Last week when I asked you to send in your favourite Thanksgiving recipes that you wanted veganized, a certain email from Julianna spoke to me:
Hey Angela,
This is a famous recipe that has been in our family for generations. Our family calls it the Senator Russell after some Senator in Georgia a long time ago. It’s very Southern and delicious.
As the token vegetarian (and most days vegan except for honey and occasional greek yogurt) in my Southern family I would love a way to make this so that I could enjoy it as well.
I knew that I had to try out my first vegan sweet potato casserole. My mom has been making sweet potato casserole ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper and it is a treat that I always enjoyed! I was determined to make a vegan sweet potato casserole that would taste delicious.
Out of respect for Julianna’s family, I am not going to post their recipe on here, but I will tell you some ingredients that I chose to do without: eggs, white sugar, butter, evaporated milk, brown sugar, white flour.
My first attempt was a huge and utter epic failure. It tasted good, but the texture was not up to par. Too much liquid. But I knew that could be easily resolved.
Last night, I jumped into my car at 10pm and booted it to the grocery store to buy more sweet potatoes. From 10:30-midnight, I was working on attempt #2. How is that for dedication?!
This morning I popped the casserole into the oven…and voila, my friends. Magic happened. Second time is a charm. ;) Not to mention I got to photograph in natural light which is always superior!
This Ain’t Grandma’s Sweet Potato Casserole (Vegan)
adapted from Fat Free Vegan blog.
Ingredients:
- 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cooked
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping:
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance
- 1/2 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
- 1/3 cup white or spelt flour (or gluten-free)
- 3/4 cups chopped pecans (I didn’t have- optional)
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish with canola oil. I wipe a bit on with a paper towel. Peel and then boil sweet potatoes until tender. Mash the sweet potatoes with the margarine until smooth. Add the vanilla, maple syrup, sea salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour into casserole dish. Next, mix the topping ingredients together until well-combined. Sprinkle topping mixture over the casserole and bake for approx. 50 minutes, checking it every so often.
Makes 10 servings at approximately 215 calories per serving (without pecans)
Note:
1) You can add marshmallows if you’d like (Dandie’s brand are vegan). I thought it was fine without any though.
How did it taste?
JACKPOT!!
This sweet potato casserole is a big winner in my books! Both the sweet potato mixture and the sweet spelt topping was utterly divine. I did not miss the marshmallow topping, in fact I liked this one better.
I cut down the sugar by over half. I really DID NOT miss the 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 T of maple syrup that I cut out. It was still very sweet. I actually can’t imagine having it any sweeter than it already was. It was ‘just right’ in my opinion and isn’t going to give you a tummy ache. ;)
I also removed the pecans because I didn’t have any. I actually mixed in some chia seeds into the topping! The best thing about this dish is that you can adapt it to however you’d like it
We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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{ 120 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh my goodness, this looks so delicious! I love holiday recipes! I also love learning new ones and trying them out! Thanks for sharing! Thanks for your help with Project Feed Me too! You’re awesome!!! xoxo nat
Trying a new recipe at 10:30?? You have such dedication! Looks delicious!!
This is awesome! Can’t believe you veganized it and it looks delicious! :)
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG. Sweet potato casserole is my obsession and I live for it all year long. This version looks AMAZING and I NEEEEED to make it. You have no idea how much I need this. This is my favorite post of yours ever.
I have been wanting to make over my mom’s sweet potato casserole and this looks like it would do the trick!
YAY! This looks awesome and I’m no where near vegan or even vegetarian. My first intro to sweet potatoes was in a buttery, sugary casserole a few thanksgivings ago at my hubby’s family thanksgiving. I since then have learned to appreciate the sweet potato unadorned, or with hummus or beans on it. But I think this is something I would make and enjoy!
Thanks!
Courtney
Adventures in Tri-ing
BALLER!
I am thankful for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it out!
THANK YOU!! :) It was totally worth the anticipation :)
Angela, this looks delicious! I think I may make this for Turkey Day!
Yum!!! and dairy-free…perfect:-) cc
HOLY YUM!!!!! I am SO trying this – my mouth is watering looking at your pictures :) hehe I love recipes that our Non-vegan family members can’t complain about – this will certainly be one of them :)
Thanks for adapting and posting the recipe!
xoxo love you doll!
That looks awesome! I may just make it for a regular dinner :-)
looks amazing! Love that you cut the sugar, too — Nice work, Ange!
Also I don’t know if you saw this article…
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/recipes-for-a-vegan-thanksgiving/
Great quote from Emerson! He’s one of my favorite quotable philosophers.
Thanks for this recipe, it sounds super yummy! Can’t wait to try it out :-)
YUMMY!!!
Thanks again for helping me get the word out, Angela. We’ve raised $30 so far, but I know that we can get $500 by the end of the day!
Glad it was a success! I think I’m going to have to try your recipe :)
Looks great. We are using my mother in laws recipe for ours that we plan to bring to a party so I hope it goes well. No marshmallows for me either.
Oh my god, this looks amazinggggg! I love the crust. How you manage to look so fabulous and eat meals like this all the time is such a testament to your focus, drive, and healthy living philosophy!! :)
Great recipe! I am so happy to see you not use sugar! you know me…I think sugar is the enemy! ;) Natural baby!
That dish is so pretty I could lick the computer screen. I think I may have to give the family thanksgiving sweet potatoes and peaches casserole (oops, my southerner is showing) a makeover based on this and mash it all up just so I can add the topping…
I have never tried ANY form of a sweet potato casserole before (my fam was never big on any casserole type dish actually) – but this I think I must try!!!
wow does that ever look good.
your recipes continue to impress me! keep them coming!
I really wish my parents weren’t already set on their sweet potato dish for Thursday, because I would totally make this instead. Though, they sweet potatoes mashed with bananas and topped with strudel that we’re having are good too….
I’ll be putting this on our Christmas menu, though :)
Oh yum – I would eat that for dessert!
Happy un-Turkey Day!
I’ve never had a sweet potato casserole before, as I usually prefer my sweet potatoes with a more savory topping — like hot sauce!– but that looks SO good. I will have to try it at some point. :)
Hey Angela, I know you live near(ish) Toronto, and there’s a little all-vegan store there called Panacea that sells sweet and sara marshmallows! Maybe for your next sweet potato casserole? :)
Sweet potato casserole is a very, very big weakness of mine. This looks great!
YUMMY! I may actually like that sweet tator casserole. You do a great job veganizing these and we really do appreciate it!
I’m super impressed by your dedication and amazing recreation of that sweet potato casserole!
Oh my gosh Angela! That looks insane! On my “to do” list for sure now :-) Aloha!
That looks and sounds amazing! I wouldn’t know what to compare it to, though – I’ve never had the real deal either!
I am making this on Thanksgiving day for my whole freaking family. WOW!!!!
My husband found vegan marshmallows from Dandies Candies that actually melt(!), so last night we made s’mores: http://www.flickr.com/photos/snutur/4131281751/
They were delicious, but I couldn’t find any big graham crackers that didn’t have HFCS and/or trans fats. Lame.
I love ANYTHING sweet potato, so this is definite temptation! Most of all, thanks for leading me to the Fat Free Vegan blog. My, oh my, I might be here for hrs. :S
This looks deliicous! Perfect…I was looking for some vegan recipes to make for Thanksgiving!
That looks so delish and I’m not even a big casserole fan!
Potatoes are just sooo sooo comforting anytime of the year. I’m really enjoying new pototoes as the moment as it’s summer time here in New Zealand!
Yum yum yum yum!
WOW. that looks uh-mazing! Awesome job OSG!
That looks delicious! Thanks for sharing. I feel like sweet potato casserole is one of those things that is always loaded with calories and fat, but shouldn’t be! It’s nice to see a healthy alternative.
That looks so good! I think I’m going to have to make your pumpkin and sweet potato pie at some point this holiday season. Thank you so much for doing this :)
Sweet Potato Casserole is my favorite dish at Thanksgiving!!!
Looks like a great recipe! I think it’s great that you are showing that there are lots of alternatives!!!!
I sent you an email a few days ago about your glo-bars… I hope you got it!!! :)
Thought you might like this, it’s my big brother’s vegan Thanksgiving song: http://mchatton.com/2009/11/the-happy-vegan-thanksgiving-s/
I love your site! Much love & Enjoy!
Oh. my. gosh.
From the looks of this dish I would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!
I don’t know how you do it – but all your recipes look SO amazing, and moist, and delicious, and all around perfect! I cannot wait to be done school (3 more weeks) so that I can make them all!!!!!!!!
This looks really good, especially with the maple syrup. Yum :)
Angela, you SO rock. I love your dedication to this, and it looks AMAZING !!!
Happy Turkey (tofurkey!!) day,
Kris
That pie looks awesome! I’ve never eaten pumpkin casserole before but I bet it is good :).
i can’t wait to make this! it looks so good angela!!
Holy Moly Angela! That sweet potatoe casserole looks AWESOME! I’m so going to the store today (again) to pick up some sweet potatoes! Woo hoo!!! You don’t know how excited I am to be able to bring this vegan dish with me and no one will be the wiser!
This is my first Thanksgiving as a Vegan, and no one in my family even knows I’ve gone vegan (well, except my husband obviously :) ) and I’m still not sure I want to blurt it out, just want them to see the proof in the pudding that you can be vegan and EAT really really good food, and look good in the process! :)
Oh my gosh that looks amazing!!! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
This looks unreal!!
Thanks for the recipe. Perfect timing, too. I just made it to take to the in-laws tomorrow. The filling is delicious!
I adapted this one for Thanksgiving this year. The sweet potato mash tastes awesome! Reduced the maple syrup, upped the soy milk, and added fresh ground black pepper. Enough to satisfy anyone, vegan or not! :-) Thanks
THis looks great- my sis is lactose intolerant and her hubby is vegan- so this will fit the bill- can’t wait, but have to go to the store for non dairy products before they close for Thanksgiving!
We tried this today. It was delicious! My husband said it was very easy to make.
This was a total hit at my table! I’m the only real healthy eater in my family and everyone was so impressed that this wasn’t as decadent as it seemed! Thanks for the wonderful recipe :)
Hey!
This is completely random… I added your blog to my google reader yesterday (and I shall be ordering some bars soon!) and scrolled through the posts. This casserole caught my eye, looks delish! Anyway, this morning I read a post on http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/ where she mentions vegan marshmallows. I remembered being disappointed to read that you couldn’t find any so I thought I would point you toward her blog in the hope’s you can find some of these vegan marshmallows. Random good timing on my reading through some of your old posts!
Katie
I am making this for Christmas DINNER!
Made this last night for our big Christmas Eve dinner and it was delicious. The chia seeds were a nice touch (luckily they had them at our local food co-op).
That looks delicious :) It even kind of looks like pumpkin pie almost! A great autumn dinner :)
This looks amazing! Could you please sugges a gluten free flour that I could use as a substitute? Thanks!
Hmm I’m not too sure. Anyone know?
Oat flour tends to be fine for those that have a gluten intolerance, otherwise I would use buckwheat flour, which is 100% gluten free and acceptable for those with Celiac.
Just made the casserole, putting it in the fridge all made up and will put in the oven tomorrow morning. From what I have been taste testing I can’t wait for the finished product. Super quick and easy to put together. My topping wasn’t really a “crumble”, more smooth, I think too much earth balance. Added a little more flour to hopefully stiffen it up a little. Still tastes wonderful though!!
Turned out PERFECT!!!
This looks GREAT! I’ve always thought sweet potatoes were awesome by themselves and that traditional sweet potato casseroles masked the wonderful flavor of the main ingredient. I am allergic to eggs so not having to alter the recipe is a bonus. My 4yr old son will love this. We try to eat a rainbow every day and according to him, orange foods are more fun. :-)
This was delicious and easy to make, thanks so much for posting it! My idea of success is when meat-eaters love it as much as I do and this was a success :)
Hi Angela,
I made this casserole and it was a total hit with my friends. The only part that I had trouble with was the amount of sweet potatoes. I ended up with about half the amount of casserole (which made it even sweeter and more dessert-like) because the potatoes were too small. Could you write in the approximate weight of the sweet potatoes? I really enjoy reading your posts and trying your recipes. I’ve probably made about half of them in total, so far and they are always popular with my husband. Thanks!
What is Earth Balance? I’m new to this site and have never heard of it.
It is a company that makes organic and vegan products, I have their soy butter and it tastes pretty good!
I am going to attempt this and add cranberry raisins to the mixture for added texture. Another addition you could use is chopped Granny Smith apples. This is definitely a recipe you can have fun with. You can use agave nectar as well in place of maple syrup. It is low on the glycemic index.
mmmmmm, how I wish I could have some right now! But since I’ve already bought butternut squash and not sweet pots, do you think the switch would work the same or would it be too wet from all the liquid in the squash? Thanks for another divine recipe.
That’s a great question and I’m not sure, but I guess it couldn’t hurt to try! Maybe if you think it will be too liquid-y you could try adding a bit of cornstarch or arrowroot powder to absorb the water? Let me know how it goes if you try it out.
HI! I would love to try the recipe! But I have one little question that i hope can be answered before my attempt later today. I know, asking a lot but thought I would ask just incase you read this today…
You stated that you cut the sugar and maple syrup in half. Did you mean half of what you wrote for the ingredient measurement list, or is that already halved. Meaning, you wrote 1/2 cup of sugar, is that already halved or should I further half it from there to use only 1/4 cup? Thanks again!! :)
Hey Lauren, The amount stated in the recipe is the amount I used. I hope this helps!
I am headed to my grandparents’ house for thanksgiving tomorrow, and I know the kitchen will be crowded. Do you think it would work as well if I pre-mixed all the ingredients today, refrigerated it, and then baked it at my grandparents’ place tomorrow? Would love to know, because this looks delicious!
I havent tried that myself but I can see why it wouldnt work! Let me know how it goes.
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe- in searching for a vegan but still decadent tasting sweet potato casserole, I came across this and had to try it for Thanksgiving. I used about the same tweaks you did, except I kept the pecans. It was simple to make and amaaaazing to eat, smelled wonderful while it baked and my whole omnivore family gobbled it up. Thank you for a vegan version of an old favorite that had all the flavor of the original versions!
Im so happy to hear that Valerie!
This was amazing! Was so nice to have a sweet potato dish that wasn’t swimming in loads of sugar like typical sweet potato dishes during the holidays. Everyone at my Thanksgiving table loved it! Since I didn’t have maple syrup, I used Agave Nectar and it worked great! For the topping I ended up using quinoa flower and added some applesauce to moisten it a little bit… thank you for a great recipe, I will definitely make it again! :)
I made this for Thanksgiving this year. WOW! Super delicious! Everyone absolutely loved it and had seconds! Big surprise to everyone that it was vegan! Thanks for the great recipe!
I made this Sweet Potato casserole last night. It was delicious. I am not a fan of pecans but I told myself it didn’t matter. Your recipes are incredible and I knew if it called for pecans then it had to have them. It was sublime. Soft and flavorful with a mildly, beautiful crunch from the sweet pecan topping. My family loved this dish. I am amazed at the healthy vegetables I am able to feed my children ( w/the help of your recipes) without them taking notice and spitting it back out. The classic Green Monster is also a regular on the menu in my kitchen. Thank you for your thoughtfulness in posting your recipes online. I don’t know where I would be on my path toward being a vegan if I hadn’t stumbled upon your blog.
Hi Star, Thank you so much for your lovely comment! It warms my heart to read about how much you enjoy the blog. Thank you for trying the recipes!
Hi,
I made this casserole with modifications this past Thanksgiving. My son just called and asked for the recipe so he could take it a company Christmas party.
My daughter has “food issues” and starting with a vegan recipe makes it much easier to cook for her.
First, I didn’t thoroughly read the recipe and tossed the potatoes in the oven and baked them. This can help cut down on the amount of water in the potatoes and it can be done a day or two in advance. Just put them in the refrigerator until needed. This is supposed to increase the flavor as well.
Next, I cut back on the sweetener. I used just 2 Tbsp. of maple syrup. I, also, added 2 Tbsp. of tapioca flour to help it set a little more. I assembled the casserole the day before, covered it and put it in the refrigerator. I brought it up to room temperature before baking.
On the topping I cut back the brown sugar to 1/4 cup. Since my daughter cannot have nuts, I used 3/4 cup of oatmeal and 2 Tbsp. of chia seeds, as well as, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free flour. But, I stuck with the Earth Balance spread. I had all the ingredients ready to be assembled and made the topping just before baking. It came out nice and crispy with a creamy “pudding” underneath.
Everyone loved it.
Hi Susan, Thanks for your amazing feedback on the recipe! Im so glad that it turned out for you.
Does your site have a contact page? I’m having trouble locating it but, I’d like to send you an email.
I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it develop over time.
Yes please see my press page – thanks!
I made this recipe with regular butter, walnuts instead of pecans, and half a recipe’s worth for half the cooking time. It worked beautifully. I also threw in one banana while I was mashing the sweet potatoes and a touch of honey. I liked that this recipe had no eggs! Thanks for having such a simple, healthy recipe to base mine off of. I would recommend this!
Hi Angela,
I have made this recipe multiple times before and have loved it! I will be travelling over the holidays this year and wanted to bring this dish with me. Have you ever frozen it and then reheated it? If so how did it turn out?
Thanks!
I just made this dish for the first time for a party since we have a vegan friend, and everyone raved about it for hours. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe! I will make it again, even if there are not vegans to cook for it was that good!
Next time you make this wonderful recipe, try adding little orange juice and 1/2 cup bourbon! That was my late Mother’s recipe, and it is classic in my family! Except of course Mom added eggs and I don’t!
I love that idea, thanks!
Can’t wait to make this for thanksgiving!! I was thinking I would sub coconut sugar for the Brown and gf oat flour for the white. Do you think that would be ok? I’m new to vegan cooking and not always sure about subs. Thanks so much!!! I love your blog. Can’t wait for the book.
Cooking my sweet potatoes for this now! Realized I only have a 2.5-qt casserole dish. Will it still work? What adjustments should I make?
How did you cook the sweet potatoes? Boil, microwave, bake?
Can you make this with New Jersey sweet potatoes?
This turned out amazing!! Sooooooo good, definitely making it again.
Just made this recipe for the second year in a row for American Thanksgiving. It’s so good, especially since I make roasted (and not mashed) potatoes! Gotta have that mashed consistency somewhere :)
Thank you for posting this recipe! This was everyone’s favorite dish this thanksgiving!
Dear Angela, I have to tell you I really love your website, and recipes, and the first recipe I made from this site was your famous “ Pumpkin Pie with Gluten-Free Sweet & Salty Spiced Pecan Crust.” That was the first pie I ever made from scratch, and it turned out so well that I had to come back and try another recipe, and I am so happy I did.
Your Sweet Potato Casserole was the 2nd homemade vegan recipe I made from Oh She Glows, and this turned out fantastic. In fact, I brought some leftover, and I am eating it at my desk as I type this e-mail. I followed the directions exactly, and it took some time with all of the steps, and in the end it turned out great. I made this for Thanksgiving day, and three of the folks who tried it claimed they didn’t like sweet potatoes, but they loved the Sweet Potato Casserole. I will make this again, and this is a great dish to take for a party. ;)
Thank you so much for taking time to share with everyone! This is really wonderful!!
Kristy Spain
I’m so happy to hear this Kristy!! Thank you so much for letting me know and for trying it out :) Happy holidays!
Try this recipe today! :) Sooo yummy!
Do you think I could substitute coconut oil for the earth balance??
Late reply- but I’ve made this with coconut oil a few times and it works very well! I think I prefer it actually, it goes so well with sweet potatoes.
This sweet potato dish was amazing!!
I’ve never made sweet potato casserole before. How and when would you incorporate the marshmallows?
Hello,
Can one USE earth Balance CoCONUT SPREAD? instead of the earth balance BUTTERY spread?
update: i used EB cocunut spread and raw sugar, my cassorole did not come out looking like OH SHE GLOWS cassorole but regardless, everyone at the potluck enjoyed it.
Although I understand that you need ads to finance your website, I’m one of many people who cook and listen to music/television at the same time. The ads that you have (video and audio) encroaching on your site are distracting, aggravating and (above all) deterring. I really don’t fancy your site at all and this is perhaps the second time I’ve used it. I also work in a tech department, so please don’t attempt to tell me it’s a problem at my end.
Thanks.
Not satisfied.
hi patty,
there shouldnt be any ads with audio (we have them blocked!), that being said these ad networks sometimes mess up. we only see the ads run here in Canada. Please email adinquiries(at)ohsheglows[dot]com with the name of the ad (brand) and we’ll have it removed. thank you.
What flour do you recommend for a gluten free version?
I have Oat and Almond currently in my pantry. :D Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Angela, I’m excited to make this recipe for my family this Christmas and am wondering for times sake if any of this can be prepped in advance without sacrificing texture or taste? Thanks!
Does anyone actually try these recipes- it’s sort of bizarre to have all the responses (including this one) but not about the final product-its deceiving when one is looking for positive reviews and nobody has made it.
Hi Dee, I recommend looking at the final pages of the comments – those are the most recent ones and often include reviews. Hope this helps!
I’ve made this probably 4 times now and it’s turned out perfectly each time, it’s my favorite vegan casserole recipe. I think all of the recipes on this site are spot on!
I’ve made this many times and LOVE it!! Going to make it for Thanksgiving tomorrow, too. But I thought I’d make them in little individual dishes. Any ideas how to adjust the cooking temp or time (if at all) So they cook the same?
Quick note for anyone wanting to make this ahead – I found this comment on another part of the site: “You can prepare it (without cooking) the day before (and place in the fridge), bring to room temperature, and cook it 45 mins before dinner is served.” I’m assuming that means including putting the topping on it, and refrigerating the whole thing. I’ll be doing that at Christmas. FYI!
I just made this as my contribution to my family’s Christmas dinner and it was a hit! The only thing I changed was sunflower seeds to replace the pecans (my niece has nut allergies). Delicious! I think this will be making regular appearances at family holiday meals. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!