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Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

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Updated Jul 24, 2025
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This slow cooker sweet potato casserole is the perfect holiday side dish when stove and oven space is precious. The slow cooker makes for easy prep and hands-off cooking, so you can focus on the big showstoppers like the turkey and pies. And don't worry, our sweet potato casserole slow cooker recipe still calls for one of the best parts of the classic version: the marshmallow topping!

Sweet potatoes and marshmallows are a tried-and-true combination, especially around Thanksgiving—but have you ever wondered how that unlikely pairing came to be? While candied sweet potatoes were being made in America as early as the 1800s, it wasn’t until the turn of the 20th century that the company Angelus Marshmallows promoted a sweet potato casserole recipe using marshmallows as a topping as a way to sell their product—and it picked up steam from there. These days, you’ll have a hard time finding a table in the United States that doesn’t serve this unique dish on Thanksgiving.

First time making sweet potatoes? This slow cooker sweet potato casserole recipe is foolproof, but if you have any questions or want to learn more before you get started, check out our simple how-to guide.

Recipe Ingredients

Sweet potato casserole is such a cozy, crowd-pleasing side dish! Here’s what you’ll need to make it in your slow cooker.

Sweet Potatoes: We love cooking with sweet potatoes, because they’re naturally sweet, rich, and creamy. They’re the perfect base for the warm spices, brown sugar, and buttery toppings that make the holiday season so special.

Brown Sugar: This adds a deeper, richer flavor than white sugar—thanks to its molasses content—and enhances the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: Not only is this spice combo easy to find at grocery stores, but its irresistible seasonal flavor also sets this recipe apart from other traditional sweet potato casseroles.

Other Ingredients: We add butter for richness and marshmallows because it wouldn’t be a sweet potato casserole without them! A little salt to balance the sweet, plus vanilla to bring depth to all the flavors, and this casserole is ready to go.

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How to Make Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

This slow cooker sweet potato casserole couldn’t be easier to make. Just follow a few simple steps, and you’ll have a delicious side dish with next-to-no effort. Here’s a quick overview—but check out the full list of ingredients and directions below.

1. Season the Potatoes

Start by melting together brown sugar, butter, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and a splash of water in the microwave to create a rich, spiced sauce. Stir in vanilla to add depth, then toss cubed sweet potatoes with the sauce until they’re thoroughly coated.

2. Transfer to the Slow Cooker

Add the sauced potatoes to your slow cooker, and cook on high for a few hours until the sweet potatoes are tender and full of flavor.

3. Add the Marshmallows

Just before serving, top the potatoes with marshmallows and briefly cover with the slow-cooker lid until they’re soft and slightly melted.

This slow cooker sweet potato casserole is the perfect holiday side dish to bring to parties, too. Start the cooking process at home, and once the potatoes are cooked, just bring the whole slow cooker with you! When you arrive, set it to warm, and add the marshmallows right before it’s time to eat.

Storing and Reheating

Got leftover sweet potato casserole? Don’t let it go to waste! Here’s how to keep it fresh.

Refrigerator

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. We wouldn’t recommend storing your leftover casserole in the freezer as it won’t thaw and reheat well.

Reheating

Microwave individual servings for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through. Then, add a few more marshmallows to the top. The residual heat will melt them perfectly.

Frequently Asked Questions

TIP FROM THEDoughboy

  • Get pre-diced sweet potatoes from the grocery store to make this recipe extra easy-peasy!

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

  • Prep Time 20 min
  • Total 3 hr 50 min
  • Ingredients 8
  • Servings 14
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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 1/2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows

Instructions

  • Step 
    1

    Spray oval 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

  • Step 
    2

    In large microwavable bowl, mix brown sugar, butter, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and water. Microwave uncovered on High 1 1/2 minutes, stirring once.

  • Step 
    3

     Stir in vanilla.

  • Step 
    4

    Add sweet potatoes; stir to coat thoroughly.

  • Step 
    5

    Pour mixture into slow cooker.

  • Step 
    6

    Cover; cook on High heat setting 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until fork-tender. Reduce to Warm heat setting until ready to serve.

  • Step 
    7

    Stir mixture, top with marshmallows, and cover 1 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows melt slightly.

Nutrition

190 Calories
2g Total Fat
2g Protein
41g Total Carbohydrate
20g Sugars

Recipe Tips

  • tip 1

    During the holidays or when you've got company coming, using your slow cooker as an alternative oven works well. You can use it to actually cook, reheat or just keep food warm. Potatoes in particular are a good choice for the slow cooker because they tend to cool down quickly.
  • tip 2

    Be sure to spray the inside of the slow-cooker crock with cooking spray—clean up time will be much faster.

  • tip 3

    If you like the toasty marshmallow look of the traditional casserole, just pour the cooked mixture into a greased or sprayed 13x9-inch ovenproof casserole dish, top with marshmallows, and bake in a 350°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until marshmallows just begin to brown.

  • tip 4

    Want a mashed sweet potato casserole instead? Before topping with marshmallows, mash, crush or smash potatoes using a potato masher, or beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Do not overmix. Continue with the recipe as directed.
  • tip 5

    Got leftovers? Here’s a tasty breakfast hack: spread a scoop of the reheated potatoes on toast, and top with pecans or a drizzle of maple syrup.

  • tip 6

    Here’s a trick to make dicing potatoes easy: slice off a side to make a flat edge, so the potato stays still while you’re cutting it.

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