Sweet Potato Casserole

Without question, this is the best sweet potato casserole recipe I've had! A nutty pecan topping covers a creamy ginger-spiced layer of sweet potatoes.

Growing up, I only had sweet potatoes once a year at Thanksgiving, where they were layered into a sweet potato casserole loaded with mini marshmallows. For years, I thought I didn’t like sweet potatoes. But if you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that I actually love sweet potatoes. What I don’t like are marshmallows. In my opinion, sweet potatoes are sweet enough on their own, so why make them sweeter, especially in a dinner side dish?

Since sweet potatoes are one of my favorite fall veggies, I’ve always wanted to make a vegan sweet potato casserole recipe that I’d enjoy at Thanksgiving dinner. This seemed like the perfect time to take on the challenge. And guess what? I liked it so much that I ate the leftovers for breakfast!

Whatever your opinion on traditional sweet potato casserole, you have to try this recipe. I make a simple, creamy filling that really lets the sweet potatoes shine. Then, instead of covering it with a marshmallow topping, I sprinkle it with a savory blend of chopped pecans, walnuts, and herbs. The toasty, nutty topping offers a delicious crunchy contrast to the velvety sweet potato mixture, and the cozy herbs make it perfect for fall.

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Ingredients

And the best part? This easy sweet potato casserole recipe comes together with basic pantry ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Sweet potatoes, of course! I blend them with almond milk to make the filling nice and smooth.
• Pecans and walnuts – I pulse some into the crumble topping and leave a few whole for garnish.
• Old fashioned oats – Along with the nuts, they give the crumble topping plenty of hearty texture.
• Ginger – It adds a refreshing kick to the creamy sweet potato filling.
• Fresh rosemary, sage, and dried thyme – If I’m cooking with sweet potatoes in the fall, chances are, I’m using rosemary, sage, and thyme as well. They’re the perfect autumn flavor combination.
• Garlic – Along with the herbs, garlic is key for giving this sweet potato casserole its delicious savory taste.
• Pure maple syrup – It adds a touch of sweetness to the nutty topping. I may not love sweet potatoes and marshmallows, but sweet potatoes and maple are a combination I can get behind.

Just grab some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and you’re good to go!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole

This easy sweet potato casserole recipe has 4 basic steps:

1. First, roast the sweet potatoes. You can find my best tips on baking sweet potatoes here!

2. While the sweet potatoes are baking, make the pecan topping. Pulse the nuts, oats, herbs, garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor until just combined. The mixture should clump a bit, but it should still have lots of texture.

3. Then, blend up the filling. Instead of using a potato masher to mash the sweet potatoes, I use a food processor to get them super smooth. Peel the cooked sweet potatoes, and blend the soft flesh with almond milk, olive oil, ground ginger, and salt.

4. Layer and bake! Spread the creamy sweet potato mixture at the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle it with the crumble topping, and add a few whole pecans and sage leaves for garnish. Then, bake at 425° until the topping is nicely browned and crisp, and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe Tips

• Bake your sweet potatoes until they’re super tender. You want the filling of this casserole to be luscious and creamy, without any chunks. Make sure that a fork can easily slide through the potatoes when you take them out of the oven. This way, they’ll blend into a perfectly smooth puree.
• Save some whole nuts for garnish! The best bites of this casserole combine creamy sweet potato with big, toasty nuts. When you blend up the crumble, reserve a few whole nuts to dot on top. You’ll thank yourself later.
• Make it ahead. Like all great Thanksgiving recipes, this healthy sweet potato casserole is easy to prep ahead of time. You can do almost everything a day or two before your feast: blend up the sweet potato filling, pulse together the crumble topping, and store them in separate containers in the fridge. Right before serving, sprinkle the crumble over the filling, and bake! (If you bake the entire casserole ahead of time, the topping will lose its crispness in the fridge.)

Serving Suggestions

This sweet potato casserole would be a wonderful addition to any autumn dinner, but it’s especially at home at Thanksgiving. Serve it alongside stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, homemade mac and cheese, or any of these delicious side dishes:

• Butternut Squash Soup
• Roasted Delicata Squash with Apples and Sage
• Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
• Creamed Spinach
• Pear Salad with Balsamic and Walnuts
• Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Simple Roasted Beets with Citrus

For more favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, check out this post. And don’t forget the pumpkin pie (or apple crumble) for dessert!

Crazy for sweet potatoes? Try one of these tasty recipes next:

• Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Sweet Potato Salad
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Lasagna

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Sweet Potato Casserole

rate this recipe:

4.85 from 57 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Serves 6 to 8

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You'll love this healthy sweet potato casserole recipe! To make it ahead, prep the topping and filling separately. Then, assemble and bake when you're ready to eat.

Ingredients

• 5 large sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1¼ cups unsweetened almond milk, plus more if necessary
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup fresh sage leaves, for garnish

Crumble Topping

• ⅔ cup whole rolled oats
• ½ cup pecans, plus more for garnish
• ½ cup walnuts, plus more for garnish
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1½ teaspoons sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush an 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
• Use a fork to poke a few holes into the sweet potatoes. Place on the baking sheet and roast until very tender, about 60 minutes.
• Make the crumble topping: In a food processor, place the oats, pecans, walnuts, garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper and pulse until just combined. Remove and set aside.
• Scoop the cooked sweet potato flesh out of the skins and place in a food processor. Add the olive oil, almond milk, ginger, salt, and pepper and process to combine. Spread the mixture into the baking dish.
• Sprinkle with the crumble topping, additional nuts, and sage leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the topping is browned and crisp.

This post is in partnership with ALDI.