Truth be told, when I first made this healthy sweet potato casserole, I was not in the market for a new sweet potato recipe. For years, I’d made and loved my mom’s Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Whiskey Pecans. It, Butternut Squash Casserole, and Rosemary Bacon Mushroom Stuffing are my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes to the extent that after the meal, I hide a container of them in an undisclosed location for my own personal consumption. I really am selfish when it comes to the sweet potatoes, it seems! Fortunately, just like my Sweet Potato Souffle, this healthy sweet potato casserole can easily serve a crowd, so there’s plenty to go around and fill a secret container or two. You will love it just as much at the feast itself as you will leftover the next day.
About This Next-Level Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
My two tricks to setting this healthy sweet potato dish apart from others you’ve tried are vanilla beans and a crunchy pecan oatmeal topping. The vanilla flavor is subtle but surprising. Guests might not be able to guess what it is, but they will absolutely go back for more. In the topping department, marshmallows are not my thing at dinner (sorry if you were hoping for a healthy sweet potato casserole with marshmallows!), but I do solemnly believe that every good casserole deserves a special topping, and this pecan oatmeal one is superb. The savory crunch of the oats and pecans is an ideal counterpoint to the velvety vanilla sweet potatoes. It vaults this healthy sweet potato casserole straight into the holiday side dish stratosphere. As I mentioned, in addition to being gluten free (just make sure you used certified gluten free oats like these in the oatmeal topping), this healthy sweet potato casserole is vegan. Instead of using butter and heavy cream, I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk and coconut oil, along with a light touch of maple syrup for extra flavor. With the additional flavor dimension from the vanilla and maple, I didn’t miss the butter. The filling is still plenty creamy and decadent. (If making the recipe vegan isn’t a priority, you could try this healthy sweet potato casserole with honey instead, and yes, it works with butter too.) I’ll be hosting Friendsgiving again this year, our first “official” party in our new home! In addition to the turkey, I’ll be continuing my tradition of making this sweet potato casserole. Now you know why. Last year’s record: I ate two servings of the casserole at dinner and one the next morning (if you’re looking for a healthy sweet potato breakfast casserole, try this one with a extra maple syrup and vanilla Greek yogurt). In a final act of self preservation, I moved what little remained to our garage refrigerator, hoping the distance would encourage me to eat something besides sweet potato casserole for a meal. It didn’t work. Since our move, we no longer have a garage refrigerator, so guess who’s eating this healthy sweet potato casserole for dinner, breakfast, and lunch? She’s pretty excited about it. Try this recipe, and you will be too! If you’re looking for other holiday side dishes, this dish is just one of the many healthy Thanksgiving sides on my site (like this Mashed Butternut Squash recipe!).
How to Make Your Own Almond Meal
Making your own almond meal is quick and easy! To make your own almond meal, pulse whole, raw almonds in the food processor until they form fine crumbs.Be careful to not over process the almond, or you will end up with almond butter instead.
Recommended Tools to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
Half sheet pans, for roasting the potatoesCasserole dish: this one does the trick; this is the one I used for the photos and LOVE. It makes anything you bake in it gorgeous!
