Can you believe Thanksgiving is ONE week away?! ONE!! I am so excited I can’t even tell you! I’ve shared many of my favorite Turkey Day recipes, but this Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole ranks in the top three for sure! This recipe is literally bursting with rich flavors, is velvety smooth, and crazy healthy! That’s right, no butter or brown sugar or marshmallows are needed to make this delicious dish!
Naturally sweetened with applesauce and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, this healthy sweet potato casserole is a sure-fire crowd pleaser! It’s nutritional profile can’t be beat either…vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free with absolutely NO sugar added! Everyone at your Thanksgiving celebration will be able to enjoy this dish!
I know what you’re thinking…really? Could something so healthy really replace the classic recipe laden with not-so-good-for-you ingredients? The answer is YES! Seriously, there are many healthier dishes that my husband says are good…but you can “tell it’s healthy.” This healthy sweet potato casserole is NOT one of those recipes!
I made it for a group of friends and one of the men gave it the thumbs up and asked for the recipe! (In my circle it’s the ladies who are more likely to enjoy healthier fare). Many of us are plant lovers who have meat eating husbands (can I get a hand raise from all my veggie ladies out there?!) So if we get the meat and potatoes man stamp of approval on a healthier dish it has to be a winner…right? 😉
Not only is this healthy sweet potato casserole delicious, but it’s very easy to make! Simply bake your sweet potatoes and let cool slightly. Then toss the rest of the ingredients (except for the pecans) into your Vitamix (or other high-powered blender) and blend until smooth. The reason I use a blender is that I am a total texture person, and a lumpy casserole will not do.
Top the casserole with chopped pecans and a dash of salt and you’re good to go.You can add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar (either using regular granulated sugar or coconut sugar) but this step is totally optional and can absolutely be omitted without sacrificing flavor if you are set on an sugar-free dish! Then bake for about 25 minutes until the nuts are golden-brown and the sweet potatoes are slightly bubbling and you’re done!
And of course, in true Homemade Holidays fashion….this recipe can EASILY be made ahead of time! Here are a few ways you can get a head start with this recipe:
- You can only bake your sweet potatoes: If you like the idea of a completely fresh baked and made casserole, you can at least bake your sweet potatoes the day before! Just let them cool and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them!
- Prepare the dish but do not bake: Again, if you want to bake it fresh the day of then make the casserole but do not add the pecans on top. Store your dish in the fridge, tightly covered in plastic wrap until you’re ready to bake it. Remove it from the fridge while your oven is preheating and add the topping. Then bake according to the directions and you’re good to go!
- Bake the whole thing and warm it the next day: You absolutely can go ahead and make this casserole from start to finish and then store it in the fridge. When you’re about ready to serve it pull it out of the fridge and pace it in a warm oven until it is heated through and the top becomes slightly crispy again!
As you can see, there are so many ways to get the bulk of the “work” required to make this healthy sweet potato casserole done before the big day…which leaves you free to spend time with friends and family instead of slaving away in the kitchen! 😉
One more thing to note here…do you see that beautiful napkin in all these photos?! I had the absolute joy of receiving one of these gorgeous, eco-friendly, handmade napkins from my friend Kari over at Beautiful Ingredient and I just have to brag on her for a few seconds! She created this line of handmade kitchen linens for Food52 and they are stunning!
If you are looking for an amazing gift for the foodie in your life this holiday season, head over to her website and check out all of her handmade goods! Plus, if you use the code HOLIDAYVB1012 you will receive 15% off your order of $25 or more! I wouldn’t mind snagging a few more of these beauties in my stocking this year (hint hint babe)! 😉 <3
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. sweet potatoes
- 3 TBS coconut oil (or butter, Earth Balance, or ghee), melted
- 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Extra salt & cinnamon/sugar for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until soft (about 1-1.5 hours)
- Remove from oven, cut in half and let cool.
- Remove skins and set sweet potatoes aside.
- Reduce oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add apple sauce and sweet potatoes to your blender (Vitamix) and blend until smooth
- Add melted coconut oil (butter/earth balance/ghee), cinnamon, salt and nutmeg and blend until combined.
- Transfer to a 9” baking dish and sprinkle the top with pecans and optional topping
- Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until potatoes begin to slightly bubble and toping is lightly browned.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
You can easily make this dish head of time in one of two ways: 1) Bake the dish completely, let cool and store, loosely covered in plastic wrap, in the fridge. Then reheat at 300 degrees until warmed through. 2) Make the sweet potato mixture and do not add toppings. Place it in your baking dish tightly covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Then add topping and bake according to the instructions.
I only have one more recipe to share with you before Thanksgiving, which is a total winner too! I’d LOVE to hear all about your Thanksgiving plans! Drop me a line below and tell me how you’re celebrating! Also pretty please tell me…
What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?
If you want to stay connected or you make something from JoyFoodSunshine I would love to see your creations! #joyfoodsunshine
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Love the addition of the applesauce to create a delicious, and nutritious, option! Beautiful photos too my friend! I could eat the whole pan!
This looks and sounds delicious! I know how hard these casseroles can be to photograph (#foodbloggerproblems) and your photos are GORGEOUS!
The old marshmallow version just never worked for me, it’s why I though I didn’t like sweet potatoes!!! This however sounds like exactly something I’d eat too many servings of!
Great way to make this dish. Looking very delicious, gorgeous & perfect dessert for a party. I like too much your recipe, thank you so much.
What a great idea! I love sweet potato pie but not all the sugar that is in it! But if you DO want a fantastic Thanksgiving dessert recipe check out my blog hop selection for this week; Mascarpone Sweet Potato Pie! It is amazing!
I love your different make-ahead options! This sweet potato casserole looks so good!
I’m picking up sweet potatoes to make this as I have everything else on hand! Is it weird that this sounds like a delicious breakfast to me?
I love this healthier version of sweet potato casserole! Looks so delicious!
Lindsay Cotter recently posted…Quick Cranberry Goat Cheese Gluten Free Crostini
I love sweet potatoes and this looks simply delicious! I’d take this casserole over the buttery sugary one with marshmallows any day!
Wow this looks so good! Sweet Potato casserole is by far my favorite side dish! Love that you used applesauce too :
rachel @ athletic avocado recently posted…35+ Hearty Whole30 Side Dishes
I’m totally with you Rachel!
ALL the sweet potato love going on here! Definitely bookmarking this 🙂
Thank you Kaitlin! Sweet potatoes are the best!
A MUST to have on the Thanksgiving table! MUST!
Absolutely Rebecca!!!
Love this! I was just thinking I needed to find a healthier sweet potato casserole recipe and here it is! Thanks 🙂
Yay! I hope you enjoy it Carly!
Ooh wow, we love sweet potato casserole. I should try a spin like this. The idea of adding applesauce sounds so good Laura! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Thankful for you.
I hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving Emily!
Very tasty, but mine turned out a littl,e runny. Too much blending?
Hey Ann! Hmmm…it’s possible you could have blended the sweet potatoes too much. Did you alter any ingredients? You can always bake for longer to thicken it up, or add less applesauce next time!
Thanks! It is quite likely I over blended. I have a Vitamix.
This was so tasty, I’m still thinking of how it tasted. I did use all ingredients as set out in the recipe. I made applesauce in the Vitamix too.
Perfect! Homemade applesauce can definitely be a little more watery than store-bought! But I LOVE that you made your own! Makes the recipe even better in my opinion! 🙂
Laura, help! Working on the healthy sweet potato casserole and the recipe calls for a 9″ baking dish but gives no other dimensions….I have a 2 qt round Pyrex dish…will that work?
I want to make the Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole and it calls for a 9″ baking dish but gives no other dimensions….I have a 2 qt round Pyrex baking dish…will that be big enough?
Hello Brenda! My 9×9″ dish has a 1 1/2 quart capacity! So your 2 quart dish will absolutely work!