No Thanksgiving is complete without a sweet potato casserole. This nut-free version has a nutritious, crispy and buttery streusel-like crumble topping paired with a creamy sweet potato filling. It vegan, gluten-free and refined-sugar free and can also be made in advance - perfect for the holidays!
I'm not joking when I say I make this sweet potato casserole every Thanksgiving. The sweet potato filling has a whipped texture that is the perfect cloud-like base for the sweet and crispy oat streusel topping. Serve it along other sides such as mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and quinoa stuffing before capping the night with a no-bake vegan pumpkin pie!
It is deep in flavor from the earthy cinnamon, sweet vanilla and warm nutmeg. Together, these spices give this dish a richness that will shine as your Thanksgiving side dish.
Make-ahead dishes are crucial when hosting for the holidays. If I can complete a few before the big day I am all for it! Combined with the fact that this dish is simple to make and is a total crowdpleaser, I seriously can't envision a Thanksgiving without it (and my butternut squash soup of course!).
You'll Love this Sweet Potato Casserole Because:
- It is a healthy and nutritious side dish.
- It accommodates most allergies and dietary preferences given it is nut-free, vegan and gluten-free.
- It is sweet without the use of refined sugars or marshmallows.
- It can be made ahead of time.
- The creamy and crispy texture combo is unbeatable and is the perfect holiday comfort food!
Ingredients
This recipe is broken down into two parts: the sweet potato base and the crumble topping.
Sweet Potato Base:
- Sweet potatoes
- Maple syrup
- Coconut oil or vegan butter
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
Crumple Topping:
- Gluten-free rolled oats
- Sunflower seeds
- Maple syrup
- Vegan butter or melted coconut oil
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Ground nutmeg
- Salt
Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Not only are sweet potatoes filling and taste incredible but they also provide immune-boosting vitamin A and C (check out that orange color!). They also offer dietary fiber and potassium. They're somehow both a health food AND a comfort food!
Compared to russet potatoes, sweet potatoes have similar calorie content but offer more fiber. Plus, one medium sweet potato offers almost 700% of your daily recommend intake of vitamin A, while russets offer none. Sweet potatoes offer almost double the amount of vitamin C as compared to russets.
Instructions
Despite how impressive this dish looks and tastes, you'd be surprised with how easily it actually comes together.
1. Cook the sweet potatoes. They are done when a knife can easily slide through the thickest part of the largest sweet potato.
- If using an oven, set to 400˚F. Pierce the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork (to allow for steam to escape) on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, flipping halfway.
- If using an Instant Pot, place the steamer basket, 2 cups of water and the whole sweet potatoes in the pot. Secure the lid, seal the vent and cook on manual high pressure for 18 minutes (or up to 25 minutes for larger sweet potatoes). Manually release the valve.
2. Halve and skin the sweet potatoes. Once the sweet potatoes have cooled enough to safely handle, halve each of them and peel the skin off gently using your hands. The skin will fall off very easily. Discard the skin.
3. Add the sweet potatoes, maple syrup, butter (or coconut oil), cinnamon, vanilla and salt to a mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher or use a hand mixer for a creamier, whipped texture.
4. Transfer the mixture into a casserole dish lightly greased with butter or coconut oil (my dish is 10.5" x 8" x 1.75" for reference). Use a spatula to spread evenly, covering the bottom fully.
5. Prepare the crumble topping. Add all the crumble topping ingredients to a mini food processor and pulse until everything is well combined and the sunflower seeds are mostly ground up. I prefer a finer texture so I usually pulse a few extra times to achieve that.
6. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the sweet potato casserole. Evenly distribute until it is fully covered.
7. Bake at 375 degrees F for 19-22 minutes until golden brown. Watch closely at the end to avoid burning!
8. Serve immediately or store in the casserole dish covered in your refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in your oven before serving.
Top Tips
Make sure to use sweet potatoes and not yams!
Sweet potatoes and yams are often confused for each other given their appearance. Sweet potatoes have a thin reddish-brown skin with orange flesh and are much sweeter in flavor than yams.
Yams have a rough brown skin with a white starchy flesh and have a much more neutral flavor. I'm not knocking yams - they are still healthy but just don't provide the sweetness we are going for in this dish!
Use a blender for additional creaminess.
A hand mixer will do the trick for a whipped, creamy base, but a blender definitely takes the creaminess level up a notch! If you want this dish to be ultra creamy, add the base ingredients to the blender. You won't be disappointed!
I experimented and reviewed many blenders firsthand, so if you are looking for a new one be sure to read my post on blenders at every budget.
Adjust cooking time based on the size of the sweet potatoes.
Whether cooking the sweet potatoes in the oven or the Instant Pot, the proper cooking time may vary depending on their size. If large, they may take a little longer. If small, they may cook faster.
It is perfectly fine if the sweet potatoes are overcooked. The only consequence for overcooking is that it may be a little messy when peeling the skin. However, it is not fine if the sweet potatoes are undercooked as that will prevent them from achieving the desired creamy texture.
Storage and Reheating
If not serving immediately, leave the casserole in the dish and refrigerate for up to 5 days. When reheating, cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350˚F for 20-25 minutes.
Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating in the oven.
This dish checks all the boxes for accommodating allergies and dietary restrictions, all without compromising on taste or texture. It is vegan and dairy-free given it has no eggs, milk or butter, and it is gluten-free given there is no flour in the crumble.
Instead of using nuts, this casserole uses a combination of gluten-free rolled oats and raw sunflower seeds. And rather than using sugar, it is sweetened with maple syrup. You can rest easy knowing this dish is healthy despite how good it tastes!
If you make this dish, please leave a review below and tag me @eatingbyelaine so I can see your creations!
Print
Easy No-Nut Sweet Potato Casserole (Vegan and Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Description
This easy casserole is perfect for your holiday table. The creamy, fluffy sweet potatoes are topped with a buttery sweet crunchy topping that is simply irresistible. My version is decadent yet vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free and healthier than most sweet potato casseroles.
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potato Base:
- 5 medium sweet potatoes (~3 pounds), scrubbed clean but not peeled
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil or vegan, soy-free butter
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
For the Crumble Topping:
- 1 ½ cup certified gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon fine grain salt
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potatoes. They are done when a knife can easily slide through the thickest part of the largest sweet potato. If using an oven, set to 400˚F. Pierce the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork (to allow for steam to escape) on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, flipping halfway. If using an Instant Pot, place the steamer basket, 2 cups of water and the whole sweet potatoes in the pot. Secure the lid, seal the vent and cook on manual high pressure for 18 minutes (or up to 25 minutes for larger sweet potatoes). Manually release the valve.
- Halve and skin the sweet potatoes. Once the sweet potatoes have cooled enough to safely handle, halve each of them and peel the skin off gently using your hands. The skin will fall off very easily. Discard the skin.
- Add the sweet potatoes, maple syrup, butter (or coconut oil), cinnamon, vanilla and salt to a mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher or use a hand mixer for a creamier, whipped texture.
- Transfer the mixture into a casserole dish lightly greased with butter or coconut oil (my dish is 10.5" x 8" x 1.75" for reference). Use a spatula to spread evenly, covering the bottom fully.
- Prepare the crumble topping. Add all the crumble topping ingredients to a mini food processor and pulse until everything is well combined and the sunflower seeds are mostly ground up. I prefer a finer texture so I usually pulse a few extra times to achieve that.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping over the sweet potato casserole. Evenly distribute until it is fully covered.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 19-22 minutes until golden brown. Watch closely at the end to avoid burning!
- Serve immediately or store in the casserole dish covered in your refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in your oven before serving.
Notes
Adjust the cooking time for the sweet potatoes based on their size. Cook them slightly longer if large and slightly shorter if small. If they are a bit overcooked that is fine, it just might get a bit messy as you peel off the skin but it shouldn't affect the dish. If they are undercooked, return them to the oven or Instant Pot for another couple minutes. You definitely don't want them undercooked or the casserole will not be smooth.
You can assemble the casserole ahead of time, refrigerate and bake when ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
Star says
If I added some brown sugar to the crumble topping, would it burn?
Elaine Gordon says
Hi, Star: Good question. I don't think it would. Just watch closely at the end of course. I always like to balance out dry ingredients like brown sugar with a wet ingredient like melted vegan butter or melted coconut oil to make sure the consistency doesn't change. You could play around with that combo to get the best results. I hope that helps! Enjoy! Best, Elaine