Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
This easy Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole recipe uses caramelized pecans to create a crunchy topping over mashed, savory sweet potatoes. It’s a healthier side dish.
Every year during the holiday season, I go to one dinner after another, where some variation of sweet potato casserole is served. And every year, I give it a try hoping that maybe this will be the year I’ll actually like it. I never do. The thing is, I think they’re too sweet.
Don’t get me wrong, I love sweets. My mom will be happy to tell you in detail about my sweet tooth and how it started at an early age. It’s just that I like my sweets to be… desserts.
Do you know what I mean? I don’t want pie with my dinner. Pie must come either after dinner or preferably before and skip dinner altogether.
I kid! I kid! Of course, I don’t eat dessert first and then skip dinner. Not usually.
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- Relying on the sweet potatoes to add most of the “sweet”, this recipe is a perfect blend between sweet and savory
- Adding garlic to the potatoes enhances the flavor of the sweet potatoes
- The pecan topping adds a crispy bite, flavor, and the nutrition of nuts to the dish, making this a healthy and delicious side dish for any family dinner.
Key Ingredients
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:
- Sweet potatoes
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Plant-based milk
- Ground flaxseed
- Salt
- Pepper
- Vegan butter
- Brown sugar
- Maple syrup
- Ground cinnamon
- Rolled oats
- Pecans
How to Make Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
- Cook the chopped sweet potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Pour potatoes into a colander to drain.
- Spoon chopped garlic on top of the hot potatoes to soften the garlic.
- Pour potatoes/garlic into a large bowl and mash by hand (using a mashing utensil) or use a handheld mixer.
- Add the olive oil and plant-based milk and mash until preferred consistency is achieved. Stir in the salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the mashed sweet potato mixture to the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
- Make the topping by stirring together the ingredients. Then sprinkle it over the mashed sweet potatoes.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
Do Vegans Eat Sweet Potatoes?
Sweet Potatoes are plant-based, making them safe for vegans to eat. In fact, the sweet potato is a nutrient-dense vegetable that provides fiber and a host of important nutrients and minerals.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
If you love this vegan sweet potato casserole, you will love these Thanksgiving recipes too:
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Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 medium sweet potatoes , washed
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled and chopped
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 cup plant-based milk , plain (not vanilla)
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Pecan Topping
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add chopped sweet potatoes. We do not peel the sweet potatoes. Boil until potato chunks are tender, about 15 minutes. Pour potatoes into a colander to drain. Place chopped garlic on top of the hot potatoes to soften garlic.
- Pour potatoes/garlic into a large bowl and mash by hand (using a mashing utensil) or use a hand held mixer. Add the olive oil and plant-based milk and mash until a preferred consistency is achieved. Stir in the salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×13 baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.
- Transfer the mashed sweet potato mixture to the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
For the Topping
- In a bowl stir together the topping ingredients, except for the pecans. Stir until combined. Then add chopped pecans and stir until combined.
- Sprinkle topping ingredients over mashed sweet potatoes in the casserole dish.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2010 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2020.
It sounds good, but I do not know about the garlic. I love sweet potato casserole and make it more than once a year. But, I do not know about the garlic.
Well, I can speak from experience that garlic and mashed potatoes taste pretty good together. As Larry David would say, “Pretty, pretty good.” But that said, if you don’t want to include the garlic that will work too!