The Boston Market sweet potato casserole copycat most people share is a pecan crunch version: three large boiled sweet potatoes whipped with sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla, topped with a butter, flour, brown sugar and pecan crunch, then baked at 350°F for 45 minutes. A second source describes an oatmeal streusel version. Here’s how they differ, and how to cut the sweetness.
Boston Market doesn’t publish its recipe, so nothing here claims an exact match. We haven’t cooked this version. We only found two readable copycats, so we’ll tell you exactly what each one says and where it goes quiet!
How do the two copycats compare?
One has the full recipe and the other keeps its recipe behind a paywall. Food.com lists a copy of the CopyKat recipe in full. Top Secret Recipes sells its recipe for 79 cents, so we could only read its description and the first two ingredients.
| Food.com (from CopyKat) | Top Secret Recipes | |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet potatoes | 3 large, boiled and peeled | 6 cups mashed (5 to 6 potatoes) |
| Sugar in the filling | 1 cup sugar | ¾ cup dark brown sugar (rest not visible) |
| Topping | Pecan crunch with flour, brown sugar and cinnamon | Oatmeal streusel |
| Oven | 350°F for 45 minutes | Not visible |
| Make ahead | Not stated | Everything but the streusel a day ahead |
Top Secret Recipes says the dish tastes more like dessert, with brown sugar, cinnamon and butter reminding you of sweet potato pie. Both versions share a sweet filling, but the toppings differ. Pick the crunch you want!
Boston Market sweet potato casserole ingredients
Filling:
- 3 large sweet potatoes
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup softened butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crunch topping:
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
The amounts are Food.com’s, and we haven’t tested them. They add up to 2 cups of sugar in total, as the filling and topping each carry about a cup, which matters in the next section.
How do you make it?
Boil the potatoes until tender, peel them, whip them with the rest of the filling, spread in a buttered dish, and add the topping. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
- Boil the sweet potatoes until tender. Let them cool enough to handle, then peel them.
- Whip them in a large bowl until fluffy, adding the sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla.
- Pour into a buttered casserole dish.
- Mix the topping ingredients and spread them over the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
One commenter on Food.com found the original directions unclear about when the eggs go in. The recipe says to whip in “all other ingredients,” and the eggs are one of them, so add them with the butter and sugar.
How do you make it less sweet?
Cut the sugar. Food.com reviewers did, and their results are useful. One halved the sugar in the potatoes and the topping and said it was still incredibly sweet, so they couldn’t imagine it with all the sugar. Another used about ¾ cup of sugar with 4 sweet potatoes and said it was still very good.
That’s two home cooks, not a test. But it suggests the full 2 cups is a lot. We’d start at ¾ cup in the filling and taste the mixture before adding more. Sweet potatoes bring plenty of their own sugar, as one r/thanksgiving commenter put it when people asked how to avoid a casserole that’s too sweet:
“No need to be adding sugar to an already very sweet vegetable.”
– r/thanksgiving (28 upvotes)
That commenter was talking about roasted cubes, not this casserole, so take it as a general point. If you want the dessert-style Boston Market feel, keep the topping sweet and ease off the filling.
What can you swap in the topping?
Reviewers changed the nuts. One swapped in marshmallows for the pecans, and another used crushed slivered almonds because a guest was allergic, and said it was still a dinner favorite. Always check labels and ask your guests about allergies before you serve anything.
Can you make it ahead?
Yes, per Top Secret Recipes. Make everything but the streusel a day ahead, cover the dish and refrigerate it. Take it out a few hours before baking, then add the topping and bake.
That advice is for its oatmeal version, but it should fit any crunch topping that goes on at the end. Who doesn’t want one less job on a busy holiday?
For another restaurant-style casserole, see our Ruth’s Chris sweet potato casserole copycat. Our Thanksgiving side dishes ranked and Christmas side dishes matched to your main course show where it fits on the table. Another make-ahead side is the Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole.
Boston Market sweet potato casserole questions people ask
When do you add the eggs?
With the other filling ingredients, while you whip the cooked potatoes. Food.com’s directions don’t say so explicitly, but the eggs are listed with the filling.
Is it more of a side or a dessert?
Top Secret Recipes calls it a side dish that tastes more like dessert, which fits the sugar totals above.
Does it need pecans?
No. Food.com reviewers made it with almonds and with marshmallows, and Top Secret Recipes uses an oatmeal streusel instead.