Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

By Ashley Adams

Updated 11/01/18

Sweet Potato Casserole
primeparry/Flickr/Getty Images
Ratings (13)
  • Total: 50 mins
  • Prep: 20 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
423 Calories
17g Fat
65g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 423
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 293mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 65g 24%
Dietary Fiber 6g 23%
Protein 5g
Calcium 118mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Sweet potato casserole is always a welcome addition to any Thanksgiving Day table, but it's a winner all year long. Sweet, creamy, and bright, this dairy-free, vegan sweet potato casserole is perfect for the fall and winter months when root vegetables are plentiful. The combination of spices used in this recipe gives the dish a sweet-yet-savory tone leaving your taste buds satisfied for hours.

This particular casserole doesn't use a traditional marshmallow topping but instead a sprinkle of crunchy, sweet nut topping. If you want to incorporate marshmallows, double-check the packaging to ensure that they are the vegan variety.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons pecans, finely chopped or ground, divided
  • 5 tablespoons dairy-free soy margarine, softened, divided
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup dairy-free soy yogurt, unsweetened
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Oil a 13- by 9-inch casserole dish and set aside.

  2. In a medium-sized saucepan with water just to cover, bring the chopped sweet potatoes to a boil until tender.

  3. Drain the sweet potatoes and place in the bowl of a food processor. Process until creamy.

  4. Add the maple syrup, 3 tablespoons dark-brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, 3 tablespoons ground pecans, and 2 tablespoons dairy-free soy margarine and pulse until well combined.

  5. Add the coconut milk, soy yogurt, and vanilla extract, processing until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish, and set aside.

  6. In a medium-large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, the flour, and 3/4 cup chopped pecans until well-mixed.

  7. Cut in 3 tablespoons dairy-free soy margarine until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbles, and, using your hands, sprinkle over the sweet potato filling.

  8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is slightly bubbly. Let it cool for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.

Tips

  • Picky eaters may not be open to the crusted pecan topping. Set the pecan topping aside and serve the casserole in ramekins, allowing people to add it themselves.
  • If you have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can use it in place of individual spices, though it might alternate the taste slightly.
  • If possible, give the casserole 10 to 20 minutes to sit before serving. It will still be warm, but it will have been given some time to set. It also gives the crunchy topping some time to dry out, which will improve the finished product.
  • Instead of using a food processor to blend the sweet potato filling, an immersion blender makes quick work of the potatoes without dirtying another dish.
  • The casserole can be assembled a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Let it comes to room temperature before baking.

Recipe Variations

  • Allergy-free variation: If there is a nut allergy concern, get a similar crunchy topping by replacing the pecans with old-fashioned rolled oats instead.
  • Vegetarian variation: Use regular yogurt in place of soy yogurt if the recipe doesn't need to be vegan.
  • Sweet and savory variation: Eliminate the maple syrup, brown sugar, and cinnamon from the casserole filling. Add 1 teaspoon each of dried rosemary and dried sage.