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Southern Sweet Potato Souffle with Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel

Sweet Potato Souffle

This is the holiday dish that earns its place beside the turkey. Fresh sweet potatoes roast whole until their sugars caramelize, then get whipped with butter, brown sugar, and warm spice. Whipped egg whites folded in at the end give it real lift, so it eats light instead of heavy. A brown sugar pecan streusel bakes into a crackling golden lid.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 10 People
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 lb sweet potatoes about 5 medium, fresh not canned
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter softened, plus more for the dish
  • 0.75 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 4 large egg yolks room temperature
  • 4 large egg whites room temperature
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream or whole milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg freshly grated if possible
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup pecans roughly chopped
  • 0.5 cup light brown sugar packed, for the topping
  • 0.33 cup all-purpose flour for the topping
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted, for the topping

Equipment

  • 1 rimmed baking sheet lined with foil
  • 1 9x13 inch baking dish
  • 1 Electric mixer stand or hand
  • 1 Large mixing bowl
  • 1 Medium mixing bowl for the egg whites, must be grease free
  • 1 Rubber spatula

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Prick each sweet potato all over with a fork and set them on the sheet.
  2. Roast until a knife slides through the thickest part with no resistance and the skins have started to weep syrup, 60 to 75 minutes depending on size. Undercooked sweet potato will not mash smooth, so give them the extra time if you are unsure.
  3. Let the potatoes cool until you can handle them, then slip off the skins and discard. You should have about 6 cups of flesh.
  4. Lower the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  5. Put the peeled sweet potato flesh in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the softened butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, egg yolks, heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat until light and uniform, about 2 minutes more. Let the mixture cool to just barely warm.
  6. In a clean, grease-free bowl, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed to soft peaks. They should hold a shape that gently flops over when you lift the beater, not stand stiff and dry.
  7. Fold one third of the whites into the sweet potato mixture with a rubber spatula to loosen it. Fold in the remaining whites in two additions, cutting down through the center and sweeping up the side of the bowl. Stop as soon as no white streaks remain.
  8. Spread the mixture into the buttered dish in an even layer. Do not press or pack it down.
  9. Make the topping. In a bowl, stir together the chopped pecans, 1/2 cup brown sugar, flour, and melted butter until the mixture clumps together in coarse crumbs.
  10. Scatter the streusel evenly over the surface, covering it edge to edge.
  11. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center is set, the edges are bubbling, and the topping is deep golden and fragrant. A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean.
  12. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving. Unlike a French souffle, this one will not fall, so there is no rush to the table.

Notes

  • Roast the sweet potatoes, do not boil them. Boiling waterlogs the flesh and washes out the sugar you are trying to concentrate.
  • Canned sweet potatoes work in a pinch but the texture goes flat and sweet in a one-note way. Fresh is the whole point.
  • Let the mashed potato mixture cool to just warm before folding in the whites, or the heat will deflate them.
  • For the Deep South version, skip the streusel and cover the top with miniature marshmallows during the last 10 minutes of baking. For both, add marshmallows over the streusel for the final 8 minutes.
  • Serve it alongside roast turkey, glazed ham, cornbread dressing, or collard greens.
  • You can roast and mash the potatoes up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
  • Leftovers keep 4 days covered in the refrigerator. Reheat at 325 F until warmed through, about 20 minutes.