If you are looking for a delicious vegan side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner this year, you’re going to love this easy vegan sweet potato casserole with pecans. This healthier take on the classic is made with a lot less sugar and butter and no eggs.
If you are having your first vegan Thanksgiving dinner or you’re hosting a vegan guest or two, know that you can serve some of the same classic dishes with just a few simple swaps. For this healthy vegan sweet potato casserole recipe we used vegan butter and plant-based milk – still just as delicious but with no animal products.
Traditional sweet potato casserole can be pretty sweet as well as loaded with lots of butter so we lightened it up a bit. (As a dietitian, I can’t help myself!) Maple syrup not only adds sweetness to this version, but the maple flavor pairs perfectly with the sweet potato and pecans.
Sweet potatoes are not only delicious, but they are packed with essential nutrients like vitamins A and C. Both of these vitamins are important for keeping your immune system in tip-top shape during cold and flu season or when traveling during the holidays. If you are looking or more ways to incorporate sweet potatoes into your meals, we love these vegan loaded sweet potatoes and this vegan peanut curry with sweet potato.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sweet potatoes: you’ll need about 3 pounds of sweet potatoes for this delicious sweet potato casserole recipe, which was about 5-6 medium sized sweet potatoes. You can either bake them or boil them until tender to make this casserole.
- Vegan butter: to add flavor and richness to this casserole, we use a bit of butter. I like vegan butter that comes in a stick rather than a tub. You can use coconut oil instead of vegan butter if you prefer.
- Maple syrup: adds sweetness and the maple flavor is just delicious. You’ll use a little bit of pure maple syrup instead of brown sugar in both the sweet potato filling and the topping.
- Plant-based milk: use any unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk that you prefer. For baked dishes like this one, I really like cashew milk but a plant milk like soy milk or almond milk would also work.
- Cinnamon & nutmeg: traditional spices that add just the right amount of warmth to this healthy sweet potato casserole recipe. You could also add a pinch of ground cloves if you like or use a full 11/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice instead.
- Pecans: instead of a marshmallow topping, I’ve always liked my sweet potato casserole with a crunchy pecan crumble topping. Pecans add crunch and delicious flavor. You can also use walnuts if you prefer.
How to Make Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
- Cook the potatoes: there are two methods for cooking the potatoes for this dairy free sweet potato casserole: baked or boiled. I prefer baking since it can concentrate the sweetness of the potatoes, but you can also boil the potatoes on the stovetop. Either way, the goal is to get fork tender potatoes that mash easily.
- If baking, just pierce the potatoes with a fork and throw onto a baking sheet and bake until tender.
- To boil, peel and chop the potatoes into large chunks before boiling until fork tender.
Make the filling: once the potatoes are cooked, add them to a large bowl with the plant-based milk, vegan butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, and maple syrup. Mix with a potato masher or electric mixer until smooth.
Make the topping: in a small mixing bowl, add the chopped pecans, flour, butter, maple syrup, and sea salt. Use a fork, pastry cutter, or your fingers to mix until crumbly.
- Bake: Spread the sweet potato mixture into an 8×11 inch casserole dish. Top with the pecan topping. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
Storage
- Fridge: store leftovers in an airtight container or covered with saran wrap in teh fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: transfer casserole to airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- How to Reheat: reheat individual servings of the casserole in the microwave for a minute or two until warm. If you are reheating the whole casserole, add it to the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until the center is warmed through.
FAQs
Yes! If you can’t find pecans, you can use the same amount of walnuts for the topping of this dairy free sweet potato casserole.
Although it is on the sweeter side, we’ve always served sweet potato casserole alongside the other dishes at the Thanksgiving dinner table versus saving it for dessert. This recipe has a pecan topping instead of marshmallows and is much lower in sugar and less sweet than many recipes.
Yes! If you want to do a marshmallow topping for this recipe so that it is nut free, omit the pecan topping and use 2 cups of mini vegan marshmallows on top of the mashed sweet potatoes in the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown.
More Vegan Thanksgiving Sides You’ll Love
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Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
Ingredients
For the Potato Layer
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped*
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the Pecan Topping
- 1 cup roasted, unsalted pecans
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain with a colander. (Alternatively, you can bake the sweet potatoes in the oven for 1 hour or until fork tender).**
- Add cooked potatoes to a large mixing bowl and add the milk, butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Use a potato masher or electric mixer to puree until smooth.
- While the sweet potatoes boil, make the topping by mixing together the pecans, flour, butter, maple syrup and salt. Use a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands to mix until crumbly.
- Add the potato filling to an 8×11 inch baking dish and spread evenly. Add the crumb topping making sure it covers the entire dish.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
Notes
- Baked potatoes: you can also bake the potatoes for the filling rather than boil. Just poke with a fork and add to a baking sheet. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until fork tender. Peel and mash.
- Marshmallow topping: if you want to make this nut free with marshmallows, omit the pecan topping and top the mashed sweet potato filling with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of mini vegan marshmallows. Reduce baking time to 20 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden brown.
Nutrition
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