Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping. Perfect for the holidays and tastes just as great as the classic! The pecan topping is delicious, and no one will guess this recipe is completely vegan!
One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is the sweet potato casserole. I prefer the crunchy pecan version over any marshmallow one– that nutty, buttery crunch on top of creamy sweet potatoes is just so good. These are similar to my twice-baked sweet potatoes but in casserole form!
This vegan sweet potato casserole is also easy to make. The pecan topping takes just a few minutes to stir together, and the casserole is made in the food processor for ease.
If you love sweet potato casserole, then you’re going to want to try this recipe! See below for more details, or scroll down to the full recipe card below.
Everything You Need to Make This Recipe:
Tips for a Better Sweet Potato Casserole
This vegan sweet potato casserole is all about that crunchy maple pecan topping. It’s so good– I eat a few spoonfuls every time I make it.
The pecan topping is like a praline topping (similar to my vegan overnight french toast casserole.) It should clump together after it’s stirred and then easily crumbled over the creamy sweet potato.
Your sweet potatoes should blend easily in the food processor along with the spices and milk. Taste it after blending, adjusting for salt, cinnamon, and sugar as desired. If you don’t have a food processor, you can mash the sweet potatoes by hand using a potato masher or an immersion blender.
I do recommend peeling your sweet potatoes for a smoother casserole.
You’ll want to use a 2-quart casserole dish for this, like an 8×8 or 9×9 square baker for best results.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
For a slightly healthier, higher protein and fiber version, I use almond flour in place of regular all-purpose flour for this casserole. Ever since making my citrus almond cookies a few weeks ago, I’ve been on a big almond flour kick and thought the nutty taste was perfect for this pecan topping.
The almond flour also makes this vegan sweet potato casserole naturally gluten-free!
Using plant butter makes this casserole a vegan sweet potato casserole, and I promise you, no one will know the difference! I often use Earth Balance or Miyoko’s plant butter, but you can use whichever you prefer. I don’t recommend trying to sub in oil instead.
You can use any plant-based milk that you’d like. I almost always use oat milk in baking, but almond milk or soy milk will also work. I don’t usually recommend coconut milk in baking as it has a stronger coconut flavor.
Lastly, the pecans are a must for me, but I’ve also tried this with a blend of almond, walnut, and pecan, which tasted great, too.
How to Make this Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Make the Pecan Praline Topping
Mix together the melted butter, pecans, almond flour, cinnamon and salt. Taste, adjusting as needed, then set aside.
Boil the Sweet Potatoes
Dice the sweet potatoes then boil until fork tender and drain.
Process
Add the sweet potatoes to the base of a food processor along with the milk, sugar, melted butter, and spices and puree until creamy and smooth.
Assemble and Bake
Spoon the contents of the sweet potato mixture into the base of a casserole dish then sprinkle with the pecan crumble topping in an even layer. Cover and bake.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl
- Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
If you make this vegan sweet potato casserole, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Equipment
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Casserole
- 5 cups cubed sweet potatoes, from about 3 medium potatoes
- 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger
- 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Pecan Topping
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 1/2 cup almond flour*
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large saucepan, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and ginger and cook until potatoes are just tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.
- Add to the base of a food processor along with the milk, sugar, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon,nutmeg, and salt. Process until creamy, then taste, adding salt/sugar as desired. Place in a 2-quart (8×8 or 9×9) baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for the topping. Stir the maple syrup, melted butter,almond flour, pecans, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the sweet potatoes in an even layer.
- Cover and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.