Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole (2024)

For the Praline Crumble

• ▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ ¾ packed cup brown sugar light or dark
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans or coarsely chopped walnuts

For the Sweet Potato Layer

• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes fully cooked, see Notes

• Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Position oven racks so that casserole dish can sit in center of oven. Lightly grease bottom and sides of casserole dish with neutral cooking spray and set aside.

• Add ¼ cup unsalted butter to small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave butter in 15-second increments, stirring well between each, until butter is melted but not burnt. Carefully remove bowl from microwave.

• Add ¾ packed cup brown sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans, and melted butter to medium mixing bowl. Stir until ingredients are incorporated into crumbly mixture. Set bowl aside.¼ cup unsalted butter

• Crack 1 large egg directly into large mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously until egg is well-beaten and no longer streaky.

• Again add ¼ cup unsalted butter to small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave butter in 15-second increments, stirring well between each, until butter is melted but not burnt. Carefully remove bowl from microwave and let butter cool slightly.

• Add melted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes to large bowl with beaten egg. Stir all ingredients together until fully combined into smooth mixture. See Notes for hand mixer option.

• Transfer sweet potato mixture to prepared casserole dish. Spread mixture out into one even layer, covering bottom of dish completely.

• Sprinkle praline crumble over top of sweet potato layer, distributing crumble as evenly as possible.

• Place casserole dish in preheated oven. Bake casserole 30 minutes or until sweet potato layer is hot and praline crumble is browned. Note: if praline crumble browns too quickly, cover casserole dish loosely with aluminum foil.

• When casserole is ready, carefully remove casserole dish from oven. Set aside to rest 10 to 20 minutes, then serve warm.

• Hand Mixer: Instead of stirring the sweet potato ingredients together, use a hand mixer fitted with the standard attachments. Start on low speed to avoid splattering the egg and butter out of the bowl, then increase the speed to medium and mix until everything’s combined and the sweet potatoes have a smooth, whipped texture.
• Sweet Potatoes: Fully cook your sweet potatoes in the microwave, Crockpot, Instant Pot, or air fryer before mashing them for your casserole. You can also use 2 15-ounce cans of cut sweet potatoes to save time and effort. Just don’t use any that are candied or packed in syrup.
• Make it Paleo: Use ghee instead of butter. Replace the all-purpose flour with super fine blanched almond flour at a 1:1 ratio. Use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and granulated sugar.
• Make it Dairy Free: Use a dairy-free butter.
• Make it Gluten Free: Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour.
• Make-Ahead Option: Prepare the praline topping and the sweet potato mixture as instructed. Let them both cool completely, then transfer each component to an airtight container. Refrigerate both components in separate airtight containers no more than 3 days. When you’re ready to bake the casserole, let each container sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then assemble and bake the casserole as directed above.