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    You are here: Home / Sides / Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble Topping

    LAST UPDATED: November 6, 2019 • FIRST PUBLISHED: November 6, 2019

    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble Topping

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

    Get ready for the most delicious, most decadent sweet potato casserole with pecans and a sweet pastry and oat crumble topping! This scrumptious vegan side dish is bursting with flavor and a must-have at your holiday table.

    Wooden Spoon Scooping Sweet Potato Casserole From a Baking Dish

    Can we just get something out into the open here: sweet potato casserole is basically a dessert that we eat as a side dish on special days.

    There. I said it.

    Don't get me wrong: sweet potato casseroles are wonderful! They're among favorite holiday side dishes. But, after developing two vegan sweet potato casserole recipes for this blog (the first being this marshmallow-topped one. See my point?) and eating these dishes on regular non-holidays, it's pretty glaringly obvious that these dishes are reserved for holidays due to their over-the-top decadence.

    I mean, the ingredients list for this one isn't all that different from my vegan sweet potato pie.

    But, if there's one day in which dessert for dinner is appropriate, it's Thanksgiving. So let's do this!

    How to Make Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

    Close up Of Sweet Potato Casserole Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans in a Baking Dish

    Another thing sweet potato casserole has going for it, besides the whole dessert for dinner thing, is that it's one of the easier holiday dishes to make. Here's how it's done!

    The Sweet Potato Base

    Collage Showing Steps for Making Sweet Potato Base for Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans: Boil Sweet Potatoes, Mash Sweet Potatoes, Add Vegan Butter, Milk, Sugar and Spices, and Mash Again

    The base of sweet potato casserole is typically a pretty simple mash of boiled sweet potatoes, spices, sugar, milk and butter. Since this sweet potato casserole is dairy-free, we'll be using vegan butter and non-dairy milk.

    Start by peeling and chopping up those sweet potatoes. Place them in a large pot with water and boil them until they're tender. This should only take about 10 to 12 minutes.

    When the sweet potatoes are done boiling, drain them and return them to the pot. Mash them up with a potato masher. If you like your sweet potatoes super fluffy you can use an electric mixer.

    Once the sweet potatoes are mashed, add the rest of your ingredients and mash them some more.

    The Pecan Topping

    Collage Showing Steps for Assembling Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans: Mix Topping Ingredients, Arrange Sweet Potato Base in Casserole Dish, and SPrinkle with Topping

    Our topping is a mix of oats and flour with some sweetener, spices, more vegan butter (melted), and of course, pecans.

    Mix everything in a bowl until the dry ingredients are totally saturated — be patient as this can take a few minutes. Make sure there are no dry spots when you're done.

    To assemble our sweet potato casserole with pecans, simply spread the sweet potato base in a casserole dish and sprinkle the top with your topping.

    Bake it until the topping begins to brown and the base starts to bubble. If you can't see the sweet potatoes bubbling (because they're pretty covered with the topping), listen for the sound of bubbling.

    Pair of Hands Setting Sweet Potato Casserole On a Table

    As with all casseroles, you'll want to let this one sit out a bit before digging in.

    FAQ & Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole Tips

    • Make ahead options! There are a few ways you can go about prepping this dish in advance.
      • Option 1: Make the base and topping up to 2 days in advance. Store them separately in the fridge, then assemble the casserole and bake. It might take slightly longer than the bake time in the recipe since the ingredients are starting out chilled — keep an eye on it!
      • Option 2 (recommended): Make the base, make the topping, and assemble the casserole up to a day in advance. Wrap it in plastic, store it in the fridge, then bake it the day of serving. This might also require a few extra minutes of bake time.
      • Option 3: Make the entire casserole ahead of time. Wrap it up tightly and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it out if frozen, then simply cover and reheat it in the oven at 350°F the day of serving. How long? Until it's hot in the middle — I'm guessing about 15 minutes.
    • Can this dish be made gluten-free? I haven't tried, but I don't see why not! I'd recommend subbing oat flour or your favorite gluten-free blend for the all-purpose flour.
    • Leftovers will keep for about 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
    • Need to cook this at a different temperature? Totally understandable if this is for a holiday dinner, as you've probably got a bunch of stuff to cook in the oven! It should be fine cooking anywhere between 325°F and 400°F, although you'll need to adjust the baking time and keep a close eye on it.
    • Why does the brown sugar need to be organic? That's to keep the recipe vegan! In the United States, regular brown (and white) sugar is processed using animal bone char, but organic sugars are not.
    • Where can I find vegan butter? Check near the regular butter or in the natural foods section of your supermarket. If you can't find it there, try places like Whole Foods. Look for brands like Miyoko's or Earth Balance.

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Wooden Spoon Scooping Sweet Potato Casserole From a Baking Dish
    5 from 3 votes
    Print

    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble Topping

    Get ready for the most delicious, most decadent sweet potato casserole with pecans and a sweet pastry and oat crumble topping! This scrumptious vegan side dish is bursting with flavor and a must-have at your holiday table.

    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Servings 10
    Calories 363 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
    • ¾ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
    • ¼ cup organic brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
    • ¼ cup vegan butter
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    For the Topping

    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup rolled oats
    • 1 cup pecan halves
    • ¼ cup organic brown sugar
    • ⅓ cup vegan butter, melted
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. Place the sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover them with water.

    2. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.

    3. Boil the sweet potatoes until tender, for about 10 to 12 minutes.

    4. Drain the sweet potatoes into a colander and then return them to the pot.

    5. Use a potato masher (or an electric mixer, if you prefer) to mash the sweet potatoes.

    6. Add the milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Mash everything again until smooth and well mixed.

    7. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    8. Stir the topping ingredients together in a medium bowl.

    9. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish, smoothing out the top with a spoon.

    10. Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potatoes.

    11. Place the dish into the oven and bake until the topping is lightly browned and the sweet potatoes begin to bubble, about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it while it bakes. If the topping begins to darken too much at any point you can cover the casserole dish.

    12. Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

    Nutrition Facts
    Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble Topping
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 363 Calories from Fat 116
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12.9g20%
    Saturated Fat 3.5g18%
    Sodium 310mg13%
    Potassium 1163mg33%
    Carbohydrates 58.7g20%
    Fiber 6.7g27%
    Sugar 12.7g14%
    Protein 3.7g7%
    Calcium 6mg1%
    Iron 8mg44%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jackie says

      November 28, 2019 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for Thanksgiving. Only change I made was cutting the milk to 1/4. The whole non vegan family (and myself the line began) loved it. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jackie says

        November 28, 2019 at 6:46 pm

        Line began = lone vegan

        Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 01, 2019 at 2:41 pm

        Yay! I'm so glad it was a hit!

        Reply
    2. Misty says

      November 28, 2019 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 01, 2019 at 2:40 pm

        I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it!

        Reply
    3. Amy says

      November 29, 2019 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      Made this ahead, baked and froze. Thawed out the day before and cooked to rave reviews on Thanksgiving. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 01, 2019 at 2:37 pm

        I did the exact same thing and my family loved it! Glad it was a hit at your table! Thanks Amy!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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