How to Make Dolly Parton’s Sweet Potato Casserole for the Holidays

To make Parton and her sister’s sweet potato casserole at home, you’ll need:

• 5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• ½ cup chopped raw pecans
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

I set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and buttered a 9-inch by 13-inch pan, per Parton’s instructions.

I also washed, peeled, and quartered my sweet potatoes.

I brought the pot to a boil over high heat, then lowered the heat to maintain a low boil for 20 minutes while the potatoes cooked.

Parton said you’ll know the potatoes are ready when they’re “fork tender.”

I threw in the brown sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and butter, adding the latter in knobs so it’d be easy to mix.

Parton recommends using a potato masher to mix the ingredients until they’re “well combined.” I don’t own one, so I simply used a big wooden fork — it worked like a charm!

I sprinkled the pecans on top before evenly covering the casserole with my miniature marshmallows.

Parton says you should bake your sweet potato casserole for 20 minutes.

Parton says your marshmallows should be “golden brown” once the five minutes are up. My marshmallows were still white as snow, so I turned on the broiler and baked the casserole for two additional minutes to give them some color.

I was slightly disappointed when the sweet potato casserole came out of the oven. The marshmallows got a little overcooked by the broiler and now only covered half of the casserole. Next time, I think I’ll skip Parton’s aluminum foil trick and just let the marshmallows cook uncovered the entire time.

Unphotogenic marshmallows aside, this sweet potato casserole was delicious. The crunchy pecans added a delightful twist, and the combination of the brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon was well-balanced. The texture was satisfyingly creamy, and the dish made my kitchen smell delicious.

I brought this to a Friendsgiving and the pan was empty within minutes — despite having a lot of competition!

So, with one little tweak, I think the Parton sisters’ sweet potato casserole will be a hit on your holiday menu.