Southern Sweet Potato Soufflé is a twist on the traditional casserole, combining fresh sweet potato puree, brown sugar, egg yolks, and warm spices. The whites are whipped separately and gently folded in, creating a light, airy texture that sets this dish apart. Baked in the oven, it's an elegant side dish perfect for Southern holiday gatherings. Yields enough for 6-8 servings.
Heather's Thoughts on Soufflé
I am going to be honest with you...this was my first go around at making a souffle 🤦♀️ GASP! I know. But I am here to tell it like it is. I immediately think about Mandy Moore's character in "Because I Said So" when she knows she has the right guy when her chocolate souffles turn out perfectly, just by the smell. And when she knows she's with the wrong one, she burns one for the first time. Man, what a good 2000's romcom! 💗
Anyways....no dramatic movie quotes here or slaving in the kitchen. Unlike the finicky dessert, after I tested this recipe multiple times, I found it quite simple.
If you are wanting to switch things up around your holiday table (like I did with my whipped ricotta sweet potatoes too) but still keep the same traditional taste and feel of sweet potato casserole with marshmallow topping - then this sweet potato souffle recipe is just for you!
STEP 1 - prep the sweet potatoes
⭐️ Recipe Testing Finds ⭐️ You'll need about 2 medium or 1 large sweet potato, depending on size. After testing different varieties and methods, I found that using fresh sweet potatoes and baking them (just like a regular baked potato) delivers the best flavor and texture. Frozen cubed sweet potatoes were okay, but the flavor was dull and the texture less smooth. For pureeing, a food processor works best-just peel after baking and process for 1-2 minutes. This gives you an ultra-smooth, creamy puree without lumps or stringiness, which I did notice when using a hand mixer.
STEP 2 - Prep the soufflé filling
Once it's finished baking, remove it and let cool slightly before serving. I found it's best to make this fresh on the day you plan to serve it - the results are best right after baking, with a warm, fluffy, and creamy sweet potato soufflé.
Recipe
Southern Sweet Potato Soufflé with Brown Sugar
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
Southern Sweet Potato Soufflé is a twist on the traditional casserole, combining fresh sweet potato puree, brown sugar, egg yolks, and warm spices. The whites are whipped separately and gently folded in, creating a light, airy texture that sets this dish apart. Baked in the oven, it's an elegant side dish perfect for Southern holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Sweet Potatoes - peeled, diced, cooked, and pureed
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ Cup Butter - melted
- 3 Eggs - divided
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ Cup Milk
Instructions
Prep the Sweet Potatoes
- Before beginning this recipe you will need sweet potato puree. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and place 1-3 small to medium sweet potatoes on it. Prick with a fork in a couple of places on each potato.
- Place in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes (depending on how big your potatoes are). You want these to be fork tender - to check, press the back of a spoon on the hot potato or stick a fork in it - if the fork goes in easily and the potato gives when pressed with a spoon then the potato is finished. Remove and let cool for 30 minutes.
- Once cooled slightly, carefully remove the skins and place them in a food processor. Blend for 1-2 minutes, until a smooth and creamy consistency is achieved without any lumps or strings.
- Store in an airtight container until needed. This can be done and kept in the fridge for 3-4 days if wanting to do it in advance.
Souffle
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 2-quart baking dish and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potato puree, melted butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.
- Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another. Add the egg yolks and milk to the sweet potato mixture, and stir until smooth and well blended.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form - about 3-5 minutes. This step is important as it gives the soufflé its airy texture.
- Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the sweet potato mixture. Be careful not to overmix; you want to keep the mixture light and airy.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top with a spatula, and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the soufflé is set and slightly golden on top.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 30 minutes:
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scoop
- Calories: 229
- Sugar: 17.7 g
- Sodium: 390.4 mg
- Fat: 7.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.3 g
- Fiber: 3.6 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 85.3 mg
