This Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Oat Crumble is baked in small round dishes and made with roasted sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and a crunchy topping of rolled oats and pecans.

Each ramekin gets its own crisp, golden crumble, so nobody has to fight over the best corner piece.

Individual portions make sense for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or a holiday buffet where people serve themselves.

They also prep a day ahead without any trouble.

If fall sides and sweet potato recipes are your thing, these are worth a look:

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Oat Crumble

Ingredients You’ll Need

Roasted sweet potatoes give a deeper, sweeter filling than boiled ones, so don’t skip that step.

You’ll need six 8-ounce ramekins (or any small round oven-safe dishes about 4 inches wide).

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (for the crumble)
3/4 cup pecans, chopped, plus a few halves for the top
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (for the crumble)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for the crumble)
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
Pinch of salt (for the crumble)

Directions

Heat the oven to 400°F.
Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, set them on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roast for 50 to 60 minutes, until they’re completely soft and leaking a little syrup.
Roasting concentrates the flavor (boiling waters it down), so it’s worth the extra time.
Let the sweet potatoes cool for 10 minutes, then scoop the flesh into a large bowl and discard the skins.
You should have about 3 cups.
Mash until smooth with a potato masher or hand mixer.
Lower the oven to 350°F.
Whisk the eggs, milk, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt into the mashed sweet potatoes until fully combined and silky.
Make sure the potatoes aren’t steaming hot when you add the eggs, or they can start to scramble.
For the crumble, stir the oats, chopped pecans, dark brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and pinch of salt together in a separate bowl.
Add the cold butter cubes and rub them in with your fingertips until the mixture forms damp clumps.
Cold butter makes crunchy clusters, while melted butter gives you a flatter, sandier topping.
Lightly grease six 8-ounce ramekins and set them on a rimmed baking sheet.
Divide the sweet potato filling evenly between them, about 1/2 cup each, and smooth the tops.
Leave a little room at the rim so the topping has space.
Scatter the pecan oat crumble evenly over each dish and press it down very lightly.
Tuck a pecan half or two on top of each one.
Pile it on generously, since the crumble shrinks a bit as it bakes.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set at the edges and the crumble is deep golden brown.
If the pecans start getting too dark before the filling sets, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the tray.
Small dishes bake faster than one big casserole, so start checking at 22 minutes.
Let the ramekins rest for 10 minutes before serving.
The filling firms up as it cools, and the dishes are very hot straight out of the oven.
Serve warm right in the ramekins and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Roast the sweet potatoes, don’t boil them. Boiled sweet potatoes hold extra water and make a looser, blander filling.
Keep the crumble butter cold. Cold butter gives you crisp clusters on top. If your kitchen is warm, chill the topping for 10 minutes before using it.
Use a baking sheet under the ramekins. It makes moving six small dishes in and out of the oven much easier and catches any drips.
Adjust bake time to your dish size. Shallow 4-inch dishes may need only 20 to 22 minutes. Deeper ramekins can take up to 30 minutes.
Make ahead the day before. Fill the ramekins, cover, and refrigerate. Store the crumble separately and add it right before baking, then add 5 minutes to the bake time.

Don’t overfill the dishes. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so the crumble has room and nothing bubbles over.
Reheat in the oven. Warm leftovers at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. The microwave works but softens the topping.
Use one baking dish if you prefer. The same recipe fits an 8×8-inch dish. Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Serve the ramekins warm on small plates so guests can grab one easily. They go well with roast turkey, glazed ham, or roast chicken.

A small dollop of whipped cream turns them into a dessert, too.

Storage:

Cover the cooled ramekins with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The crumble softens a little in the fridge, but a few minutes in the oven crisps it back up.

You can freeze the unbaked filled ramekins (without topping) for up to 2 months.

Customization:

Swap the pecans for walnuts or chopped almonds if you like. For a less sweet side, cut the sugar in the filling down to 2 tablespoons.

If you want a bit of both worlds, scatter a few mini marshmallows over the crumble for the last 5 minutes of baking.