Gorgeous as it is delicious, our healthy sweet potato casserole recipe is just as cozy and comforting as the ultra-rich marshmallow-laden version (and we actually like it way better.) This lightened up sweet potato casserole calls for all the good stuff; rich and glowing roasted sweet potatoes, crispy pumpkin seed and pecans, finished with a drizzle of maple syrup for a burst of fall flavors and colors that’s as healthy to eat as it is lovely to look at.
Best of all? Everyone will feel welcome at your table, when you serve up something that’s not only yummy but also dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan! Serve it with Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Broccolini and our Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe for a lighter Thanksgiving meal (the kind that actually leaves us with room for pie after dinner!). If you still need ideas, we’ve got you! Our 40 Best Thanksgiving sides round up has inspiration galore. For a healthy riff on this classic casserole, try our healthy sweet potato casserole, too!
Ingredients for a Healthier Take on Sweet Potato Casserole.
Sweet potatoes: You’ll need about five big sweet potatoes for this casserole.
Coconut oil: Instead of butter, coconut oil lends richness and a healthy boost to our lightened up casserole.
Spices: Cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
Pumpkin seeds: Crunchy and healthy, what could be more autumnal than pumpkin seeds?
Candied ginger: We love candied ginger! You can usually find it in the bulk foods section, wherever you’d find the pecans and pumpkin seeds.
Dried cranberries: The hardest part is not snacking on all of them before you add them to the healthy sweet potato casserole.
Pecans: Rich and nutty, pecans are such a nice complement to the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
Maple syrup: Instead of refined white sugar, our healthy sweet potato casserole gets its sweetness naturally, from maple syrup. YUM.
How to Make Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
Slice the sweet potatoes. A mandolin is really helpful for getting the perfect, uniform slices of sweet potato that you see in the pictures, but you can totally use a good sharp knife if that’s what you’ve got.
Melt the coconut oil, and toss it with the spices, salt and sweet potato slices.
Tap into your most type-A self and arrange the sweet potato slices in the baking dish.
Sprinkle the arranged sweet potatoes with all the healthy, crunchy toppings! Pumpkin seeds, ginger, cranberries, and pecans, tucking some of the ingredients between slices.
Drizzle the casserole with maple syrup!
Bake until the sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown.
Make It Ahead
For holiday meals like Thanksgiving, having some side dishes you can easily make ahead of time is KEY. This healthy sweet potato casserole recipe is pretty forgiving. You could prep it the night before, pop it in the fridge overnight and bake it the day of your big dinner. You could even plan to serve it at room temperature and not stress about timing your bake. Particularly without any dairy or meat in it, there’s really no stress about having to serve it piping hot. Win win!
More Healthy Holiday Side Dishes
Healthy Really Can Be Delicious!
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