Thanksgiving is a holiday built around traditions, and nowhere are those traditions more evident than around the dinner table. Every family has its favorites, from turkey and dressing to cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But here in the South, there’s one dish that almost always earns a place of honor: sweet potato casserole.

Sweet, creamy, and topped with something deliciously crunchy, sweet potato casserole has been a Thanksgiving staple for generations. Some families swear by toasted marshmallows, while others prefer a buttery pecan topping. Either way, it’s one of those dishes that tastes like home.

For this month’s installment of Vintage Recipes Made Modern, we’re giving this Southern classic a fresh twist with a familiar favorite: Coca-Cola.

Adding a little Coca-Cola to the sweet potato filling brings subtle caramel notes that complement the natural sweetness of the potatoes. A buttery brown sugar and pecan streusel adds a satisfying crunch, creating a dish that’s part traditional Thanksgiving side and part irresistible holiday treat.

Best of all, it’s easy to prepare ahead of time, leaving you more time to enjoy the holiday with family and friends.

Coca-Cola Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel

Servings: 8–10
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 30–35 minutes
Oven Temperature: 350°F

Ingredients

For the Sweet Potato Filling

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• ½ cup Coca-Cola
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Pecan Streusel Topping

• ¾ cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Prepare the sweet potatoes. Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain thoroughly.
2. Reduce the Coca-Cola. While the potatoes cook, pour the Coca-Cola into a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 8–12 minutes, until reduced to approximately ¼ cup. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Make the filling. Mash the sweet potatoes until smooth. Stir in the reduced Coca-Cola, melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Taste and adjust the spices if desired. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before stirring in the beaten eggs.
4. Prepare the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and spread the sweet potato mixture evenly inside.
5. Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, combine the pecans, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
6. Add the topping. Sprinkle the pecan streusel evenly over the sweet potatoes.
7. Bake. Place the casserole in the oven and bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is set.
8. Serve. Allow the casserole to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving warm.

Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Tips

One of the best things about this recipe is that you can do much of the work before Thanksgiving Day.

Prepare the sweet potato filling up to a day ahead and refrigerate it in a covered baking dish. Mix the streusel separately and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

When you’re ready to bake, sprinkle the topping over the filling and place the casserole in the oven. If baking directly from the refrigerator, allow a little extra cooking time to heat everything through.

You can also add a handful of miniature marshmallows during the final 5 minutes of baking if your family simply can’t imagine Thanksgiving sweet potatoes without them!

Why It Works

Sweet potatoes already have a naturally rich, earthy sweetness. Coca-Cola adds caramel-like notes and a touch of acidity that complement the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar without dramatically changing the familiar flavor of the dish.

Reducing the Coca-Cola concentrates those flavors while limiting the amount of additional liquid in the filling. Meanwhile, the buttery pecan streusel provides a crunchy contrast to the smooth, creamy sweet potatoes.

The result is a Thanksgiving favorite that feels wonderfully familiar but offers something just a little different.

After all, Vintage Recipes Made Modern is about celebrating the dishes we grew up loving while finding new ways to make them our own.

From all of us at Rock Hill Coca-Cola Bottling Company, here’s wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with good food, great company, and traditions worth sharing.

Happy Thanksgiving!