Sweet Potato Casserole

Last Updated on August 15, 2020 by Annie

This decadent and delicious dairy free sweet potato casserole is the queen of all side dishes. Perfect for your next holiday gathering!

If you are new to My Life After Dairy then you may not know that I am a Jedi Master Procrastinator. You see, this post has been in my “to publish” queue for quite some time, but I kept delaying because I did not like the story I had written.

I re-wrote the story 5 different times and decided each one was complete rubbish. (Yes, I watched a winter season of the Great British Baking Show today and just finished Elanor Oliphant is Completely Fine* so I have a wee bit of English in my brain)

The thing is, I spent so much time fretting about this little story at the beginning that I kept an AMAZING dish from you this Thanksgiving, and I’ll be damned if I keep it from you for another holiday meal! So here we are, my sixth attempt at telling you about this amazing dish.

Sweet potato casserole in a pyrex dish with a small plate of sweet potato casserole in the front.

The Truth…

I don’t like potatoes. I know (sigh) but I come by it honestly. My mom did not eat potatoes until she was in college and I will spare you the story of my dad’s attempt at feeding my sisters and I potatoes. We came from a rice family, so potatoes just weren’t on the table.

When I attended my first Thanksgiving with my husband’s family I fell captivated by a marshmallow covered dish being served with dinner. Had someone misplaced their dessert?!? Can this be?? I scooped up a big ole spoonful and it was love at first bite!

Now, if only potatoes could be covered in sugar, cinnamon, and marshmallows…then we might be on to something.

What is Sweet Potato Casserole

If you have yet to experience the beauty of sweet potato casserole, then I am here to tell you a little about them. The base of a sweet potato casserole typically consists of roasted sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, and eggs. This delicious mixture is then topped with a cinnamon sugary crumble, and nuts or marshmallows and roasted to perfection.

How to Roast Sweet Potatoes

One of the best time saving tricks to this recipe is to make the sweet potatoes in advance. To oven roast sweet potatoes:

-Preheat the oven to 425 F.
-Line a cooking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
-Next, wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly.
-With a fork poke each sweet potato repeatedly, all over.
-Bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Dairy Free Changes to Sweet Potato Casserole

Converting sweet potato casserole into a dairy free Thanksgiving treat involved two steps.
-First, swap all butter with vegan butter. I used Country Crock Plant Based Butter Sticks for this recipe.
-You can also sub milk with non-dairy milk. For this casserole, I used coconut milk. I really like the creamy texture coconut milk adds to dishes.

Pro-Tips for Making Sweet Potato Casserole

-Begin by making the sweet potatoes in advance. This prevents additional wait time for the sweet potatoes to cool.
-Use an immersion blender to smooth out the sweet potatoes before adding the other ingredients.
-Stir the bowl you are blending in often. This prevents parts of the sweet potato from missing the blending action.
To prep for Thanksgiving– store casserole in the refrigerator, covered and unbaked, until you are ready to bake it on Thanksgiving.

Did you make this deliciously decadent side dish for your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving celebrations?! Share your creations with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can share your life after dairy adventures!

A wooden spoon inside the pyrex dish of sweet potato casserole on a white and blue kitchen towel.

Other Delicious Holiday Recipes

Chess Pie– This recipe is a family favorite!
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake– Make this cake to be served after your holiday celebrations with a cup of coffee or tea.
Pecan Pie Blondies– These blondies will wow your dessert table! Packed with pecans, maple syrup, and a beautiful blondie base, these beauties won’t disappoint.

*A side note- If you have not had the pleasure of reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine stop what you are doing and read it, NOW. Go to the library, download it on Audible, borrow it from your mom’s neighbor’s daughter’s friend. You will laugh, cry, and honestly not want to put this book down. You’re welcome.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This delicious and decadent sweet potato casserole is a perfect dairy free treat for your Thanksgiving celebrations.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Dairy-Free, Fall, Sweet Potato, Thanksgiving
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 c. Cooked and Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  • ½ c. Sugar
  • ¼ c. Vegan Butter Softened
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • â…“ c. Non-dairy Milk
  • â…› tsp. Kosher Salt

Topping

  • ¼ c. Vegan Butter melted
  • ¾ c. Brown Sugar
  • â…“ c. Flour
  • 1 c. Pecans Chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place pecans on a baking sheet and cook in the oven, while it preheats, for 8 min. Remove from the oven and chop pecans into bite sized pieces.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, blend together sweet potatoes, white sugar, vegan butter, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, milk and salt.

  3. Pour the sweet potato mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

  4. Prepare the topping for the sweet potato casserole. In a medium bowl, melt vegan butter. Mix in brown sugar, flour, and chopped pecans.

  5. Evenly sprinkle the topping onto the casserole and bake for 30 minutes.

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