Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

Maple sweetened and crowned with a decadently crispy topping, this healthy sweet potato casserole is naturally gluten-free & dairy-free, and is bound to become your new favorite side dish!

About This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

What’s your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal?

Are you a main person, or all about the sides?

Me? I’m a sides girl. Just give me all.the.carbs.

Sweet potato casserole is a particular favorite of mine, and of my family’s as well.

I mean, who doesn’t love creamy, sweet potatoes topped with a caramelized, crunchy topping?

Sooooooo good!

The only downside to traditional sweet potato casserole is that it can be a little heavy (hello butter, cream, flour and refined sugar!).

Don’t get me wrong, I love the classics, and I’m always a little hesitant to mess too much with traditional holiday recipes.

However, since several people in my family are dairy-free, and others are gluten-free, I created this sweet potato casserole to be completely delicious without gluten and dairy.

I’m pretty excited about how this recipe turned out because it has all the flavor of a traditional sweet potato casserole, but is completely grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.

Despite all the things that it doesn’t have in it, it’s still a decadent, rich, holiday treat that everyone will absolutely love, and I hope you enjoy!

Process & Make-Ahead Tips

This healthy sweet potato casserole comes together easily in three simple steps: preparing the sweet potatoes, preparing the pecan topping, then assembling and cooking.

The casserole can also be prepared up to three days ahead, by preparing the sweet potatoes and pecan topping per the instructions in the recipe card, and then assembling and bake on the day you’d like to serve.

Make Ahead Tip: Store the prepared sweet potatoes in the baking dish you plan to serve the sweet potato casserole in, while storing the pecan topping in a separate container, both covered in the fridge. When ready to serve, bring to room temperature, then assemble and bake according to the instructions below.

Key Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions

Sweet potatoes: “Yam” and “sweet potato” are often used interchangeably, but they are actually from completely different botanical families (source). For this recipe look for orange-fleshed sweet potatoes with dark orange-brown skin. I have not tested this recipe with canned sweet potatoes, but if you give it a try, let me know how it turns out in the comments!

Coconut milk: I use full-fat coconut milk in a can to add richness while keeping this recipe dairy-free and vegan. I don’t think the final result tastes too “coconutty,” but if you’re sensitive to the flavor or don’t want to use it, heavy cream can be used in its place. Of course, if you use cream this recipe will no longer be vegan or dairy-free.

Maple syrup: Adds a deep, rich, sweet flavor without any refined sugar. Honey can also be used (not vegan).

Coconut oil: Adds richness to the topping, but melted butter would also work.

Unsweetened coconut flakes: Look for them on the bulk aisle or in the baking section. For coconut-free, use gluten-free whole rolled oats.

Pecans: Add a lovely toasty nutty flavor to the topping. Walnuts or hazelnuts will also work. For nut-free, use pepitas (pumpkin seeds).

Note: This post was originally titled Sweet Potato Casserole (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free). We’ve updated the title, but the recipe remains the same!

Share this Post