re making this for Thanksgiving, you might want to add some mini marshmallows as well as the coconut. I know not everyone loves these, but sometimes it's nice to be festive!
- You can use canned yams to save time, though this recipe will taste far better if you use fresh sweet potatoes and take the time to cook and mash them first.
- This recipe merely specifies chopped nuts for the streusel, leaving the nuts up to you. You can omit them if you’d prefer or use pecans, almonds, or walnuts to make your chopped nut mix.
- The all-purpose flour in this recipe can be swapped for a gluten-free variety. Use one with a 1:1 ratio that includes a binding agent to ensure the texture stays as it should.
