Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean-up as desired. Liberally poke the surface of the sweet potatoes, piercing them well. Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake 60 minutes, or until fork-tender. This is a great time multitask by preparing the maple pecans (Step 3) and streusel topping (Step 4).

Carefully peel the baked potatoes and transfer to a large bowl, discarding the spent peels. While you can mash the sweet potatoes by hand by using a potato masher, making use of a hand mixer or stand mixer yields extra creamy results and making use of the food processor yields even creamier results yet. Whichever method you choose to use, mash the sweet potatoes until smooth and creamy, then stir in the butter, pure maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and beaten eggs. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Meanwhile, as the sweet potatoes bake, prepare the maple pecans. Add the pecans to a large nonstick skillet over medium-low head, spreading them into an even layer. Toast 5-7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent burning. Once the nuts are golden and fragrant, increase heat to medium. Pour in the maple syrup, stirring to coat all of the pecans. Once coated, remove from the heat and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading the pecans apart so they don’t clump together as they cool.

Meanwhile, as the sweet potatoes bake, prepare the streusel topping. To a medium bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add in the cold, cubed butter. Cut the butter into the flour mixture – you can use a pastry cutter or fork, though I typically just use my hands to press the butter into the flour – until the mixture is super crumbly and begins to stick together when pressed gently.

Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish, spreading the potatoes in an even layer. Tightly cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Transfer the streusel topping to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Transfer the cooled maple pecans to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Remove the sweet potatoes from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour before you’d like to finish them in the oven. Remove the foil or plastic wrap. Prepare the topping by tossing the maple pecans into streusel topping – it is helpful to add a few pecans at a time to prevent clumping. Sprinkle the maple pecan topping over the sweet potatoes. Transfer to a 350 degree F oven and bake for 40 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are warmed through and the topping is golden.

Serve alongside your roast turkey or roast chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Enjoy!