Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

Hello sweet potato, we meet again. If you’ve been following along this season, I’m sure you’ve noticed how much I love this rich, versatile vegetable. From prosciutto wrapped sweet potato to roasted sweet potatoes to a sweet potato breakfast hash, the sweet potato recipes just keep on coming!

But when it comes to the holidays, there’s no doubt that they deserve a special place amongst your Thanksgiving side dishes.

While you expect a sweet potato casserole baked with marshmallows, I figured there’s no need to add extra sugar or softness to this recipe. Instead I’ve create a delicious golden crumble made from pecans, dates, pepitas, and almond flour. The contrast between silky sweet potatoes and crispy nuts makes for the perfect texture combination.

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients

With just a few pantry staples and a bundle of sweet potatoes, your trip to the market will be a quick one. Here’s what you’ll need:

Boiled Sweet Potatoes: Instead of baking, I boil my sweet potatoes to create a similar creamy texture to my mashed sweet potatoes. This will also save you some time!Milk: You can use any type of milk here, but I use cashew milk. It’s got a creamy and nutty flavor that mixes well with the sweet potatoes.Butter: While I’ve used melted butter, you can also use ghee. This will add extra creaminess to the sweet potatoes.Spices: Throw in a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and vanilla extract to bring a spicy aroma to the sweet potato layer.Pecan Crumble: This is a blend of chopped pecans, dates, pepitas, almond flour, and butter. It’s naturally sweetened from the dates. While the pecans and pepitas give it a savory crunch.

How To Make A Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

This easy, one pan recipe come together with a few simple steps. Just follow along below and you’ll have a winning Thanksgiving side dish in no time.

Boil the sweet potatoes. Bring a large pot of water to boil, peel and dice the sweet potatoes, and let them cook for 20-30 minutes.Mash the sweet potatoes. Drain them with a colander and mash the sweet potatoes in a large bowl with a hand masher or electric beater.Add the butter and milk into the bowl and mix until it’s creamy. Then add the seasonings and blend again.Make the crumble topping. First, roughly chop the pecans, dates, and pepitas and toss them in a large bowl. Then add the almond flour and butter and mix with your hands until everything is combined.Spread the sweet potato in a flat layer into a baking dish.Sprinkle the pecan crumble on top as thin, even layer.Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top becomes a nice golden brown.Let it cool once you take it out of the oven, then serve!

Prepare This Casserole Ahead Of Time

Looking to meal prep this casserole ahead of time? No problem. To do this, just make sure to keep your mashed sweet potatoes and pecan crumble separate and tightly covered in the fridge.

On the next day, take the the mixtures out of the fridge and let the sweet potatoes thaw for about 30 minutes. Then, spread the sweet potato into an even layer in the baking dish and sprinkle the pecan crumble on top. Pop the dish into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crisp.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, plan out your menu with these delicious recipes.

Mashed Butternut Squash Green Beans With Shallots and LemonApple Sausage Stuffed Butternut SquashBacon Deviled EggsPaleo Pumpkin Pie Paleo Pumpkin Bread Vegan Caramel Cheesecake 

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

5 from 23 votes Prep: 1 hour Cook: 30 minutes Total: 1 hour 30 minutes Servings: 8 servings Author: Lisa BryanPrintPinReviewSaveSaved

Description

This healthy sweet potato casserole is lightened-up, sugar-free version of the classic recipe! It’s gluten-free, paleo and Whole30 compliant as well.

Ingredients  

Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes, (about 3 pounds)1/4 cup milk, dairy-free milk works as well1/4 cup butter, or ghee, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon nutmeg1 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper

Topping

3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped 1/4 cup pepitas, roughly chopped 4 Dates, pitted and diced 1/4 cup almond flour2 tablespoon butter or ghee

Instructions 

Bring a large pot of water to boil on high heat.Peel the sweet potatoes with a hand peeler.Dice the potatoes into chunks and place them into the pot. Cook the potatoes for 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.Drain the potatoes over a colander, and place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mash them with a hand masher or electric beater.Pour the milk, butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper into the mixture and continue mixing until creamy. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Make the crumble topping. Roughly chop the dates, pecans, and pepitas, and transfer them to a mixing bowl. Add the almond flour and butter, then mix thoroughly with your hands until combined. Spread the sweet potato into an even layer in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Lisa’s Tips

To create a more creamier sweet potato layer, use a food processor, hand mixer, or stand mixer to blend.To make it dairy-free , you can swap butter for ghee as well as use any type of nut milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 440mg | Potassium: 517mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 18366IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg Course: Main Course Cuisine: American Keyword: healthy sweet potato casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Sweet potato casserole recipe

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