Paula Deen Aunt Peggy’s Sweet Potato Souffle

Paula Deen Aunt Peggy’s Sweet Potato Souffle is a buttery side dish topped with a brown sugar pecan crumble. It takes about 40 minutes, serves 10, and fits right in at a Thanksgiving table or a holiday potluck. This is the kind of Southern recipe families pass down for a reason.

The topping decides this dish. Paula calls for 4 tablespoons of butter cubed at room temperature, not melted. Melted butter soaks into the filling and you lose the crunch. Room temperature butter holds its shape long enough to bind with the flour and pecans into a real crumble.

Bake the sweet potatoes a day ahead and keep the mash in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before mixing so the cold center does not throw off your bake time. Watch the topping at 400 degrees: pecans go from golden to burnt fast.

Paula Deen Aunt Peggy’s Sweet Potato Souffle

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Course: Side DishCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

475

kcal

Mashed sweet potatoes mixed with eggs, sugar, and melted butter, then baked under a brown sugar pecan crumble until the topping turns golden and crisp.

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked and mashed (from about 2 to 3 small baked potatoes) sweet potatoes
  

• 1 cup granulated sugar
  

• 3 beaten eggs
  

• 1/2 cup milk
  

• 12 tablespoons divided unsalted butter
  

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  

• 1/2 cup self-rising cake flour
  

• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

• Souffle: Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
• Make the base: In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, milk, 8 tablespoons of melted butter, vanilla and salt. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Topping: Combine the brown sugar, 4 tablespoons of butter cubed at room temperature, flour, and pecans in a separate bowl. Crumble the topping over the sweet potato mixture.
• Bake: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Serve hot.

Tools for this recipe

• USA Pan 8x8 square cake pan, Nordic Ware half sheet pan, OXO Good Grips nylon potato masher, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use regular flour instead of self-rising cake flour?

Self-rising cake flour gives the topping a lighter, slightly puffier crumble. If you only have all-purpose, add half a teaspoon of baking powder per half cup of flour. The result is a bit denser but still works.

How long does this souffle keep in the fridge?

It keeps well for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. Reheat in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes to bring the topping back to life. The microwave works in a pinch, but the crumble goes soft.

Can I assemble this the night before and bake it in the morning?

The sweet potato base holds fine in the fridge overnight. Add the topping right before baking. If the crumble sits on the wet filling too long, the butter softens and it sinks in instead of crisping up.

Why did my souffle turn out watery?

The most common cause is sweet potatoes that held too much moisture from boiling. Paula’s recipe works best with baked sweet potatoes. If you boil them, drain well and let the mash sit in a colander for a few minutes before mixing.

Why does Paula split the butter between the filling and the topping?

Eight tablespoons go into the filling melted, giving the base a smooth, rich consistency. The other four go into the topping cubed at room temperature so they hold their shape and create crumble. Using melted butter for both would make the topping flat and greasy.