Paleo (or Vegan!) Sweet Potato Casserole
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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 were also trying to avoid as much refined sugar as possible based on some medical needs at the time. 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 vegan or 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/swap). And if you’re thinking, “well, does it even taste good?” I invite you to make it and taste it for yourself.
Because our vegan/paleo sweet potato casserole recipe is the real deal.
It’s been the family favorite year after year with my extended family, and with so many of your families over the years. I have a feeling it’s going to be one of your holiday favorites, too.
Here’s why I know you’re going to love our healthy sweet potato casserole recipe…
What Makes This Healthy 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. The flavors are spot on!
A GORGEOUS, CRUNCHY 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 incredible. Plus, since the sugar is so much lower, you’ll have plenty of room for pie later! (Maybe this one?)
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 healthy 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!
How To Make Vegan or Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole, Step-By-Step:
First, Make The Sweet Potato Mash/Filling:
- Cook Your Sweet Potatoes. Peel sweet potatoes and place 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.
- Add The Other Goodies. Transfer cooked, drained potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add milk, butter/oil, syrup, salt, vanilla, and egg/egg sub.
- Mash It Up! Mash with a potato masher or fork until no lumps remain. If needed, add 2-3 Tbsp additional milk if your mixture seems too thick.
- Add To Your Baking Dish. Transfer the sweet potato mixture into an 8×8, 9×9, 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)
Next, Make The Pecan Topping:
- Preheat The Oven. When ready to bake the sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and make the topping.
- Combine The Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine pecans, butter/oil, syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until the pecans are well coated and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the pecan crumble 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.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: 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).
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Paleo or Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole:
CAN I MAKE SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE AHEAD OF TIME? Yes! Absolutely! The beauty of this healthy paleo sweet potato casserole is that you can assemble the ingredients ahead of time. You can make the sweet potato mash and put it in the baking dish, then mix up the pecan topping right before you bake it. It’s One fewer thing to do on Thanksgiving Day, which is always a win!
HOW TO MAKE THIS AS VEGAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE (EGG FREE). I tried this sweet potato casserole recipe using eggs or Ener-G egg replacer and it worked beautifully. Another one that has worked well for me is The Neat Egg. If you’d rather omit the egg/egg substitute, you can also omit it entirely. If you don’t use an egg substitute, you can use a little less milk so the sweet potato mash is thicker or add 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch to the filling. 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 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? Like the kind with butter and brown sugar? I’ve got you! 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.
CAN I MAKE THIS WITH MARSHMALLOW TOPPING INSTEAD? If you prefer your sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, you can try this paleo marshmallow fluff or this vegan marshmallow fluff topping!
LOOKING FOR MORE HEALTHY HOLIDAY RECIPES? YOU’D PROBABLY LOVE…
- Paleo or Vegan Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (Vegan, Whole30, etc.)
- Easy Mushroom Gravy (Vegan, Whole30, Paleo, etc.)
- Green Beans with Balsamic Pepper Relish
- Classic Gluten-Free Stuffing
- The BEST Pecan Pie (Naturally sweetened!)
- Cinnamon Rosemary Sweet Potatoes
Paleo (or Vegan!) Sweet Potato Casserole
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 8–9 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
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:
- 2 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes), peeled and diced
- 1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I use unsweetened almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk)
- 3 Tablespoons butter, ghee, vegan butter, or coconut oil (melted)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, 2 Tbsp egg substitute (such as Ener-G egg replacer or The Neat Egg), or 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
For the pecan topping:
- 1 1/2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
- 2 Tablespoons butter, ghee, vegan butter, or coconut oil (melted)
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch kosher salt or sea 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 cooked sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add milk, butter/oil, syrup, salt, vanilla, and egg/egg sub.
- Mash with a potato masher or fork 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 F and make the topping. In a medium bowl, combine pecans, butter/oil, syrup, cinnamon, and salt.
- Sprinkle pecan streusel topping 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).
Notes
*Feel free to double the recipe to fit a 9×13 casserole dish!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Originally shared Nov 2016. Updated Nov 2021.
This looks amazing! We’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, and I think this needs to make an appearance on the menu!
I’m delighted you found a way to include this in your feasting. It sound super yummy!!
Do you peel the potatoes first? Thanks!
Kari – Yes! I’ll be sure to specify that in the recipe 🙂
Actually, sweet potatoes can be boiled or steamed WITH the skins on. Just score the skins lengthwise all the way around with a sharp knife. You can cut potatoes in half so they cook a little faster too. After they are fork tender, drain them & low to cool so you can handle them. They will slip right out of the skins. No peeling, no mess, a real time saver!
Great tip! Thanks for sharing Carolyn!
I leave the peels on and then use an immersion blender for everything! Added fiber and nutrients that way too 🙂
That’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Making this tomorrow! Thanks for clarifying on the peeling of the potatoes. I found the recipe this morning and by the time I came back you’d answered my question. Can’t wait to feast on this.
I hope you love it! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi, I’m making this today. For the egg replacer–I’m using energ egg replacer. Should I follow the box instructions and use warm water or just add 2 Tbspn. of egg replacer without the water?
Thank you so much!
Minna – Your choice! It will work either way, but I prefer to add the water. I’ll update my directions to say that! Good luck today!
Made this for Mother’s Day…just dumped the egg replacer powder in. My wife told me I ruined it! She told me I had to follow the box directions. Please clarify your instructions to give the options…help save other marriages the turmoil of this argument!!!
Just kidding (except we did debate it until I found your comment). Our casserole turned out great!
So glad it turned out great! (And sorry for the confusion!)
Making this morning for a vegan family member. Happy Thanksgiving!
Lynn – I hope everyone enjoys it! Happy Thanksgiving!
Just found your blog this week. Thank you so much for this recipe! I made this for my two vegan daughters and they loved it. More important, the whole family loved it – a very delicious dish and something that will become a holiday tradition for our family.
Oh, I’m so glad to hear it Patrick! Hope it was a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Hi Emily! We are doing Christmas in the woods this year in our trailer and I wanted to make this a few days in advance (make on Wed and bake on Sunday). I will be using real eggs. Is it ok to assemble all but the topping and store the sweet potato casserole uncooked for a few days? Or should I fully assemble and bake completely and then reheat? I’m just not sure what is the best approach since there are raw eggs involved. But I also don’t want it to dry out. Thanks so much! This looks awesome!
Celia – What an adventure! I haven’t made it that far in advance (I’ve only ever done the day ahead), but I think all your concerns are spot on! You may want to fully bake it and then heat it up the day you plan to serve it. I’d love to know how it turns out for you! Enjoy your Christmas in the woods!
I made this for a Boxing Day feast and it was SO GOOD! Thanks for the great recipe.
Oh, I’m so happy to hear it Christina! Hope you have a happy New Year!
Made this for Easter and the whole family loved it. I used coconut oil and honey in the potatoes, and even could have cut back on the honey.
I’m SO glad to hear that! It’s remarkable how sweet everything is on its own! The cinnamon and vanilla really make you feel like it’s sweeter than it is!
This looks yummy! Can you add orange juice to this casserole?
That sounds delicious! I haven’t tried that, but I’d LOVE to know what you think if you give it a try!
How would you add orange juice? I mean, where would you add it in the recipe and would you be adding it in place of something else or in addition?
Thanks!
Fantastic dish.
Thank you Fiona! It’s one of my FAVORITE holiday dishes!
I have always wanted to make this . I tasted this in our church and it was really good but he added marshmallows to it.
Oh how fun!
Would a 12 x 8.75 crate and barrel rectangle casserole fish be too big? I have a 9.35 x 7 but it appears to be too small. Novice cook here who is trying to learn gluten and dairy free cooking! 😉 Thinking of making this for Thanksgiving so there’s something more on the table I personally can eat. 🙂
Rachel – That would probably be too big a pan unless you doubled your recipe. I’m not sure how deep your 9.35×7 pan is, but it actually might work! You just want about 2 quart (8 cups) capacity. If you’re nervous, you can test it with that much water and see if it’ll hold!
Thank you! I found an 8×8 I can use. 🙂
Hooray! Hope you LOVE it!
Just found this recipe and we are new to Paleo. I was wondering if you could make the mash and freeze it several days ahead? Thaw, place topping and cook.
Thank you,
Faith
Faith – I haven’t done it that way before, but it would probably work? I think I’d actually assemble the whole thing and freeze it ready to bake. Otherwise, you can absolutely prep the mash a day in advance, store it in the fridge, and keep the topping separate until you’re ready to bake.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!