Preheat oven to 350℉. Begin softening the sweet potatoes either in boiling water, microwave or instant pot (see video below for instant pot method). You can remove the skin before or after softening. If boiling, remove first. In instant pot, remove after.
Add the sweet potatoes in a large bowl along with the remaining u0022sweet potatou0022 ingredients. Mix and smash together until smooth. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
For the pecan topping, mix all the ingredients until the pecans are well coated and sprinkle over the sweet potato mix.