Paleo (or Vegan!) Sweet Potato Casserole – You never need to miss out during the holidays because of dietary restrictions. This naturally sweetened, gluten-free, dairy-free sweet potato casserole is the real deal!
The first time we faced a Thanksgiving after going gluten and dairy-free was really daunting. In addition to avoiding gluten and dairy, we also tried to avoid as much refined sugar as possible. And what is the holiday season without gluten, dairy, and sugar?!?
I remember the feeling of “we won’t be able to eat anything!” so profoundly. Thankfully, we’ve gotten better and better at going into the holiday season with confidence. I’ve learned that while there are definitely some swaps to be made, we don’t ever need to miss out on the joy and tradition of holiday feasting.
This naturally-sweetened paleo sweet potato casserole is a perfect example. It’s gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, and can be made either paleo (with eggs) or vegan (with an egg substitute). And if you’re thinking, “well, does it even taste good?” I invite you to make it and taste it for yourself.
It’s the real deal.
What Makes this Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Amazing:
THE FILLING! Velvety smooth sweet potato puree is dressed up with a little bit of milk (almond or cashew are my favorites), some pure maple syrup to enhance the sweet potatoes’ natural sweetness, a little healthy fat for a touch of decadence, and a little salt and vanilla to round things out.
A GORGEOUS PECAN TOPPING. The topping on this vegan sweet potato casserole is as good as ever. Sweet candied pecans stud the surface like little cinnamon-dusted jewels and make every bite taste close-your-eyes good. Plus, since the sugar is so much lower, you’ll have plenty of room for pie later!
THIS RECIPE IS EASY! Maybe you’re a long-time gluten-free, paleo, or vegan eater. Or, maybe you’re a total newbie. Maybe you don’t have any dietary restrictions, but you’re cooking for someone who does. It won’t matter–this recipe for paleo sweet potato casserole is DELICIOUS and doesn’t require any fancy flours or hard-to-find ingredients. It’s straightforward and absolutely delicious.
IT WORKS FOR PALEO OR VEGAN DIETS *AND* IT’LL FOOL ANYONE. I’ve tested this sweet potato casserole recipe with eggs and with powdered egg substitute for my egg-free and vegan friends. I love it both ways! The eggs/egg sub bind everything together and give it a little structure so it doesn’t fall apart on your plate. And EVERYONE will love it, no matter what their dietary needs are. It’s always one of the fastest side dishes to go on Thanksgiving!
Michael can be a tough crowd when it comes to comparing new recipes to old favorites and he LOVED this sweet potato casserole. The first bite had barely gone in his mouth before he exclaimed how good it was. I’d feel confident bringing this to a family dinner where there’d be all kinds of different diets included.
It’s another recipe in my Thanksgiving arsenal I’m so glad to have sorted out. This Thanksgiving will be our best (gluten and dairy-free one) yet! And whether you make this a paleo sweet potato casserole or a vegan sweet potato casserole, I hope it will be yours, too!
TIPS & TRICKS FOR PERFECT PALEO OR VEGAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE:
MAKE IT AHEAD! The beauty of this paleo sweet potato casserole is that you can assemble the ingredients ahead of time. The sweet potato puree can be made the day before, then you can mix up the topping right before you bake it. One fewer thing to do on Thanksgiving Day!
MAKE IT A VEGAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE (EGG FREE). I tried this sweet potato casserole recipe using eggs or Ener-G egg replacer. Another one that has worked well for me is The Neat Egg. I haven’t tried this yet with a flax or chia egg, so I can’t speak to how well it would turn out using those. If you’d rather omit the egg/egg sub, you can also omit it entirely (use a little less milk so the sweet potato mash is thicker) or use 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch in the filling.
IF YOU WANT TO SKIP THE PECAN TOPPING…If you’re allergic to nuts or simply don’t care for them, you can absolutely serve this paleo sweet potato casserole as a mash on its own. You’ll want to reduce the milk to about 1/4 cup and you’ll probably want to add the cinnamon to the mash (since you won’t be adding it to the topping). (Several folks have also made this with marshmallows instead and LOVED it!)
LOOKING FOR A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED SWEET POTATO RECIPE? This is my all-time favorite before we switched to a GF/DF diet. The topping is mind-blowing. It’s super sweet (almost like a sweet potato pie), and it was always my favorite Thanksgiving indulgence.
LOOKING FOR MORE HOLIDAY RECIPES? YOU’D PROBABLY LOVE…
- Classic Gluten-Free Stuffing
- Paleo or Vegan Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Cinnamon Rosemary Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (Vegan, Whole30, etc.)
- Easy Mushroom Gravy (Vegan, Whole30, Paleo, etc.)
- Green Beans with Balsamic Pepper Relish
- The BEST Pecan Pie (Naturally sweetened!)
Paleo (or Vegan!) Sweet Potato Casserole
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8-9 servings 1x
Description
If you’re using egg replacer – follow the directions on your package. Most call for about 1 Tbsp of water per 1 Tbsp of powder.
Ingredients
For the sweet potato mash:
- 2lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes), peeled and diced
- 1/3c milk (I use unsweetened almond, cashew, or coconut milk)
- 3 Tbsp butter, ghee, vegan butter, or coconut oil (melted)
- 1/4c pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs or 2 Tbsp egg substitute (such as Ener-G egg replacer or The Neat Egg)
For the pecan topping:
- 1 1/2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp butter, ghee, vegan butter, or coconut oil (melted)
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
Instructions
For the sweet potato mash:
- Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover by at least 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until completely tender (potatoes will pierce easily with a fork). Drain sweet potatoes.
- Transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add milk, butter/oil, syrup, salt, vanilla, and egg/egg sub. Mash until no lumps remain. If needed, add 2-3 Tbsp additional milk if your mixture seems too thick.
- Pour mash into an 8×8 or 2 quart baking dish and smooth the surface. (You can make the sweet potato casserole up to this point the day before Thanksgiving, if desired. Simple cover the baking dish and refrigerate)
For the topping:
- When ready to bake the sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and make the topping. In a medium bowl, combine pecans, butter/oil, syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mash.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
- Remove foil and bake another 20-25 minutes. If pecans begin to brown too quickly, simply cover with foil again.
- **If you’ve got multiple things in the oven (like on Thanksgiving), allow yourself some extra time. If your oven is set to a lower temperature or full of other dishes, you’ll need to bake this closer to an hour. Be sure to watch your pecans (I only remove the foil when there’s about 20 minutes to go).
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven, Baking
- Cuisine: American, Homestyle
Keywords: paleo sweet potato casserole, paleo sweet potato casserole recipe, sweet potato casserole, vegan, paleo, vegan sweet potato casserole, sweet potato casserole, gluten free
I was asked by every family at the table for this recipe. It was a big hit!
★★★★★
Lynne – I’m SO HAPPY about that! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Emily! Can I make this without the egg yolk and just egg whites? If so, should I use any extra egg whites?
Thank you!
Jamie
Jamie – I think you’d be just fine using egg white instead of a whole egg. I’d say 1-2 egg whites would do it!
If I want to double the recipe, do I need 4 eggs? It seems like a lot of eggs.
Laura – I add 4 eggs when I double the recipe. It has never tasted or felt “eggy” for me. It just helps bind the mixture together and helps it set up. 🙂
Thanks! I am using a 9×13 pan, which is 3 qrts. I made it in an 8×8 (2qrts). It was outstanding but for thanksgiving I need a bigger pan. So 3 or 4 eggs?
I add 4 eggs when I double the recipe.🙂
For the egg replacer, do you know if banana or applesauce would work instead? I’m making this for a dinner and will have a vegan friend there. I don’t have the powder and am wondering if I can use something I have here already!
Jenny – If you don’t want to go the egg replacer route, I’d actually recommend you use a little less milk (1/4 cup instead of 1/3) so the sweet potato mash is thicker or use 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch in the filling to help it set up and thicken.
I followed this recipe exactly. I’ve never used egg replacmt before.
I used an 8×8, but a little higher sides than a typical pyrex casserole.
I don’t know what happened, but it wasn’t cooked thru. Too wet (similar to when i make gluten free breads,
muffins. never seems to fully cook). So i put in for another 25 min, turned up to 385. Was busy
in kitchen, burned the pecans. I wish i had seen that comment above recipe, u can skip altogether or
use cornstarch. The sweet potato mixture was excellent consistency going into oven. I guess there’s something I didn’t get right. So many ppl here happy w results. With the extra cooking time, was edible, but still a bit too moist.
Thank you
I’m so sorry Donna! It’s always such a bummer when a recipe doesn’t turn out the way you hope it will. I hope you’ll get to try it again in the future with the other adjustments. So sorry it wasn’t a win for you this year. Happy Thanksgiving!
I’ve actually been making this recipe for a few years. It is our favorite! I usually double it so we have extra leftovers.
★★★★★
Kelly – You totally made my day. THANK YOU for taking the time to leave a review! It’s so helpful, and SO appreciated!
I love this recipe! I made this on a chance around Thanksgiving. My family likd it so much, we have made it 3 other times. I’m currently making it for Easter.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. I appreciate it SO MUCH!