Creamy mashed sweet potatoes in a cinnamon maple flavor topped with a candied pecan crumble. This gluten-free sweet potato casserole is a scrumptious addition to any dinner table.
Packed with fall comfort this gluten-free sweet potato casserole has a mouthwatering flavor with every bite.
Sweet potato casserole is a classic side dish for any Holiday dinner. Unfortunately, the traditional recipes include some not so allergy-friendly ingredients.
This version is a heathy twist on the classic but with just as much flavor. Naturally dairy-free, and gluten-free, the casserole is a blend of mashed potatoes infused with coconut milk and maple syrup for a sweet, rich flavor before being topped with a cinnamon maple pecan crumble.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I love that this version has a few healthy swaps and can be made in advance to save you time in the kitchen.
Why You’ll Love The Recipe
Make ahead: if you’re short on time you can prep this gluten-free sweet potato casserole in advance and simply assemble it and bake.
Rich, indulgent flavor: this dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan version has all the flavor of the classic casserole but with a few healthy swaps.
The topping: it uses a blend of oats and pecans coated in a cinnamon maple syrup sauce which brings the entire casserole a comforting flavor. Plus, the toppings adds a delicious crunch to something otherwise smooth.
Ingredients You Need
You can skip the butter, mini marshmallows, and brown sugar in this sweet potato casserole and instead enjoy a healthier twist but with all the traditional comfort.
Sweet potatoes: peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into cubes so that they boil quickly. Likewise, you can roast the sweet potatoes in the oven instead to ensure they're not watery. If you end up having extra, use them for paleo Shepherds pie.
Cinnamon: used in both the mashed sweet potatoes and the pecan crumble topping, the fresher the cinnamon the more flavor it will add.
Maple syrup: used in place of brown sugar throughout the casserole. Make sure to use real Canadian maple syrup for the best flavor.
Coconut milk: the secret ingredient to all things dairy-free (learn more about choosing coconut milk). You want canned coconut milk and only the thick, white creamy part. This is what will bring richness to the casserole.
Pecans: the best nut for the job, pecans pair naturally with sweet potatoes. Opt for halved or chopped pecans and know that in a pinch cashews or pistachios will work too though.
Oats: use regular rolled oats here and make sure to use certified gluten-free oats. When you process them with the pecans you can leave them as chunky or soft as you like.
Avocado oil and salt: to help coat the pecan crumble topping.
Expert Tips
Chop the sweet potatoes into small cubes so that they boil and cook quickly.
You need to REALLY drain the water from the sweet potatoes so you don't have a watery casserole. On the other side, you could also roast the sweet potatoes (poke holes in them and do not wrap in tinfoil) to cook them. Roasting them dries them out further so that when you add the liquids to them the casserole isn't watery.
Make sure to use coconut milk from a can and not the watery part (drain that). The more thick, white cream you use the more indulgent it will be.
Use real Canadian maple syrup. The man-made stuff will congeal on the crumble in a way that’s not as delicious.
Adjust the amount of crunch you have in the crumble by processing the oats and pecans more or less.
The pecan topping will get crispy enough with the foil on top. You can also broil it for 60 seconds until it gets that crispy look. Just keep an eye on it.
The casserole works for something as big as a Thanksgiving dinner (complete with this fruit turkey!) or as simple as Sunday night family time.
How To Make it
Step one: Boil the sweet potatoes in water until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain.
Step 2: Mash the sweet potatoes until mostly smooth.
Step 3: After they’re mostly mashed, add in the coconut milk, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Keep mashing and mixing until smooth.
Step 4: Portion the mashed sweet potatoes into an 8x8 prepared baking dish.
Step 5: Pulse the oats and pecans in a food processor until your desired consistency is reached.
Step 6: Combine all the ingredients for the pecan crumble in a bowl and mix well.
Step 7: Portion the pecan crumble over the sweet potatoes and press down slightly. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Step 8: Bake in the oven for 40 minutes then shut the oven off and let it sit for another 15 minutes.
Make It In Advance
This gluten-free sweet potato casserole is a time saver because it can be made 2 days in advance and simply assembled the day you need it.
To do this, follow the instructions to make the mashed sweet potato base and portion it into the casserole dish. Let it cool fully and then cover with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge.
You can make the crumble topping in advance as well and store it in an airtight container until you need it or whip it up in 2 minutes the day of.
To assemble it when you need it, let the casserole dish come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Sprinkle the top with the pecan crumble. Cover it with aluminum foil and bake as per the instructions.
Storing Leftovers
This healthy sweet potato casserole can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Let the cooked sweet potato casserole cool before placing it in an airtight container into the fridge. Likewise, you could cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap too.
To reheat it, place the casserole into an oven-safe dish (or remove the plastic wrap from the casserole dish) and let it come to room temperature.
Bake it at 325F until warmed through. You may want to broil it for 60 seconds at the end so that the crumble crisps up again.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole
Yes! Sweet potatoes are naturally gluten-free making them a great starch choice for anyone on a gluten-free diet. So long as nothing you add to the sweet potatoes or sweet potato casserole contains gluten, you should be fine.
A runny sweet potato casserole is normally due to too much liquid. Some people add eggs to bind the ingredients or a dash of gluten-free flour to absorb the remaining liquid. However, so long as you drain the sweet potatoes fully and don’t add too much liquid, you shouldn’t need either of those options. That said, instead of boiling the sweet potatoes you could also roast them in the oven (not in aluminum foil) as this removes excess water as well.
You can boil the sweet potatoes in water to make sweet potato casserole. However, make sure to drain them fully before mashing so that the casserole doesn’t end up runny. Or, you can steam the sweet potatoes in an instant pot before mashing them.
Other Gluten-Free Side Dishes For Your Table
Below are a few other favorite side dishes for the table. I love adding bright colors like heirloom roasted carrots and pops of flavor from something like maple candied Brussels sprouts.
Dairy and Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Sweet Potatoes
- 4 Sweet potatoes medium size, peeled and cubed
- 3 tablespoons Full fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1.5 tablespoon Maple syrup
For The Pecan Topping
- 1.25 cup Pecans halved
- ½ cup Regular rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons Maple syrup
- 1.5 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoons Avocado oil
Instructions
For The Sweet Potato Filling
- Boil the sweet potatoes in water until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain.
- Mash the sweet potatoes until mostly smooth.
- After they’re mostly mashed, add in the coconut milk, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Keep mashing and mixing until smooth (or leave a chunky texture if you like).
- Portion the mashed sweet potato mixture into a greased 8x8 baking dish.
For The Crumble
- Pulse the oats and pecans in a food processor until your desired consistency is reached.
- Combine all the ingredients for the pecan crumble in a bowl and mix well.
Assemble
- Portion the pecan crumble over the sweet potatoes and press down slightly. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes before removing the aluminum foil and baking for another 20 minutes. Then shut the oven off and let it sit in there for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Alice
My husband won't believe that this is gluten-free and dairy-free. It was so good. He almost finished it himself! I'll be making more next time to save some for myself.
fitasamamabear
Haha that's the best!
Sadie
I used to love pumpkin pie and look forward to it every fall, but last Thanksgiving we tried this casserole instead because it's very difficult to get pie pumpkins or tinned pumpkin where we live right now. I have to admit that I now actually prefer this to a pie. And it's a total bonus that it's a lot easier on me than having to make pie crust. Win win!
fitasamamabear
Omg you made my day, yay!!!
Luis
Followed the tip to roast the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them, and it really helped to avoid a watery texture in the casserole. Such a beautiful and delicious casserole recipe! I'm thinking of sharing this recipe with my sister but her husband has allergies. Do you think she can substitute the coconut milk with regular dairy milk? Or will it change the flavor too much? Thank you
fitasamamabear
Hrm it may may change the texture a bit as regular milk is thinner so I wouldn't add as much, liekwise, you'll lose some of the creaminess. I would probably try cream or half and half instead!
Crystal
The mashed sweet potatoes are so velvety and the cinnamon maple pecan crumble adds the perfect sweetness and crunch. I love that it is gluten-free but still tastes good. A must have for the holidays!
fitasamamabear
Glad you enjoyed it!
Candice
The coconut milk and maple syrup combo makes it so creamy and indulgent. And I loved the candied pecan crumble on top, it adds a nice crunchy texture. Absolutely addictive!
fitasamamabear
it's literally the best combo ever lol
Meghan
It's so hard to find a creamy and rich sweet potato casserole that is dairy free! This one had everything we wanted, including the crunchy topping!
Jane
Roasting the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them really brought out their natural sweetness. Plus, using real Canadian maple syrup made all the difference in the flavor. Also, the coconut milk gave the dish a creamy texture which I really love. Sharing this recipe with my mom!
fitasamamabear
Yes!! Happy you enjoyed it, it's become a staple for us!
Jenn
This sweet potato casserole was so good, I'm always looking for dairy free options and this was a huge hit! ! I loved the addition of coconut milk!
fitasamamabear
A hit in our house too!
Cindy
My MIL is gluten free and dairy free and I found this recipe to make for our Easter meal. Everyone loved it! Will definitely make for Thanksgiving if I host this year. Thank you for a great recipe!
fitasamamabear
Ah happy you have a new addition to the table!
Kris
This was ridiculously flavorful and the sweetness level was perfect! The kids adored the crunchy topping. Will make again!
Kim
I love it!
chhavi
I made this for family dinner last weekend and what can i say! The children just inhaled this! Thankyou so much for posting it!
fitasamamabear
Total win when the kiddos approve!
Polly
I love that it is gluten free without sacrificing the flavor. So good!
fitasamamabear
Glad you enjoy it!
Marie
Grainy mash is one of my pet peeves. So I did my very best to follow the recipe to a T and kinda proud of myself because the mashed sweet potato was smooth and velvety. Yey! And the pecan crumble topping gave that delightful crunch. Perfect balance of creamy and crunchy.
fitasamamabear
Haha totally fair, glad you enjoyed this!
Jane
Indeed it's not watery when roasted. Made this for my kid's lunchbox and they want more! I will be making this again this weekend!
fitasamamabear
Happy to hear they liked it!
Laura
This was the perfect dessert for our family. They like hearty desserts but not a fan of chocolate or creamy cakes. This sweet potato casserole was just fantastic!