Perfect Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potato casserole is the perfect side dish for fall and holiday dinners. This vegan version is sweet, creamy, and has the perfect crunchy pecan topping.

It’s time to make a super easy and delicious holiday favorite that is cruelty-free and semi-healthy. And by “semi” I mean that vegan butter and cane juice crystals (a.k.a. sugar) aren’t exactly the healthiest, BUT sweet potatoes are INCREDIBLY nutrient-dense, so there you go. It’s the holiday season, and indulgence is the name of the game.

Let’s get started!

How to Make Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

First, you’ll need some equipment.

Equipment

• cookie sheet or sheet pan (preferably covered in aluminum foil or parchment)
• oven
• food processor, immersion blender, OR blender
• 9 inch x 12 inch baking dish (9 inch x 9 inch square dish works too, your casserole will just be a little thicker). (As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Ingredients

Here’s your grocery list:

1. 3 pounds sweet potatoes
2. coconut milk from a can (full fat–not light) (3/4 cup needed)
3. granulated sugar or evaporated cane juice crystals (about 1/3 cup needed)
4. whole pecans (1 cup needed) (or 2/3 cup of finely chopped pecans)
5. unbleached flour (either white, whole wheat, or gluten-free flour blend) (1/4 cup needed)
6. quick-cooking oats (use gluten-free variety if needed) (1/4 cup needed)
7. vegan butter (1/4 cup needed)
8. maple syrup (2 tablespoons needed)
9. vanilla flavor
10. ground cinnamon
11. salt

Baking Sweet Potatoes:

Before you do anything else, go ahead and preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cover a large sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Step 1: Clean 3 pounds of sweet potatoes (or yams), and poke each one once or twice with a fork. Arrange sweet potatoes on the covered sheet pan.

Step 2: Bake sweet potatoes, uncovered, at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, for 1 hour.

Step 3: Peel the wrinkled skins off of your sweet potatoes. This should be pretty easy to do with your hands, using a fork or knife for assistance when you need it

Step 4: Place sweet potatoes, coconut milk, cane juice crystals, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor.

Assembling the Casserole:

Step 5: Blend sweet potato mixture in food processor on high until it is fairly smooth.

Step 6: In a 9 inch x 12 inch baking dish, spread out your sweet potato mixture evenly, and set aside.

Step 7: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then finely chop about 1 cup of pecans (makes about 2/3 cup once chopped).

Step 8: In a medium-sized bowl, combine pecans, flour, quick oats, cane juice crystals, cinnamon, salt, and vegan butter.

Step 9: Once combined, pecan mixture should be slightly crumbly, but should hold together when pressed between your fingers. If it seems too dry, you can add a teaspoon of water or vegan butter until the texture appears the same as in the picture below.

Step 10: Sprinkle pecan mixture evenly across the top of sweet potatoes in casserole dish. Return your casserole to the oven, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until the pecan topping is a crispy golden brown.

How to Make This Recipe Gluten-Free:

Wanting to make vegan sweet potato casserole gluten-free? Great! You can make this recipe gluten-free in 2 easy steps:

1. Substitute the flour in the recipe with a gluten-free flour blend. I recommend King Arthur Baking Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour Blend. (As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.) BUT, you can use whatever gluten-free flour blend you have on hand.
2. Next, substitute the quick-cooking oats in this recipe with certified gluten-free oats.

That’s it! So easy!

Looking for More Vegan Holiday Recipes?

Here’s some great recipes that go perfectly with vegan sweet potato casserole to help you create the perfect vegan holiday menu!

• Vegan Cranberry Kale Salad
• Vegan Creamy Green Bean Casserole
• Vegan Creamy Wild rice Soup
• Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Vegan Fluffy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Vegan Mushroom Sausage Gravy
• The Best Vegan Meatloaf
• Vegan Turkey Roast
• Perfect Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
• Vegan Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake
• Vegan Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Have you tried this vegan sweet potato casserole recipe?

Have you tried this recipe? I love hearing how it turned out. Share your questions and/or results in a comment below or tag me @veganyumminess on Instagram. Can’t wait to hear from you!