This is a side dish you’re going to want on the holiday dinner table. Or maybe, on your regular fall dinner table. Because who can wait for the holidays? It is sweet potato season after all, which means in this house we’re cooking them a couple times a week. Give me all the sweet potatoes, please. They are the edible equivalent to a big warm hug.
Now that it’s officially November (plus chilly and dark at 6pm…tear…sob), I figure some of us are thinking about happier things…like the holidays and all the delightful holiday food. I know I am. It’s my favourite time of the year to cook and bake. For some reason, I always have oodles and oodles of recipe ideas floating through my mind this time of the year and can’t keep up with testing them all out. You should see my “to make” list…it’s massive!
In preparation for the holidays, I decided to do something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time; I revamped my old sweet potato casserole recipe from 2009. It’s a good recipe, but with 5 years of recipe development under my belt I knew I could improve upon it. This version got lightened up and given a crazy good pecan oat maple crumble topping. It totally blew us away and the previous recipe is all but history in my mind.
Just look at this crunchy crumble…
Here are a few things I changed up:
1) cut sweetener by over half (you won’t even notice)
2) added some heart-healthy virgin coconut oil
3) added a new and improved crunchy topping – gives it a great texture contrast!
4) made this one gluten-free as the old one wasn’t
5) amped up the maple + cinnamon flavours
6) new photos…because 2009 wasn’t my best year for photography…hehe
I recommend serving each portion with a pat of vegan butter or coconut oil on top to really take it over the edge. The butter/oil melts and cascades all over the casserole. Bliss!!
I love you, sweet potatoes.
PS- If you haven’t tried it already, check out my Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole. Dessert for breakfast!
Sweet Potato Crumble Casserole
Yield
12 large side servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This is a side dish you're going to want on the holiday dinner table! The crunchy nut crumble tastes just like an oatmeal cookie. I recommend serving this casserole with a pat of vegan butter or coconut oil to really take it over the top. Also try serving it with Coconut Whipped Cream for a decadent twist. In this recipe, I swapped out half the vegan butter for virgin coconut oil to add some heart-healthy fats while still retaining that lovely butter flavour.
Ingredients
For the sweet potato mash:
- 4 1/2 to 5 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 to 5 large)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 mL) vegan butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 mL) virgin coconut oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (37 mL) pure maple syrup, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt, or to taste
For the Crunchy Nut Crumble:
- 1 cup rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 1/3 cups pecan halves, chopped
- 1/3 cup almond meal or almond flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) virgin coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) vegan butter, melted
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (37 mL) pure maple syrup
Directions
- Peel and roughly chop sweet potatoes into large chunks. Place into a large pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high, and gently boil for 10 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 2 1/2-quart (10-cup) casserole dish and set aside.
- Prepare the crumble topping: Pulse the oats in a food processor until coarsely chopped. In a medium bowl, stir together the chopped pecans, oats, almond meal/flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pour on melted coconut oil, melted butter, and maple syrup. Stir until combined.
- Once cooked and drained, place sweet potatoes into a large bowl.
- Mash potatoes with the butter and coconut oil until smooth. Now, stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Adjust to taste if desired. Spoon into casserole dish and smooth out.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping all over the sweet potato mixture, evenly.
- Bake, uncovered, at 375°F (190°C) for 16 to 23 minutes, until the dish is hot throughout. Plate and serve immediately with a pat of vegan butter or coconut oil.
Tip:
- For a creamy twist, try subbing some of the butter/oil in the sweet potato mash for full-fat canned coconut cream.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
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This casserole DOES scream big warm hug!! I seriously would eat this right now (for breakfast!) because I haven’t used sweet potatoes in almost a week. I know…what is the world coming to!! haha
Oh yum!! I love sweet potatoes. The crunchy crumble topping is such a delicious sounding idea, almost like a sweet and savoury dish combined…which kind of sounds like my idea of perfection!
LOVE this! Such a gorgeous casserole! And I love the crunchy crumble!
“added some heart-healthy virgin coconut oil” May I suggest you read the works of Dr Caldwell Esselstyn Jnr or Youtube him (or watch Forks Over Knives). There is NO SUCH THING as a “healthy” oil – none.
This is very high fat with all the nuts and adding coconut oil is a real killer. Making this but leaving the coconut oil out and also the butter. I know it will be delicious anyway. Thank you! I am afraid I agree with Diane it is not heart healthy. Do more research!!!! Brenda
This sounds SO SO GOOD! I’m going to be the only vegan at Thanksgiving this year… maybe I’ll include this in the list of dishes I’m making to make sure I impress everyone ;)
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
can’t wait to make this for thanksgiving! i love your other sweet potato casserole and have made it for the last few years. my family loves–vegan and non-vegans alike!
Mmmm sweet potatoes! I want to shake up this year’s menu anyway, I think this will be perfect for our table! Thanks Angela!
So I had a good ol’ faithful sweet potato recipe for the past 3 or 4 years that I’ve been making each Thanksgiving…but this just might replace it this year!
I love your book Angela and every week I cook at least one recipe from it! Of course I voted for your book.
I’m from the Netherlands and I believe your book should be translated into Dutch, so I can share it with all my fellow country healthy food lovers!
Being from the Netherlands, I have never heard of sweet potato casserole! Love sweet potatoes though. The casserole looks delicious and I look forward to making it. Being a sweet potato casserole newbie, did I understand correctly that it is traditionally eated as a side dish and not a dessert?
Hahahaha I was just saying how I was talking about sweet potato recipes over at Choosing Raw, and then popped over here! This is something I can definitely add to my arsenal of recipes for this chilly fall/winter season! And the crunchy goodness….makes me happy inside
WOW! It looks so yummy! I will definitely try this one for thanksgiving! BTW – I found a great vegan wine at Whole Foods Market, it is called “Deccolio Prosecco” and it will be great aperitif to the holiday dinner.
Voted for you on Goodreads! I am utterly obsessed with your cookbook. :) Can’t wait to try making this sweet potato casserole. Just looking at that pecan crumble is making me swoon.
That is really beautiful. I think I’d like to eat it for dessert.. and breakfast. I never was a fan of the marshmallow topping sweet potatoes, but this I could get behind :)
I am totally making this for Thanksgiving!! Can’t wait :D I know that it is going to be amazzzzing!
I just tried this recipe out tonight and WOW! It is amazing, and it wouldn’t feel out of place at the dessert table. A clear winner and I can’t wait to make it again for Thanksgiving-but since sweet potatoes are already sweet, I might leave out the maple syrup in the mashed potato part next time. Going to eat leftovers for breakfast tomorrow!
(Also, no idea how you’re managing to continue posting (awesome recipes) with a newborn! You’re amazing!)
Okay, yum! I love sweet potato. Can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving!!!
I WILL be bringing this to Thanksgiving this year. It looks amazing. The crumble looks like it would be great on some apple crumb pie, too! I will be altering my apple crumb topping. Thanks for posting!
Sweet potatoes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack, I love them so much! This takes them to another dimension, I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you Angela!
Sweet potatoes are my favourite and this is such a fab looking recipe, thank you for sharing it!
What can I use in place of coconut oil? I have a sensitivity to it and notice you use it in nearly every recipe. Thanks!
Could this be made ahead of time?
I cant see why not! I haven’t tried it but I think it should work.
We love this recipe! My husband was given a copy of your new cookbook for his birthday a few weeks ago. We are loving it! The recipes are excellent. The photos are a joy. The book is wonderful. Great job!
Thank you Donna! I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes.
wow this looks so delicious!!
I tried this with Butternut Squash! It was absolutely amazingly delish!
Thanks so very much
This will definitely be an addition to my Thanksgiving table! That makes FOUR of your recipes I’ll be featuring on my holiday table! :-) I’m also including (from your cookbook) your festive kale salad, your raw pumpkin tart and your recent chocolate cream pie/tart. Thank you so much. I’m grateful for your recipes. It such a pleasure to have delicious food that does not hurt my belly or animals. :-)
The crumble looks amazing….gotta try this!
This has to be one of the most comforting meals ever, both me and my husband (who by the way is a meat eater) could not get enough of it! Even though we live in the warm climate of Dubai, this dish had the perfect balance of a comforting feast we would usually eat snuggled up in the UK but light enough for us not to feel too stuffed and heavy. Thank you for the recipe, we will adding this to the mid week favourites list.
Mmmmm, we can’t do nuts so I always have to leave them out. But, just a tip for those that may have an allergy: we have found crushed cornflakes or crunchy puffed rice cereal makes a pretty good substitute. If you assemble ahead of time, the cornflakes will stay crunchy longer :)
Divine! I made a similar dish for Thanksgiving last year and it was a major hit. Looks downright scrumptious!
You know, I hadn’t ever considered having this together. Apples are a go-to with the nut crumble, but the sweet potato, that’s new to me! This is a great addition to any fall cookbook, and something I intend to wow the family with this year for the holidays.
This looks A-Mazing! I’ll definitely be making this for the upcoming holidays! YUM
Xx
Any One of you girls, would there be a nice recipe win which the Shiitake Mushrooms are used? Either dried or fresh mushrooms. A recipe for a ‘mid-substantial value meal’, e.g. light dinner, would be great.
Shiitake have great nutritional profiles –> very healthy mushroom to digest, providing benefits almost like from the Chaga and Reishi (Lingzhi) medicinal mushrooms. Mainly they taste well i reckon ;–). Thanks girls!
Warm regards
LOVE this recipe. My whole clan loves it. Thank you so much! I’m supposed to avoid nuts due to diverticulitis, so I just make a smaller casserole for myself without the nuts. Still delicious. We devoured it! Thanks! Amybeth Hurst
Would regular flour sub for almond meal/flour?
This recipe was delicious albeit a little too sweet for me. Less sweetener and I’m bringing it to Thanksgiving dinner! Thanks for the recipe. :)
This is so great thank you so much !! I am always happy to get new inspirations for my vegan cooking. Please visit my vegan senses vegan blog :)
all the best, Katy from Vegan Senses Blog
vegansenses,com
I made this over the weekend and it was (and is as leftovers) so good. I didn’t use all of the maple syrup it called for and it was perfect. It’s added to the Christmas dinner menu. Thanks again for a great recipe.
That flavor combo sounds fantastic. And the crunchy topping – YUM!
Yum! This looks like it needs to be made for my Thanksgiving dinner : )
Looks amazing! Trying this tonight!
love your blog. your recipes always inspire. my 12 ear old daughter decided to go vegan this spring, after years of being vegetarian, after researching the horrors of animal treatment. Your book came at an ideal moment and I discovered your blog from there. I have tried many of your recipes and have been delighted with the results time and again. Who new that animal free would be the best food we ever tasted and would leave us feeling better than ever wrt our own health, that of the animals and that of the planet. I have one suggestion which might make finding recipes a bit easier: would it be possible to put some reference to the date released on your recipes? Not all recipes can always be found via the recipepage or the index. I ususally remember about when I saw a particularily enticing recipe come out, so knowing where to search chronologically may make the search a little easier for those recipes not easily found with recipepage. BTW, you have the sweetest baby ever. Enjoy every moment; they all grow up way too quickly.
Thanks for your kind words Anne! I will look into adding a date. :)
I just made a 1/2 batch trial run in preparation for Thanksgiving. It is wonderful!! I love the topping. I usually make a traditional southern sweet potato casserole that has whole milk, a couple eggs, over a stick of butter and tons of white sugar and brown sugar. This is so much healthier and tastes so good!
Just wondering…could I use spelt flour instead of almond flour for the topping?
Just made it! So delicious!!! Will definitely be on the Thanksgiving table in a couple of weeks. Probably be in my breakfast bowl tomorrow morning, too! Thank you for such a great recipe.
Thanks for another delicious recipe! It was just the right amount of sweetness. I loved that I could still taste the sweet potato, and I couldn’t stop eating the crisp! I went ahead and added a little bit of coriander to the sweet potato mixture for giggles. Made this for a potluck and I went home with an empty casserole dish!
Something wonderful to listen to while enjoying this recipe :)
I made this dish last night. I have to say it was a bit to sweet for our taste. I am thinking of a way to make it a bit more savoury. I think I’m eating leftovers for breakfast tomorrow.
I made this dish Sunday night as a Thanksgiving trial run and have to say it’s even better the second day…heated up in the microwave or mixed into my morning bowl of oatmeal. I still miss the traditional Southern recipe with all of the fat, but with this I can do away with all of the guilt.
This was really tasty! I omitted the vegan butter and eliminated the coconut oil in the topping – didn’t want the dish to be too coco-nutty and it turned out perfect. Love the creaminess of the sweet potatoes and the crunchiness of the topping. Looking forward to making this over and over again.
This was great! I made it for an early Thanksgiving dinner and loved it. It made a lot, but leftovers were awesome too. I even ate the last little bit for breakfast, I’ll have to try your breakfast casserole version soon. I only used 1.5 TBS maple syrup in the potato mixture because mine seemed sweet, but followed everything else. Will definitely make this again, thanks!