Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Written by
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams is a restaurant professional and workshop instructor with a specialty in dairy-free cooking and baking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Ashley Adams
Updated 07/19/19
Vegan sweet potato casserole recipe

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic
  • Total: 50 mins
  • Prep: 20 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
423 Calories
17g Fat
65g Carbs
5g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
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.)

A 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 and divided)
  • 5 tablespoons dairy-free soy margarine (softened and divided)
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened soy yogurt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

    Ingredients for sweet potato casserole
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  2. Oil a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish and set aside.

    Oil a casserole dish
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  3. Add to chopped sweet potato to a medium-sized saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Boil under tender.

    Add sweet potato
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

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

    Drain
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  5. 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.

    Add maple syrup
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  6. Add the coconut milk, soy yogurt, and vanilla extract, processing until the mixture is smooth.

    Add coconut milk
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  7. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish, and set aside.

    Transfer to dish
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

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

    Mix
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  9. 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.

    Sweet potato casserole
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  10. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is slightly bubbly.

    Bake
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  11. Let it cool for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.

    Let it cool
    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

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.

Glass Bakeware Warning

For premade casseroles or leftovers that are in a glass baking dish and have been refrigerated, do not place directly into a hot oven as the glass can shatter. Instead, place any cold glass bakeware into a cold oven to warm up while it preheats. Or, allow the bakeware to rest outside of the fridge for 30 minutes to reach room temperature while the oven preheats.

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.

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