Enjoy a classic favorite this Thanksgiving with this Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole. It’s just like you remember- creamy mashed sweet potato topped with a sweet and crunchy pecan crust. Make sure to add this fan-favorite to your holiday table!
This post was originally published on November 8, 2017.
We’ve come to one of my favorite dishes on the My Darling Vegan holiday tour.
Yep, you’ve figured it out. A rich and creamy Sweet Potato Casserole with a crunchy pecan topping, this classic dish is a must-have! Before we get into it, let’s do a quick recap of what we’ve covered so far on this holiday tour.
So far, there has been:
I’ve got another week and a half of recipes coming your way, but before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s give a little love to my friend, the sweet potato casserole.
Recipe Video
Ingredients & Substitutions
You don’t need much to make this delicious holiday side dish. Just 6 simple ingredients + spices that you can easily find at your local grocery store.
Here is everything you need.
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet Potatoes – Yams also work.
- Non-Dairy Milk – Any non-dairy milk will do. I recommend soy, cashew, or oat.
- Brown Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and healthy sugar alternatives.
- Vegan Butter – Use a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Pecans – Feel free to also use hazelnuts or walnuts. If you have a nut allergy, you can substitute the pecans for equal parts rolled oats.
- All-Purpose Flour – For a gluten-free alternative, use a 1:1 all-purpose flour(<<affiliate link). I’ve also had readers make the topping using almond or coconut flour.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One – Cook the Sweet Potatoes
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
To begin, peel, cube, and boil the sweet potatoes in a large pot of water until the potatoes are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork. The timing will vary depending on the size of your sweet potato but should take between 8 and 12 minutes.
Drain the water through a colander and transfer the potatoes to a large bowl.
Time Saving Tip: If you would like to save on time you can use sweet potato puree. You will need about 30 ounces of sweet potato puree for this recipe.
Step Two – Mash the Potatoes
Mash the potatoes until they are mostly puréed. Add the remaining ingredients and blend together until you have a uniform mash. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a casserole dish and set aside.
Pro Tip: This is most easily done with an immersion blender (<<affiliate link). If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a potato masher, wooden spoon, or food processor.
Step Three – Make the Pecan Topping
To make the pecan topping place the pecans, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Once pecans have broken into uniform pieces, add the melted butter while the motor still running.
Pulse a few more times until the crust is fully hydrated. It should stick together when pressed between your fingers.
Evenly spread the pecan topping over the creamy sweet potatoes and bake for 20-25 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the potatoes are heated all the way through.
Serving and Storing
Serving – Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve as a part of your holiday table alongside Vegan Meatloaf and Stuffing.
Storing – Store leftover sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Tips and Tricks
- Cut your potatoes evenly. This ensures they are cooked at an even rate. Aim to cut them into 1/2 inch cubes and boil for 10 minutes. Boiling times will vary depending on the size of the cubes.
- Don’t like pecans? Both walnuts and hazelnuts make great substitutions. For a nut-free version, swap out the pecans for equal amounts of oats.
- Blend together the pecan topping until it sticks together when pressed. You may need to add an extra tablespoon of butter. Be careful not to over blend or you will lose the crunch texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
For sure! Just use a 1:1 all-purpose flour (<<affiliate link). I’ve also had readers make the topping using almond and coconut flour.
For sure! The best way to make this recipe in advance is to make the potatoes and crumb topping separate. Refrigerate the potatoes overnight and store the crumb topping in a tightly wrapped container at room temperature. When you are ready to bake, spread the crumb topping over the potatoes and bake.
Yes. If you would like to save on time you can use sweet potato puree. You will need about 30 ounces of sweet potato puree for this recipe.
Yes! I’ve had readers substitute equal amount oats for the pecans with much success.
More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
- Vegan Parmesan Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”
- Apple and Hazelnut Stuffing
- Maple and Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- Mushroom Lentil Loaf
- Classic Pumpkin Pie
Get all my vegan Thanksgiving recipes for more inspiration.
Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Casserole
- 6 cups cubed sweet potatoes, about 3 large potatoes
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, I used soy
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
Pecan Topping
- 3/4 cup pecans
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. While water is heating up, peel and chop the sweet potatoes into 1/2" inch cubes. Place in boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain the water from the cooked sweet potatoes and let cool 10 minutes. Mash potatoes with a masher or large fork. Add the remaining sweet potato ingredients and blend together with an immersion blender or a wooden spoon. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish and spread evenly.
- To make the pecan topping, place pecans, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Once pecans have broken into uniform pieces, add the melted butter while the motor still running. Pulse a few more times until the crust is fully hydrated. The pecan topping should stick together when pressed between your fingers. If it is too dry, add one additional tablespoon of melted butter.
- Spread the pecan topping evenly over the sweet potato puree and bake for 20-30 minutes until topping is golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Can I make this recipe gluten free? For sure! Just use a 1:1 all-purpose flour. I’ve also had readers make the topping using almond and coconut flour.
- Can I use sweet potato puree? Yes. If you would like to save on time you can use sweet potato puree. You will need about 30 ounces of sweet potato puree for this recipe.
- Can I use something other than nuts for the topping? Yes! I’ve had readers substitute equal amount oats for the pecans with much success.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
LITA says
THIS IS THE BEST EVER..I’LL BE DOING THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN! THANK YOU AND MAY YOU ALL LOVE LOVE LOVE WITH EMBRACING LIFE WITH AS MUCH AS YOU CAN GIVE BACK!
Brigitte Davenport says
Thank you for the recipe! I will make it today and upload a picture @mydarlingvegan.
Vanessa says
Can I add marshmallows on top of this or would that mess it up?
Sarah McMinn says
Yes, that should be fine!
Alicia says
Have you tried putting vegan marshmallows on this?
Nancy Tune says
Can I freeze the potato mixture?
Sarah McMinn says
aYes, you can freeze it prior to baking. When you are ready to serve, top it with the pecan topping and bake according to instructions. It will need a little longer in the oven if it is frozen.
Pamela Fitzpatrick says
Would applesauce work as s substitute for vegan butter? Thanks!
Julia says
I’m so pleased with this recipe! I went looking for something that could work with a pile of food restrictions while still feeling decadent for the holidays. I’ve rarely received such utterly glowing compliments for a dish!
Ingredients-wise, I didn’t need to change much. The only substitution I made was using gluten-free flour (King Arthur’s all-purpose) for the crust. I did go slightly heavier on the vegan butter (but only by maybe an extra tsp overall) and let the spices and salt all be on the ‘heaping’ side, and I used almond milk as my non-dairy milk of choice. The recipe didn’t specify if the brown sugar should be packed, so I went with my gut and made those packed 1/4 cups in both places.
For the actual technique, again, I nearly followed the recipe as written (and thank you for writing it in a style that didn’t assume all the prep would be done by a sous chef!). I didn’t feel like taking out the food processor, so I used my trusty hand-crank nut chopper (seriously, they’re the best for baking with nuts) and then mixed the crust by hand. Since I was bringing the dish to a potluck, I baked it in the stoneware insert for my crockpot, and then when I arrived I let it keep warm in the crockpot until we were ready. It took a bit longer in my oven to crisp – up more like 40 mins, but my oven runs a bit cool.
Angela says
Hi, sweet potato or yams
Sarah says
Either work!
Jonathan says
Second Thanksgiving making this fabulous dish! I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter, and coconut flour for AP flour to make it gluten free.
D says
How could I substitute gluten free flour? I have almond flour and coconut flour. What would you suggest and how much ?
Jeffrey says
Looks great. I’m planning on making this for Thanksgiving. Do you think it’s possible to make this ahead of time. Like one day before? And then put it in the oven? Thanks!
Sarah says
Yes, that would be totally fine!
Jonathan says
I make the potatoes and crumb topping separate, and refrigerate over night and then put the crumb topping on when you’re ready to bake (I don’t bake until I’m ready to serve.)
Bobbie Molony says
I am excited to try this recipe. It looks great – just one small complaint – well, not so small. Is there a way to print only the recipe – and not ALL of the comments and the preliminary stuff. I am a senior citizen and really can’t afford the 25 or so extra sheets of paper, not to mention the toner.
Sarah says
Hey Bobbie,
For sure! Just hit the “Print Recipe” button at the top of the page, right underneath the title and it will just print out the recipe for you.
Cindy says
May canned sweet potatoes be used in place of whole sweet potatoes for the sake of time, and if so how much is required to replace the 3 whole potatoes?
Thanks,
Sarah says
Yes, that would be fine.
Marie Ah Fong says
I am planning to make Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole, from your website, for Thanksgiving.
I don’t want to put oil in the casserole, how will this affect the casserole? Should I add a little extra liquid?
Please advise
Sarah says
Omitting the vegan butter in the potatoes won’t make much of a difference, just slightly less rich and creamy. However, you will need some sort of binder for the pecan topping that holds it together. You could try just a teaspoon or two of water.
Dawn says
What if I don’t have an immersion blender? Can I uses hand mixer or just a potato masher?
Thx
Sarah says
Yes, either would work!
Ayushi says
Can we use cow milk instead of nondairy milk in this recipe?
Sarah says
I’m sure that would work.