Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
This Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time of the year. It’s made with whole-food plant-based ingredients and sweetened perfectly with pure maple syrup or date paste.
Growing up in the South, sweet potato casserole was never just a holiday side dish. We ate it regularly after church at Grandma’s house for Sunday lunch. Nowadays, my family still enjoys delicious sweet potato casserole, but our newer version has a much healthier nutritional profile and is dairy-free, low-fat, and sweetened with pure maple syrup. It can even easily be made gluten-free.
On this website, we have plenty of southern country cooking recipes that have been revamped to be a much healthier version of the old classics like my dairy-free hash brown casserole, this delicious vegan coleslaw, and my crazy-good country vegan potato salad.
Reasons you will love this casserole
- Creamy and Naturally Sweet – This dairy-free sweet potato casserole is rich, creamy, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup, making it a deliciously satisfying dish without any added dairy.
- Perfect for Holiday Gatherings – A crowd-pleasing favorite, this casserole is an ideal side dish for festive occasions like Thanksgiving or Christmas, offering a wholesome, plant-based option.
- Healthier Comfort Food – Packed with nutrient-rich sweet potatoes and dairy-free ingredients, this casserole is a healthier alternative to traditional versions, while still providing that comforting, indulgent flavor.
Ingredients you will need
- Sweet potatoes- They are packed with nutrients like fiber, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants, making the casserole both delicious and nutritious. Their natural sweetness means less added sugar is needed, creating a healthier, wholesome version of this classic comfort food.
- Maple syrup- Adds a rich, natural sweetness that complements the earthy flavor of the sweet potatoes without being overly processed like refined sugar. Its subtle caramel notes enhance the overall taste of the dish while keeping it wholesome and plant-based.
- Spices- Nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla create the warm sweet flavor profile for this casserole.
- Oats- Create a crispy, golden topping without the need for refined ingredients.
- Pecans- Add a delightful crunch and rich, nutty flavor that complements the sweetness of the dish. Their natural oils enhance the overall texture, creating a satisfying contrast with the creamy sweet potatoes.
Ways to cook sweet potatoes
Peeling and slicing a cooked sweet potato is much easier than a raw one, so why not just cook them first by baking, slow cooking, or boiling them?
Oven-baked sweet potatoes
Simply bake them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or more, depending on the size of the potatoes.
Baked sweet potatoes, when done right, actually ooze out some of their naturally sweet caramelized sugar, and it’s pretty sticky. This old girl does not like trying to scrape that off the pan, so I highly suggest you do like me and line the baking sheet with parchment paper. When the potatoes are finished, simply throw away the parchment paper, give the pan a swipe with a rag, and put it back in the cabinet. That’s my kind of clean-up!
Crockpot sweet potatoes
Another terrific way to cook sweet potatoes is in a crockpot or slow cooker.
Place the sweet potatoes in your crockpot and add about 1/2 cup water to the bottom. Set to the low setting and cook for approximately 8 hours. If you’re in more of a hurry, set them to high and let them cook for about 3-4 hours depending on the size of the potatoes.
Boiling sweet potatoes
You could cook the sweet potatoes like my mom and grandmother used to do by peeling and dicing the raw sweet potatoes, but watch those fingers!
Add enough water to a pot to completely cover the peeled and diced potatoes. Boil for approximately 20 minutes until tender.
Tips & Suggestions
- Peeling sweet potatoes- Choose the easiest way to peel and dice the sweet potatoes. For me, that means either baking them or cooking them in a crockpot.
- Casserole dish- I used a 2-quart casserole dish
- Nut-free- For those avoiding nuts, the pecans in this recipe are completely optional.
How to make healthy vegan sweet potato casserole
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Cook the sweet potatoes by either baking, boiling, or cooking in the crockpot. Detailed instructions for each method are listed above.
After cooking the sweet potatoes using your preferred method listed above and allowing them to cool, peel and place them in a large bowl.
STEP #2: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Mash the cooked potatoes with a potato masher. You can do this with a fork, but it will take quite a while, so I highly recommend using a potato masher. Some people even use a hand mixer, but I just prefer not to have to pull mine out and then clean it afterward.
STEP #3: Once the potatoes are mashed well, add the other batter ingredients and spices listed in the recipe card below. Mix thoroughly and pour into a casserole dish lined with parchment paper to keep it from sticking to the sides and bottom. See me do it in the video in the recipe card below.
Set the casserole dish with batter to the side and begin making the very easy oat pecan topping.
STEP #4: Blend the rolled oats in a blender or food processor until coarsely chopped.
Next, place all topping ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir together well. The flour should be damp, not dry, but also not really wet either. If it’s too dry, add a little more non-dairy milk, but remember it’s supposed to be crumbly.
STEP #5: Spread the topping out onto the casserole dish with batter. Place in preheated oven and allow to cook for approximately 30 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so keep an eye on it. You want it to have a golden brown top.
STEP #6: Once it’s finished, remove this easy vegan casserole from the oven and allow it to cool. Serve warm.
For the holidays, consider serving it with my Vegan Meatloaf as a main dish or our Lentil Shepherd Pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Simply assemble it, cover it well with a lid, plastic wrap, or foil, and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
It can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and certified gluten-free oats in the topping and checking that all other ingredients are gluten-free as well.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. This casserole will freeze well for approximately 3 months.
More Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Recipes
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Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
Batter Ingredients:
- 5 sweet potatoes large to medium size
- 1 cup non-dairy milk such as almond or soy
- ¼ cup maple syrup or date syrup
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1.25 cup old fashion rolled oats coarsely ground in blender
- 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour or other flour use oat or other gluten-free flour if desired
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 cup chopped raw pecans optional
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potatoes by either baking, boiling or cooking in the crockpot. Detailed instructions for each method listed in the article above.
- Once cooked and cooled, peel the sweet potatoes and place in a large bowl.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Next, mash the cooked potatoes with a potato masher or hand mixer.
- Once the potatoes are mashed well, add the other batter ingredients and spices listed in the recipe card below. Mix thoroughly and pour into a casserole dish lined with parchment paper to keep it from sticking to the sides and bottom. See the video
- Set the casserole dish with batter to the side and begin making the very easy oat pecan crumbly topping.
- TOPPING: Begin by blending rolled oats in a blender or food processor until coarsely chopped.
- Next, place all topping ingredients in a medium-size bowl and stir together well. The flour should be damp, not dry, but also not real wet either. If it's too dry, add a little more non-dairy milk, but remember it's supposed to be crumbly.
- Spread the topping out onto the casserole dish with batter. Place in preheated oven and allow to cook for approximately 30 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so keep an eye on it. You want it to have a golden brown top.
- Once it’s finished, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Serve warm.For the holidays, consider serving it with my Vegan Meatloaf as a main dish or our Lentil Shepherd Pie.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Could you please tell me how many pounds/ounces/grams of sweet potatoes you start with? I usually only get the smaller sweet potatoes, so an idea of overall weight would be really helpful. Thank you!
Your photos make the sweet potatoes look reddish orange, which is more the color of yams. Are you really using sweet potatoes or yams in your recipe? Thank you.
Cynthia, I used regular sweet potatoes, but yams would work in this recipe as well.
Can I use aquafaba to hold the sweet potato mix together? Or in the topping to give it a crispy crunch texture?
I haven’t used aquafaba before but would love to hear how this recipe turns out if you decide to give it a try. Aquafaba is something I haven’t experimented with yet, and that needs to change.