Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

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This Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole is not only good, but is also good FOR you too! Take it to your next holiday meal to wow your family and friends.

The holidays can be tricky, especially if you live a plant-based or health conscious lifestyle. But luckily thanks to plant-based swaps and a little kitchen innovation, you can make practically anything vegan! Yes, even your favorite classic side dishes 🙂

This Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe is made from simple (and slightly more wholesome), ingredients, but still tastes nostalgic and delicious! Vegan or not, your whole family will enjoy it – and maybe even be back for seconds.

Close-up photo of baked sweet potato casserole with gold spoon in baking dish scooping some of the casserole out

INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION

Did you know that the sweet potato casserole was originally invented in 1917 by a marshmallow manufacturer? It’s definitely a unique combination – not one I enjoy every day, but I definitely savor it when Thanksgiving comes around.

Ingredients for vegan sweet potato casserole in small white bowls on marble background. Clockwise text labels read sweet potatoes, coconut milk, pecans, plant-based marshmallows, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut sugar, and flax egg

This recipe gluten, oil, and refined-sugar free, but still tastes delicious, thanks to some easy substitutions:

  • Flax Eggs take the place of real eggs And help thicken the casserole.
  • Coconut Sugar provides a great caramel-like flavor and sweetness to the dish; but you could use brown sugar if you‘d like!
  • Plant Based Milk keeps things dairy-free and helps to blend everything together! It also adds a nice creaminess to our casserole; I like to use light canned coconut milk, but a creamy cashew, oat, or almond milk would also be great here.

I also like to do a simple marshmallow and pecan topping – the marshmallows are sweet and fluffy, while the pecans add a buttery crunch. See the “cooking tips” section of this post for more options though!

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

sweet potato puree spread in white casserole dish on marble backgroundsweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows and pecans before baking

The biggest difference in this sweet potato casserole is that I prefer to roast my sweet potatoes rather than steam or boil them. It takes a little more time, but enhances the natural sweetness of the dish, which means less sugar is used overall 🙂 Plus, this purée is naturally thicker, which eliminates the need for flour and makes this recipe naturally gluten-free.

    1. Roast the sweet potatoes until soft and fork tender, then peel them and mash with a potato masher, handheld mixer, food processor, or immersion blender (you’ve got options, baby!)
    2. Blend the purée with the remaining ingredients, then transfer the sweet potato mixture to a casserole dish.
    3. Top with marshmallows and pecans, then bake in the oven until the ‘mallows are golden! You can also broil the dish in the oven for a few minutes to get perfectly toasty marshmallows.

Close-up photo of cooked toasted marshmallows and pecans covering casserole dish

COOKING TIPS + FAQ:

  • Can I make this recipe ahead of time? I would highly suggest pre-roasting your sweet potatoes to save time for this recipe. You can easily throw them in the oven with any other veggie you are planning to cook for dinner a day or two beforehand. You can also make the sweet potato filling up to 3 days in advance; just store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • What if I don’t like marshmallows? You can leave them out if they’re not your thing 🙂 Top the casserole with pecans, or you can use my vegan crumble topping (just half the recipe) and bake as directed!
  • Nut-Free: you can easily make this recipe nut-free by using coconut or soy milk for the blending liquid. You can omit the pecans, or replace them with pepitas instead.
  • Do I have to roast my sweet potatoes? I think roasted sweet potatoes are way better than steamed, but you can steam them if you want to save some time 🙂 Simply peel and cut your sweet potatoes into small chunks, then place in a large pot or steamer basket and steam for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork tender.

Close-up photo of baked sweet potato casserole with gold spoon in baking dish scooping some of the casserole out

If you’re looking for other Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes, be sure to check out my Vegan Green Bean Casserole, this Roasted Vegetable Casserole, my Fluffy Vegan Cornbread, or this blog post with over 60 different Thanksgiving recipes!

Finally, a quick side note – From My Bowl is primarily focused on sharing Vegan and Healthy recipes with you. That being said, it is totally okay to indulge over the holidays! Please don’t let the fear of food get in the way of a wonderful time or a wonderful dish. Part of living a healthy and happy lifestyle is knowing when to listen to your body and to allow yourself to enjoy some yummy vegan treats! And if you make this recipe and share a photo on social, be sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram @frommybowl + #frommybowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations

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Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is not only good, but is also good FOR you too! Take it to your next holiday meal to wow your family and friends.

  • Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Prep: Roast your sweet potatoes, if you haven’t already. Preheat your oven to 350F and set a casserole dish off to the side. Add the ground flax and water to a small bowl and stir well. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, to thicken and form a flax “egg”.
  2. Sweet Potato mixture: Peel the sweet potatoes and add them to a large mixing bowl; mash them with a potato masher, handheld mixer, or immersion blender. Add in the flax egg, non-dairy milk, 1/2 cup of coconut sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Blend or mash again, until a smooth and creamy mixture forms.
  3. Marshmallow Topping: Spread the mixture evenly into a 9″x13″ tray and roughly smooth out the top with a spatula, or the back of a wooden spoon. Top the casserole with the pecan pieces and marshmallows, if desired. Sprinkle the remaining coconut sugar on top.
  4. Bake: Bake in the top rack of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes – the marshmallows may inflate, but will shrink back once removed from the oven. If you’d like the marshmallows to be more golden, broil the casserole for an additional 2 to 5 minutes – but watch it carefully to prevent burning! Serve warm, and store any leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to one week. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes: wash your sweet potatoes and bake at 375F for 60 to 90 minutes, until they can be pierced easily with a fork. Once the sweet potatoes have cooled, remove and discard their skins, then mash them in a large bowl using either a fork or electric mixer. You will need 3 to 5 medium to large potatoes for this recipe, depending on size – keep in mind that they shrink while roasting!
  • Steamed Sweet Potatoes: I would strongly recommend roasting your sweet potatoes, bit’s you can steam them if you are short on time. Simply peel and cut your sweet potatoes into small chunks, then place in a large pot or steamer basket and steam for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork tender.
  • Other Substitutions: Ground flax seed may be substituted for ground chia seed. Coconut sugar may be replaced with any other granulated sweetener of choice, like brown sugar.

Keywords: vegan sweet potato casserole, healthy sweet potato casserole, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows vegan, oil free sweet potato casserole, sugar free sweet potato casserole, low fat sweet potato casserole

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This post was updated 11/2022 with new copy and photos.

I also have entire Thanksgiving Dinner playlist on Youtube, if you’re looking for more inspiration!

This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is not only good, but is also good FOR you too! Take it to your next holiday meal to wow your family and friends. #sweetpotato #sweetpotatocasserole #vegan #plantbased #thanksgiving | frommybowl.com

About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. Okay. This is either the second or third year I make this because my mother is obsessed, except this year, I’m obsessed too. I roasted my potatoes the night before thanksgiving, and on thanksgiving I used a hand held blender (cheap one I’ve had for YEARS). I did use almond milk and was waiting for it to be runny, and replaced the pecans with slivered almonds. LET ME TELL YOU! You need to blend it and let it sit… it was delicious AND do not skip the marshmallows!! They are a must. This was delicious and I will keep on making it.

  2. I would love to make this as a freezer meal! Would that be possible with this recipe? And if so, how?

    1. Hmm…you could freeze individual portions as squares and then reheat as needed! This could be tricky though as the recipe itself is rather soft

  3. 5 stars
    I made this for friendsgiving, and it received a lot of compliments. I’m making it again for an office potluck, so I wanted to thank you. Also, those plates look pretty awesome. I’ve never been one for interior decor, but I think those plates reflect a chaotic, untamable character. May I ask where you got them?

    1. I’m glad it was a hit, Narayan! The plates are from Earth and Element – she hand makes all of them and I am so happy with mine!

  4. YUM, now I want to try this with butternut squash or kabocha squash too! Ooh, maybe Japanese sweet potatoes would also work! 😀 Looks so delicious!

    1. Hi Tracey, canned sweet potato will not be as sweet, but you can use equal parts of canned sweet potato to the homemade puree that the recipe calls for.

  5. Caitlin, I can’t wait to try this recipe for my vegan thanksgiving feast!! Thank you for sharing! ❤️

  6. 5 stars
    Two recipes in one day?! I’m not sure if this or the cornbread looks more incredible. But I’m like you and can’t get enough of sweet potatoes. Especially since my local Farmer’s Market seems to have so many of them these days! I’m not going home for Thanksgiving and can’t justify making this whole thing for myself, but I may just halve it so I can still indulge, too 🙂 I also love that you included those little tidbits about using more ethical/sustainable/healthy/everything good vegan alternatives (I’m guessing b/c of the egg comment on your sweet potato bread recipe post hehe). Thanks, as always, for sharing!