An easy recipe for healthy sweet potato casserole! This simple Thanksgiving side dish is gluten free and vegan. It's made with coconut milk, maple syrup and topped with oats and pecans.
Is sweet potato casserole a staple at your Thanksgiving meal? It's one we can't live without in our house! We make it every year and it's always so good mixed together with turkey.
Since I try to eat gluten and dairy free the majority fo the time, I wanted to create a healthy sweet potato casserole for everyone who wants a lighter (with less sugar) version for their Turkey Day spread.
Ingredients for healthy sweet potato casserole:
There's two parts to this healthy sweet potato casserole: the sweet potato base and the sweet crunchy topping.
Ingredients for the sweet potato base: sweet potatoes, almond milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon
Ingredients for the healthy topping: pecans, GF rolled oats, coconut oil, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and maple syrup
How do you boil sweet potatoes for casserole?
Boiling sweet potatoes for this healthy sweet potato casserole is so simple! Start by peeling your sweet potatoes. Cut each sweet potato into chunks then place them in a large stock pot.
Next, fill the stock pot with water until the sweet potatoes are completely submerged. Cover the pot and place on high heat until the water starts to boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil for 18-20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are easy to pierce with a fork.
How do you mash sweet potatoes for casserole?
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked all the way through, drain them and place them back in the large stock pot. This is so you don't have to dirty another dish!
Mix the cooked sweet potatoes with the almond milk, maple syrup and cinnamon then using a potato masher, mash it all together until the lumps are out. You could also place all of the ingredients in a food processor on high for about a minute until it comes together.
Here's how to make healthy sweet potato casserole topping:
To make the topping for this healthy sweet potato casserole, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend on high for 1-2 minutes. The mixture will be chunky and stick together when pressed like a crumble topping.
How to make healthy sweet potato casserole:
Start by boiling the potatoes until they're soft. Once they're done, mash them together with the rest of the ingredients and spread it evenly into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan.
While the potatoes are boiling, mix together all of the topping ingredients in a food processor and sprinkle it evenly on top of the mashed sweet potatoes. Bake the healthy sweet potato casserole at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until heated all the way through.
Can you make sweet potato casserole ahead?
Yes, you can make this healthy sweet potato casserole ahead of time. You can make this recipe up to 2 days in advance. Cover it tightly then place in the refrigerator.
To reheat, place in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until it's heated all the way through.
I can't wait for you to try this healthy sweet potato casserole! It's the perfect lightened up dish for Thanksgiving and I know you'll love it as much as I do!
If you make this recipe, don't forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me with @what_mollymade so I can see it and feature you!
More healthy Thanksgiving recipes:
Healthy sweet potato casserole
Ingredients
Sweet potato casserole:
- 5 large sweet potatoes 4-5 cups, mashed
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping:
- 1 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 cup rolled oats I used gluten free
- ¼ cup coconut oil room tempe
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with non stick spray. Set aside.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into 2-inch cubes then place them in a large stock pot. Add water to the stock pot until the sweet potatoes are completely submerged.
- Cover and heat on high to boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to medium and allow to boil for 18-20 minutes or until potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork.
- While the potatoes are boiling, make the topping. Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend for about one minute, or until mixture comes together.
- When potatoes are done cooking, drain them and place them back in the same stock pot. Add the almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Using a potato masher, mash the potato mixture together until smooth, leaving a few small chunks.
- Add sweet potato mixture to prepared baking pan and spread evenly to the edges. Sprinkle evenly with the topping.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until it’s heated all the way through.
Michelle says
This was a great vegan-friendly alternative to our usual sweet potato dish, and it was loved by vegans and omnivores alike! We don't have a food processor, so I just roughly chopped the oats and pecans and mixed everything together in a stand mixer, resulting in a chunkier topping, and it worked out great.
Molly Leonard says
That's great to hear, Michelle! I'm so glad you loved it!