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This Sweet Potato Casserole is made with roasted sweet potatoes, vanilla, and cinnamon, along with a crisp praline topping, for a delicious Thanksgiving side dish!
Lightened-Up Sweet Potato Casserole
Elevate your Thanksgiving table with this irresistible Sweet Potato Casserole! Roasted sweet potatoes are blended with warm vanilla and fragrant cinnamon, creating a creamy, perfectly spiced base. Topped with a golden, crunchy praline layer, this dish is a mouthwatering balance of sweetness and texture that will have everyone coming back for seconds—and since it’s made with brown monk fruit sweetener, it’s lighter than the traditional version. I also have this old- fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow recipe or Mashed Sweet Potato Brulee. Perfect to serve with my Dry Brine Turkey!
My Favorite Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Thanksgiving is a day for joy, gratitude, and incredible food—so why not make it a celebration of abundance without the compromise? By incorporating healthier, lightened-up dishes into your spread, you can enjoy every bite without feeling the need to hold back. Opt for recipes that highlight wholesome ingredients, like my roasted green beans and roasted Brussels sprouts, or lightened up classics like buttermilk mashed potatoes or this sweet potato casserole with its dreamy praline topping. Here’s why it’s my favorite sweet potato casserole recipe:
- Enhanced Flavor: Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in sweet potatoes, creating a deeper, richer sweetness that pairs beautifully with the vanilla and cinnamon in the casserole.
- Better Texture: Roasted sweet potatoes have a creamy, velvety texture that makes the base of the casserole smooth and luscious, without the need for extra butter or cream.
- Healthier Option: Roasting requires minimal oil and enhances the natural taste of the sweet potatoes, allowing you to keep the dish light while still tasting indulgent.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
First up, let’s talk about what you’ll need for the filling:
- Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need 2 ½ pounds (about four to six medium potatoes).
- Milk: I made it with fat-free milk, but 1% or 2% would work. Or, if you want to keep it dairy-free, try it with almond milk or another milk alternative.
- Pure Maple Syrup just a touch for a bit of sweetness
- Vanilla: Enhances the natural sweetness of the roasted sweet potatoes while adding a warm, aromatic depth
- Salt to balance out the sweetness
- Cinnamon for warm holiday flavor
- Eggs to bind the casserole and improve the texture
Next up – the praline topping!
- Nuts: Choose chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Flour: If you’re gluten-free, swap all-purpose flour for gluten-free.
- Oats: Get quick-cooking oatmeal or gluten-free oats.
- Brown Monk Fruit Sweetener: Substitute it for brown sugar, if you prefer.
- Seasoning: Just a little cinnamon and salt enhances the flavor.
- Butter: Melted butter or coconut oil will work as a dairy-free option.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
I tested out this easy sweet potato casserole a few ways. First, I boiled the sweet potatoes, but I loved it better with roasted ones since they caramelize and get sweet in the oven. See recipe card below for printable instructions:
Roast the sweet potatoes.
Mash.
- Bake the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 375°F, prick the potatoes with a fork, and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for an hour or so until tender and set aside to cool.
- Mash: Peel off the skin and mash the potatoes with a fork in a large bowl. This step can be done a few days ahead to save time.
Mix in the other ingredients.
Make the topping, sprinkle it on top, and bake.
- Mix: Combine the milk, maple syrup, salt, spices, and eggs with the potatoes, and pour the mixture into a greased baking dish.
- Make the topping: Stir the nuts, flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together and then mix in the butter or coconut oil. Sprinkle the praline mixture across the top of the sweet potato casserole.
- Bake: Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least five minutes before serving.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 2 /3 cup
Cook Mode
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prick potatoes with a fork and place on a sheet pan.
Bake until tender, about 1 to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile spray a 9 x 9 inch baking dish, 9 inch deep pie dish, or or 2 quart safe baking dish and set aside.
Remove all the potatoes from the skin and mash with a fork or potato masher in a large mixing bowl.
Add the milk, maple syrup, salt, spices and eggs to the bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until uniform in texture.
Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the nuts, flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Stir in the butter or coconut oil and mix well.
Sprinkle the mixture evenly across the top of the sweet potato mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Last Step:
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Serving: 2 /3 cup, Calories: 218 kcal, Carbohydrates: 35 g, Protein: 4.5 g, Fat: 8.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2.5 g, Cholesterol: 43.5 mg, Sodium: 153.5 mg, Fiber: 4.5 g, Sugar: 9.5 g
Tips and Variations
- Buy potatoes that are the same size and shape: This will ensure that they’re all tender and baked through at the same time. The softer your potatoes are after roasting, the more natural sweetness your sweet potato casserole will have.
- Swap the maple syrup for honey: It will give the sweet potatoes a slightly different, but still sweet and delicious, flavor.
- Make it nut-free: Use pepitas instead, which will give the topping a nice crunch without nuts.
Make Ahead Tips
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, it’s essential to do some prep ahead of time. You can bake, peel, and mash the sweet potatoes a couple of days in advance. You could even make the potato mixture and topping a day before, but I’d wait to sprinkle the praline topping over the casserole until right before baking.
Serving Suggestions
This sweet potato casserole pairs well with a variety of main dishes and other sides, from Thanksgiving favorites to classic comfort foods!
Proper Storage
- Refrigerator: Refrigerated leftovers will last 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, this sweet potato casserole will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm leftovers in the microwave or in a 350ºF oven until heated through.
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