This isn’t you mother’s sweet potato casserole! It’s vegan and contains no unrefined sugars but is still delicious! You won’t miss the marshmallows, I promise!
I might be alone in saying this, but I really don’t like your traditional sweet potato casserole. It’s too heavy for me and why would you put marshmallows on top? I am sure I will get some backlash for that, and I know most people love it, but I’ve never really understood why? I also don’t like mashed potatoes, but that’s another conversation.
Most people (who like mashed potatoes) like them with no lumps at all. Yet again, I like my sweet potatoes a little chunky. It kind of freaks me out of if it’s too smooth. (I know, I have texture issues.) So for this recipe, I left them a little chunky but you can definitely make them as smooth as you like. I just won’t eat it 😉
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potato Base
- 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup coconut oil room temperature
- 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Pecan Topping
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup coconut oil room temperature
- 1/2 cup 100% maple syrup
- 1/4 cup gluten free oats I used quick steel cut
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Grease a baking dish with coconut oil. Set aside.
- Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 45 minutes until soft.
- In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for pecan topping. Set aside.
- Remove sweet potatoes from oven. Remove the skin from the potatoes. I just use a fork, they come off easily.
- Place sweet potatoes in the prepared baking dish.
- Mash with a fork, a potato masher or a mixer until smooth (you can leave some lumps if you like it like that).
- Mix coconut oil, male syrup, almond milk, vanilla, salt and cinnamon with mashed sweet potatoes.
- Spread pecan topping on top of mashed sweet potatoes.
- Lower oven temperature to 375 and bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately or allow to cool for a few minutes.
You need to make this for the holidays. Your family won’t even realize that it isn’t packed with processed sugar, it really tastes delicious! And that pecan topping is out of this world! You have my permission to eat the pecan topping first. It really is that insanely good. I know someone who will be eating all of her (chunky) sweet potato casserole’s topping first. Me. It’s me! I will eat all of that topping first and not even think about it. You know calories don’t count on Thanksgiving, right? 😉
I would eat this casserole all year long, but that’s just me. It’s vegan and gluten-free too which is always a bonus in my house. But being super, crazy delicious is always more important to the kiddies and they love this! Well, 2 out of 3 of them do. One of them just will not eat sweet potatoes. Sigh…
What is your favorite holiday side dish?
Could I substitute a different oil for the coconut oil in the topping? I can’t have anything coconut.
Thank you!
How about butter, Deb? Unless you need it to be vegan?
Looks great, How many people does this recipe feed?
Hi Amanda! It feeds 6-8. Thank you!
do you have to use almond milk,,can regular milk work:
Hi Linda! Any milk will work. Thank you!
Sweet potato casserole has always been my favorite Thanksgiving dish. This recipe looks just like my mom’s only way healthier. I love it!
For the Pecan Topping: 1 cup chopped almonds. Typo?
Yes Jim! It was a type and I meant to type pecans 🙂 I just fixed it and thank you for pointing that out!
Thanks Lauren. I’m looking forward to trying this after my oven gets repaired. If only it was a slow-cooker recipe I could use it this Thanksgiving. It looks delicious.
I might be persuaded to leave the marshmallows at the market and replace them with this pecan topping – I bet the crunch makes them that much more delicious (I’m with you on textures:)
This looks sooo good!! Love the pecans on top.
These look amazing. Wondered why you use coconut oil in the potatoes?
Hi Donna! The coconut oil adds a little richness but you can definitely leave it out of the potatoes. You will definitely need it for the pecans to hold the mixture together though! I hope you like it! 🙂
I’ve never been into the marshmallow topped casserole, either. I could TOTALLY get into this pecan topped version, though!! Looks delicious!
I love a crunchy topping. I would be picking off the topping while waiting for dinner.
Wow this looks amazing and I love that it has no refined sugar! Yum!