This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is a family favorite! A classic holiday side dish that tastes just as delicious as traditional sweet potatoes, but without any refined sugar and a wholesome pecan streusel topping!
This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole might be my family’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish! Creamy, comforting and spiced to perfection with cinnamon and nutmeg. Traditional sweet potato casserole is often loaded with butter, sugar and marshmallows, but we have lightened this recipe up using maple syrup as a natural sweetener along with a crunchy oat pecan topping.
Why You’ll Love This
- Naturally sweetened – this sweet potato casserole is sweetened with maple syrup and a little coconut sugar without using any refined sugar.
- Wholesome – sweet potatoes are packed with fiber, vitamins A and C and loaded with antioxidants.
- Pecan streusel topping – made with wholesome oats, oat flour, coconut sugar, crunchy pecans and a little butter or coconut oil for perfect crunchy topping!
- Perfect for Thanksgiving – this healthy sweet potato casserole makes the perfect holiday side dish everyone will love!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- sweet potatoes – you’ll need about 4 to 5 medium to large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed to get 8 cups.
- eggs – these work as a binding agent and helps add extra moisture to the sweet potatoes.
- milk – I used a little almond milk to help make the sweet potato mixture smooth and creamy, but feel free to use whatever milk you prefer.
- maple syrup – helps makes these sweet potatoes sweet without using any refined sugar. You could also use honey or other natural sweetener.
- butter – you could also use coconut oil or ghee.
- vanilla extract – adds even more flavor and brings out the sweetness in these potatoes.
- spices – you’ll need a little cinnamon and nutmeg.
- salt – needed for to enhance all these flavors.
- pecan streusel topping – a wholesome combination of rolled oats, oat flour, coconut sugar, crunchy pecans and a little butter for flavor.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
- Boil the sweet potatoes. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 2-inch chunks and place them in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
- Mash potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and and mash using a potato masher or fork. Add in the eggs, maple syrup, milk, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, mixing well with an electric mixer (or stand mixer) until smooth. Feel free to add in a splash of milk if you want a creamier texture.
- Make pecan streusel topping. In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats, oat flour, coconut sugar, chopped pecans and butter. Mix together using a pastry blender or your fingers until you get pea-size crumbles.
- Assemble casserole. Transfer mashed sweet potatoes to a 9×13-inch or 9×9-inch baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Sprinkle the oat topping over the sweet potato mixture in an even layer.
- Bake. Place the sweet potato casserole in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until topping is crisp and lightly browned. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Prepping Ahead of Time
One of the great things about sweet potato casseroles is that you can easily prep this ahead of time for stress-free holiday hosting! Here are some prepping options.
- Prep sweet potatoes 1 to 3 days early. Start by peeling, chopping and boiling the sweet potatoes until fork-tender. Mash them with all the ingredients called for and store in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to assemble the casserole, just spread the potatoes into your baking dish and top with the pecan streusel.
- Assemble casserole and store. You can also make the entire casserole ahead of time, including the streusel topping. Cover tightly with foil and store in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours before baking. I recommend letting the casserole sit on the counter for 20 minutes or so before baking to ensure even heating and to prevent a cold center.
- Prep components separately. Prepare both the sweet potato mixture and the pecan streusel topping, storing them in separate containers in the fridge until ready to assemble and bake. Storing them separately guarantees the crispness of the topping instead of absorbing moisture.
- Freeze for long-term prep. This sweet potato casserole freezes beautifully and you can easily make this up to 3 months ahead of time. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
How to Store
Leftovers will last in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, you can warm up individual portions in the microwave or bake the whole casserole in the oven at 325 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.
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More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Bourbon Maple Pecan Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Kale Salad
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chicken Bites
- Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
- Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew
More Holiday Side Dishes
- Sausage, Apple and Herb Stuffing
- Lightened-Up Green Bean Casserole
- Maple Glazed Butternut Squash and Brussels
- Healthy Cranberry Sauce
- Honey Butter Dinner Rolls
Hope you all enjoy this Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole! If you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is a family favorite! A classic holiday side dish that tastes just as delicious as traditional sweet potatoes, but without any refined sugar and a wholesome pecan streusel topping!
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 8 cups)
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 4 Tbsp butter (or coconut oil)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
Pecan Streusel Topping:
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 3 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- Boil the sweet potatoes. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 2-inch chunks and place them in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
- Mash potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and and mash using a potato masher or fork. Add in the eggs, maple syrup, milk, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, mixing well with an electric mixer (or stand mixer) until smooth. Feel free to add in a splash of milk if you want a creamier texture.
- Make pecan streusel topping. In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats, oat flour, coconut sugar, chopped pecans and butter. Mix together using a pastry blender or your fingers until you get pea-size crumbles.
- Assemble casserole. Transfer mashed sweet potatoes to a 9×13-inch or 9×9-inch baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Sprinkle the oat topping over the sweet potato mixture in an even layer.
- Bake. Place the sweet potato casserole in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until topping is crisp and lightly browned. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8th of recipe | Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 6.3g | Fat: 17.6g | Saturated Fat: 7.4g | Cholesterol: 73.2mg | Sodium: 147.1mg | Fiber: 5.4g | Sugar: 9.8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Is this gluten free?
Yes it is! 🙂
Thank you and sorry for the dumb question! I made it for a Friendsgiving this past weekend – what a hit!! Amazing 🤩
Yay so glad you enjoyed this! 🙂
These recipes are a no Brainerd extremely helpful and easy to put together in no time at all. The taste of every dish is remarkable thank you for sharing 🙏
Does this casserole come out lightly sweet or more dessert-level sweet, and is there a way to adjust the maple syrup or topping to suit different preferences? Slither io
I would say the topping is what makes this extra sweet, so feel free to cut down on the coconut sugar in the topping if you want this less sweet 🙂