Not only is this a VEGAN Sweet Potato Casserole - there is absolutely NO butter, coconut oil, or any other kind of madness in it either! Just pure Sweet Potato goodness!
And with this my friends...... my Thanksgiving just became very happy.
Sweet Potato Casseroles are usually absolutely loaded with butter, milk, or even coconut oil, which is simply one thing... a lot of FAT!
Oh and let's not forget the traditional topping either! I think if I see one more casserole with a marshmallow top I'll scream. Can you say processed sugar AND gelatin?
No, I knew from the beginning I wanted something different.
And after that very first taste, well let me tell you something right now....
THIS is the Sweet Potato Casserole you want to make this Holiday Season!
Not too sweet, absolutely no butter or oil, and a crispy, crunchy topping made from healthy rolled oats and pistachios.
Pistachios?
Traditionally, pecans are used to make all kinds of holiday toppings, if not an entire pie. And ounce for ounce, pistachios are way healthier.
For starters, they have a bit more fiber, over 3x the potassium, twice the protein, fewer calories, and a lot less fat!
It's the same when you compare them to walnuts too, another holiday favorite. Fewer calories, less fat, and a whole lot more of the good stuff.
So it was really a no brainer to use pistachios for this casserole compared to any other nut. And trust me, when you mix the salty crunch of pistachios with the creamy sweetness of sweet potatoes.......... ah, it's a match made in heaven.
And besides.....I just happen to love Pistachios.
Of course, some people are going to have nut allergies or will want an absolutely zero fat recipe. In this case, you could simply double the oats or leave the topping off completely. Another idea would be to place sliced bananas on top and then sprinkle with oats.
Regardless, I think it's time I quit yammering and get on with the recipe.....right?
So without any further ado.....I give you my Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole.
Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
Start off by peeling and cubing 5 large Sweet Potatoes. And by Sweet Potato I mean the Red ones (YAMS) not the white ones. Remember to make the cubes about the same size so they cook evenly. Add these to a large pot of cold water and give it a generous pinch of salt.
Heat the potatoes on high just until they come to a boil, and then let them cook for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, drain, and then return the potatoes back into the pot.
In a small measuring cup, add ¼ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk and 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice and mix well. Then add ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Vanilla, and ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg. Mix well with a whisk and then pour this into the pot with the potatoes. Mash until smooth and creamy.
Spoon the mashed Sweet Potatoes into a large casserole dish and smooth out the top. Set aside for now.
For the Topping:
Roughly chop 1 cup of roasted, salted Pistachios. We don't want the nut whole, and we don't want flour - so somewhere in between. Add the chopped pistachios to a small bowl.
Meanwhile, briefly chop 1 cup of Rolled Oats as well. I used an old coffee grinder and just pulsed a tablespoon or two at a time. Again, we don't want Oat Flour, just broken up a bit. You could use a food processor as well. Add this to the bowl with the pistachios.
Stir in ¼ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, and 1 Tbs Maple Syrup. Mix well.
Finally, slice a whole banana and add to the crumb mixture. Using a fork, mash the banana and stir it into the topping. It will eventually form a sticky, crumbly topping that will create a nice crust for our casserole.
Crumble the topping onto your sweet potato casserole (I used my fingers). Be sure and cover the entire surface, and then gently mash it down evenly with your fork.
Bake in a 350 ° F Oven for 25-30 minutes. Allow it to cool a few minutes before serving.
Mmmm, there you go.
Smells heavenly, doesn't it?
Pure Sweet Potato happiness.
From my home to yours, let me be the first to say Happy Holidays!
Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Holiday, Side Dish
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole will definitely grace my table this holiday season. No butter, no oil, no marshmallows, just pure sweet potato happiness.
Ingredients
- 5 large Sweet Potatoes (the orange colored yams - about 2.5 lbs)
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice (or Apple Cider Vinegar)
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Vanilla
- ⅛ tsp Nutmeg
Topping
- 1 cup Roasted Pistachios
- 1 cup Rolled Oats
- 1 Tbs Maple Syrup
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 Banana
Instructions
- Peel and cube 5 large sweet potatoes and add them to a large pot of cold water.
- Add a generous pinch of salt, heat to boiling, cook 10 minutes (or until fork tender), drain and return to pan.
- In a small measuring cup or bowl, whisk almond milk and lemon juice together. Then slowly mix in salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg.
- Pour into potatoes and mash until creamy. Spoon into a casserole dish and smooth out the top.
Topping
- Roughly chop 1 cup of roasted, salted pistachios and place them in a small bowl.
- Also rough chop, pulse, or lightly grind the oats and mix into the pistachios. (we don't want oatmeal powder so go easy)
- Stir in the salt and cinnamon, mix, and then stir in the maple syrup. Mix well.
- Finall, slice a banana and using a fork, mash it into the crumb mixture being sure to incorporate it very well. Mix until there are no dry crumbs left.
- Carefully crumble the topping onto your casserole, being sure to cover as much of it as possible, and lightly press down with a fork.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes.
Notes
Beverly
This recipe is a perfect combination of whole food ingredients. One of my favorites. This year we had an early family Thanksgiving as grandchild no. 3 is due right before and mommy wanted the holiday dinner now. My question; can I freeze some of the leftovers? Does it freeze well? Thanks Chuck
Chuck Underwood
Yes! It should freeze well!
Kathy G
Made this as a trial run for Thanksgiving this year. EXCELLENT! My daughter has a sweet potato casserole that is the polar opposite of vegan-compliant and could be served as a dessert. Your recipe surpasses hers by far. The sweet potatoes are front and center in flavor, the banana is not noticeable at all, and there is no extreme sweetness. Five stars!
Cyd Notter
Wondering if the sweet potatoes can be baked instead of boiled, and then just mash them and add the other ingredients? I'll be making this for a LIVE cooking demo on December 15.
Beth
Chuck, I brought your Sw potato casserole to our family Th dinner. Everyone loved it especially the crunch topping and were surprised to learn there's a banana in it. Next time I'll reduce the added salt and use sweetened plant milk. The pistachios were a big hit with everyone. Thank you for this recipe, it's definitely a winner!
Joanna
Can you use other nuts
Chuck Underwood
Sure.
Pat
I was thinking of using pecans in place of pistachios.
Gayle
Made this tonight for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner side. It was really good, but I found the banana too noticeable. Next time I'll sub some applesauce and maybe use walnuts or pecans. I love pistachios, but they became soft during baking.
Pat
I’m going to try applesauce and pecans. I only like banana flavor in banana bread. 😊
AnnMarie
Can you taste the banana in the topping??
Chuck Underwood
I don't, no
Kathy
Can this be made the day before, then add the topping the next day?
Chuck Underwood
I never tried it - but I don't see why not
janet
Hi...Bought everything to make this and then noticed that you said people love the salty crunch of pistachios. But the ingredients just listed roasted pistachios so I bought roasted, no=salt pistachios. I hope my guests are disappointed. If they SHOULD be salted, you might want to edit your ingredient list! Thank you.
Lois
I can’t eat nuts. What can I replace the pistachios with?
Chuck Underwood
Try doubling the oatmeal...maybe add a few bread crumbs
Laura
Any seed can replace nuts; try pepeitas for similar color to pistachios. Sunflower might also be nice
Glenn Curley
Just about to pop it in the oven. It's not any holiday season, be that as may I went for it. I followed the recipe to a tee, I always do first time around and if it needs any tweaking, I'll do that later. Any ideas what to serve along with this beauty?
Chuck Underwood
My Green beans maybe? Dressing? Oh and don't forget my brown gravy!
Shannon
What could I replace the banana with?
Laura
Why not try applesauce?
Elle
There are April snow/ice showers in Chicago today and we wanted something warm and hearty. I had cooked some sweet potatoes in the oven last night, so I was excited when I found this recipe. I didn't have pistachios, so I toasted some walnuts and sunflower seeds. This casserole was fun to make and tastes great. The crispy texture of the topping is a nice contrast to the creamy sweet potato base. Yum! Thanks for the recipe!
ccp
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! Family mentioned they don't really like the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, so this was a nice - and delicious - change!
Jo-Anne Lowe
Okay! This will be on my table Thursday and I'm sure everyone will love it.
Thanks, Chuck.