Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Indulge in the comforting goodness of maple syrup infused sweet potatoes layered with a pecan cinnamon crumble in this Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping. It’s bound to become your new favorite holiday casserole.

This sweet potato casserole pairs nicely with this Oven Roasted Turkey Breast for a delicious holiday meal.

There’s nothing more traditional than sweet potato casserole at the holiday table. This nostalgic dish is a great complement to the other festive dishes like stuffing, cranberry sauce and mashed potato. Easily prepared in advance, you can get it off your to-do list days before the holidays.

Sweet Potatoes Vs. Yams

Are sweet potatoes the same thing as yams? Not exactly. They are two different vegetables. Sweet potatoes tend to be sweeter in flavor and have a darker color than yams. Yams are starchier than sweet potatoes and drier. In the United States, people tend to use the terms interchangeably though they are not the same vegetable.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Comfort food: Rich, creamy and filling, comfort food at its best.

Versatile: Perfect as a holiday side dish or weekend brunch.

Sweet: This sweet potato casserole is loaded with natural sweetness from the maple syrup roasted sweet potatoes as well as the coconut sugar pecan mixture.

Ingredients To Make This Sweet Potato Pecan Topping Casserole

SWEET POTATO MIXTURE

• Sweet potatoes – Choose large, unblemished sweet potatoes.
• Egg – Any kind of eggs will work in this casserole.
• Plant based milk – Choose the plant based milk you like best or if dairy is not a concern, dairy milk is fine too.
• Maple syrup – Use pure maple syrup for the best flavor.
• Vanilla extract – Real vanilla extract is the best but imitation will also work.
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds some sweetness and spice.
• Sea salt – Add a touch of sea salt to your taste preference.

PECAN TOPPING

• Pecans – Whole or chopped pecans add some crunch.
• Oats – Use old fashioned oats, stay away from instant or steel cut.
• Dried cranberries – Choose fruit juice sweetened or unsweetened to cut down on the amount of sugar.
• Coconut flour – Use coconut flour or any other gluten-free flour. If gluten isn’t a concern you can use regular all-purpose flour.
• Coconut sugar – Use coconut or dark brown sugar.
• Butter – Salted or unsalted will both work. If you want a dairy-free casserole, use vegan butter or coconut oil.
• Cinnamon – A touch of cinnamon adds some spice.
• Sea salt – Add salt to your liking.

How To Make This Pecan Sweet Potatoes Casserole

• Step 1: Peel sweet potatoes, cut into chunks and add to a steamer basket. Cook on high heat until fork tender.
• Step 2: While the sweet potatoes cook, combine pecans, oats and dried cranberries in a large bowl.
• Step 3: In a separate bowl combine coconut flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt.
• Step 4: Add nuts to flour mixture and pour in melted butter. Stir gently to coat the nuts and set aside.
• Step 5: Place cooked sweet potatoes in a large bowl and mash.
• Step 6: Fold the egg, maple syrup, vanilla, milk, cinnamon and salt into sweet potatoes. Whisk mixture until the sweet potatoes are whipped and creamy.
• Step 7: Transfer sweet potatoes to a baking dish, top with pecan mix and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.

Tips and Variations For This Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole

Mash the sweet potatoes well. You want to eliminate any chunks.

Substitute with squash. This recipe will also work with butternut squash. You can steam or roast the squash.

Roast the sweet potatoes. Instead of steaming the sweet potatoes you can roast them for a a deeper flavor.

For a nut-free casserole. If you want to eliminate nuts use sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead.

Add more spice. Stir in some nutmeg, allspice or cloves for additional flavor.

Make a vegan sweet potato casserole. If you want to make this healthy sweet potato casserole vegan use a plant-based milk and non-dairy butter.

FAQs

Make Ahead and Storage

If you want to get a head start on preparing this casserole there are a few ways to go about it. You can steam the sweet potatoes and prepare the pecan topping and leave them in the fridge for a few days before assembling and baking the casserole. Alternatively, you can prepare the complete casserole a day or two before you want to serve it and store it in the fridge. If baking directly from the fridge it may need a few extra minutes in the oven.

After the casserole has been cooked and the holiday feast is over, the casserole will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge or the freezer for 3 months.

Looking for more casserole recipes:

• Farmer’s Casserole
• Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
• Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
• Smoked Salmon Breakfast Casserole