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!
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
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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Eating this as I type- holy cow!!!! Sooooo good!!! I cannot wait to take this to Thanksgiving dinner next week!!! Thank you, thank you!
Curious if i could make this ahead of time and bake it the day of thanksgiving? Possibly make crumble separate until day of baking. thoughts?
Hi Lisa, I think thats a great idea! I would maybe bake the potato mixture on a low oven heat to warm it up then use the topping and bake at 375. Also make sure you bake the crumble topping for 16 min and keep your eye on it after that because the topping can burn fast. Good luck!
Also, does anyone hand mash or use a mixer to whip the potatoes? thanks in advance!!
Hi Lisa, I made this recipe and would recommend using a hand mash because you still want some texture to the potatoes. I personally think a mixer might make it too smooth but I guess thats a personal preference. Enjoy!!
Thank you Tiffany! Will take your advice! happy Thanksgiving!!
Hi Angela,
I am wondering if you think it would be just as fine making this recipe a few days ahead of time and just warming up in the oven on the big day? Or would I lose something if I make it in advance?…
Thanks so much,
Orna.
im sure that would be fine! i would just be careful not to overcook the topping and dry it out.
Angela, this recipe is a true favorite! Thank you!! I cut the recipe in half and it still made plenty! The only change I made is that I added a little more salt in the sweet potato mixture.
Love your recipes so much! Your food is made in my house weekly. :) Any suggestions for an almond meal replacement in this one? It’s so hard for me to justify spending $10 on a bag of it.
Totally making this for my moms thanksgiving! I can’t wait to taste it!
I made this for our firm’s Thanksgiving pot luck and it was a huge hit. I even added a bit of unsweetened coconut shreds and brown sugar to the topping. Everyone loved it!
I made your old recipe for Thanksgiving last year (my first as a vegan) and it was good, but not as dessert-like as I’m used to. Is this version more like a traditional sweet potato casserole despite the reduced sweetener? Also, would it be possible to make this in a crock pot?
Do you think I make this day before and not bake it until the next day? Or do you think I should bake it day before and then reheat it on thanksgiving? Thanks!!
I’d like to take this dish to a potluck. Would it taste okay if not served immediately? Thank you always for the wonderful recipes.
Made this for Friendsgiving last weekend and it was a huge hit! No one would ever have guessed it was a healthy take on sweet potato casserole ;) Thank you for another great recipe!
hi! I am very excited to make this for thanksgiving. I was wondering if whole wheat flour will work instead of almond flour?
thank you!
I used whole wheat flour and it was amazing
I’m allergic to almonds. Could I use a gluten free flour instead?
While I’m not vegan, (gluten free/refined sugar free), this is EXACTLY what I went looking for. Yay! Hands down, my favorite Thanksgiving dish!
Can you make this the night before?
Vegan Thanksgiving for the win! I made this today in preparation for tomorrow’s feast and I love it, Angela! I made the recipe as you suggested, and added some acorn squash since I was about a pound short on sweet potatoes. I did not put the oat crumble on yet– mashed everything in my crock pot and will add the crumble mixture tomorrow and then turn it on the keep warm setting to free up oven space. I snuck a spoonful already and it is delish! Also, my mom just bought me the oh she glows cookbook and I want to bake and eat everything in it! Mouth watering recipes and photos… Can’t wait to cook my way through it! So thankful for your fantastic blog!
Those are not sweet potatoes you are cooking my friend. … Those are YAMS! Big difference! But nonetheless I tried it and your recipe is FAnTasTiC!!
Made this for my family today; it was a hit! Love the maple flavor! I kept licking the spoon while mixing the crumble and the sweet potato mix….so good!
This was on my Thanksgiving menu today and OH MYYY….this has become a new favorite dish in my house. I can’t believe I hadn’t tried this till now. Absolutely amazing!