Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

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Enjoy this easy vegan sweet potato casserole during the holiday season or any time of year! It is perfectly sweet, filled with plump golden raisins, maple syrup, crunchy pecans, and fall spices. Complete your holiday dinner or add it as a side dish to any meal!

I will seriously eat this healthy vegan sweet potato casserole recipe year-round. It does not need to be Thanksgiving Day for me to enjoy a delicious side of this dairy-free sweet potato casserole! Yes, it’s wonderful for the cooler fall and winter months, but I love it even when it’s hot outside. Please tell me I am not alone! 🙂

While there is some added sugar to these sweet potatoes, they are so delicious and irresistible that I crave them all the time. Don’t worry, though — this casserole isn’t as sweet as traditional recipes, which makes this healthier twist on a classic much better for you. The first time I made this recipe for my family to include with our Thanksgiving dinner, they devoured it without complaint. It also happens to be a super simple recipe to make.

Typically, at Thanksgiving, this nutritious veggie is doused with tons of butter, and sugar, and then topped with marshmallows – but you don’t need all of that for it to taste amazing. My healthier version has all of the flavors but is lower in sugar and calories than the traditional version! You won’t even find any vegan butter or coconut oil to keep this plant based sweet potato recipe low fat and low calorie!

I like serving it up as a side dish during dinner, as a healthy dessert, or as part of my breakfast, too — it’s even the perfect complement to some scrambled eggs in the morning. These tasty mashed sweet potatoes will quickly become one of your favorite dishes for any time of the year!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love This Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

• A Must On Your Holiday Table: No Thanksgiving is complete without a casserole dish full of creamy sweet potato goodness.
• Perfect Side Dish: This easy casserole is so versatile — it goes with nearly any main course.
• Crunchy Pecan Topping: This is the key to this perfect non-dairy sweet potato casserole. The texture of the pecans pairs perfectly with the potatoes.
• Healthy And Nutritious: This is an upgrade on the traditional too-sweet version.
• Low In Sugar: The potato’s natural sweetness shines through in this version.
• Easy Recipe: It couldn’t be easier to whip up this quick casserole.
• Gluten-Free: No need to worry about dietary issues – this recipe is already gluten-free.
• Best Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole Ever: You’ll never go back to the old-school version of this!

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🥘 Ingredients

For complete measurements and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post to the recipe card.

• Sweet Potatoes: Peel and chop your sweet potatoes to prepare for boiling.
• Golden Raisins: These provide a pop of flavor in each bite!
• Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar: These ingredients keep the sweet potato filling refined sugar-free. Coconut sugar is also lower on the glycemic index, which is an added plus!
• Spices: A little cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and sea salt.
• Topping Ingredients: Maple syrup and chopped pecans for the maple pecan topping gives this low sugar sweet potato casserole a nice crunchy texture and a little bit of natural sweetness.

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Craisins: Substitute dried cranberries for some or all of the raisins.
• Sweet Potatoes: If you want to save time, you can use canned sweet potato puree instead of whole sweet potatoes. You will need about 6.5 cups of sweet potato puree for this recipe. If you don’t have sweet potatoes, you can also use yams for this recipe.
• Sugar: Instead of coconut sugar, you can add a splash of orange juice or vanilla extract for a little sweetness.
• Spices: Add any other spices that you channel fall flavors. Allspice and cloves are two great options
• Different Toppings: Try chopped walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or even crumbled granola! Or, use honey or coconut nectar to add sweetness.

🔪 How To Make Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Here’s how to make this easy vegan sweet potato recipe. For more detailed instructions and nutrition facts, see the recipe card below.

Chop And Boil Sweet Potatoes: Chop potatoes into large chunks, place potatoes in water and cover, and boil in a large pot until soft when pierced with a fork. Drain, and return to the pot.

Mash The Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Mash the sweet potatoes in the pot once they are cooked.

Mix In Other Ingredients: Add the maple syrup, raisins, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the sweet potato mash in the pot. Whip with an electric mixer or an immersion blender until smooth (if you don’t have one, you can do this step by hand—it’ll just take a little muscle!).

Prepare The Topping: Mix the brown sugar, pecans, and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a large bowl. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared baking dish with a wooden spoon or spatula. Sprinkle the topping mixture over the potatoes.

Bake The Casserole: Bake this delicious sweet potato casserole without eggs until hot and golden brown around the edges, about 15-20 minutes.

💭 Expert Tips

• Prep Ingredients: Have all ingredients measured ahead of time for smooth preparation.
• Cut Potatoes Evenly: When cutting the sweet potatoes, try to cut them the same size. This will allow them to cook more evenly, and they will be done at the same time. 
• Use a Mixer: A stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer will make quick work of mixing the ingredients together. A food processor, potato masher or high speed blender will work, too. For super smooth sweet potatoes, I recommend an immersion blender or electric mixer!
• Serve Immediately: For the best results, serve this sweet potato casserole with no eggs straight out of the oven (or soon thereafter).
• Thin Out As Needed: If the mixture needs a little more creaminess, you can thin it out with 1/4 cup of almond milk or coconut milk.
• For Meal Prep: To make ahead of time, make the sweet potato mixture and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. 1 hour before you’re ready to serve it, sprinkle the pecan/brown sugar topping over the casserole and bake in the oven. Serve immediately after baking.
• Use Cooking Spray: Remember to spray the dish to avoid having the potatoes stick.

📖 Variations

There are a few ways to switch up how you make this irresistible casserole.

• Vegan Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole: If you want a marshmallow topping – top with vegan marshmallows for a more dessert-like feel!
• Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecan Crumble: Turn the topping into a pecan crumble topping by adding oats, all-purpose flour, and sugar to the pecans.
• Savory Plant Based Sweet Potato Casserole: You can make this vegan yam casserole without maple syrup and brown sugar for savory version! You can also slice the sweet potatoes instead of mashing them and layer them with your favorite veggies and vegan cheese for more of a “gratin” feel.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

There are so many ways to serve these healthy sweet potatoes. 

• Solo: This eggless sweet potato casserole can be a great meal all on its own. 
• With Breakfast: Use the potatoes as a bed for your over-easy eggs or serve them alongside a low calorie omelette. To keep this recipe vegan, you can serve this with a vegan frittata or this silken tofu scramble. This also goes well with eggs in a basket or this avocado toast with tomato and egg. You can even repurpose them by making sweet potato cakes in a skillet.
• With Protein: Of course, this vegan sweet potato dish is perfect with Thanksgiving turkey, but you can also have them as a side dish with vegan turkey, vegan meatloaf, (or if you don’t need this recipe to be vegan – roasted turkey, ham, beef, or fish). 
• With Other Sides: Whether it’s for a party, or just a different twist on dinnertime, you can serve a spread of side dishes like this cornbread gluten free stuffing, roasted pumpkin salad, and cranberry sauce from dried cranberries!

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

This is already a vegan gluten free sweet potato casserole, but you can modify it even further depending on your dietary needs! Here are some suggestions:

• Less Sugar Option: Use your favorite alternative sweetener to lower the sugar content.
• Nut-Free: Skip the nuts and use seeds, instead.

🫙 Storage Directions

• In The Fridge: Let this no egg sweet potato casserole cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. It will keep up to 4-5 days.
• In The Freezer: You can easily freeze this healthy vegan sweet potato recipe. Either separate it into individual serving containers or keep it all in one large airtight container. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw and reheat, put it in the refrigerator the night before you want to serve it, and on the day of, warm it in the oven.

❓Recipe FAQs

🍠 More Sweet Potato Recipes!

• Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes
• Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
• Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
• Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
• Sweet Potato Cauliflower Curry
• Sweet Potato Tacos

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