Maple Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
Maple Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole is a Thanksgiving recipe classic! This version is better than the traditional because it is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, and has crunchy pecans mixed in.
Sweet potato casserole has always been a staple at our family Thanksgiving every single year. It has always been one of my favorite things my grandma makes each year. But after I had to completely change my diet, I couldn’t have many of the things that went into her recipe.
So I knew I had to make my own and put my special twist on it. Now you know that we’re doing everything from scratch, and not using those weird canned sweet potatoes in corn syrup. It’s actually way easier than you think to make this casserole from scratch.
All you need to do is roast your sweet potatoes until they are nice and soft, but not brown and crispy. Once they’re done roasting, throw them in the food processor with some maple syrup, vegan butter, a dash of almond milk and cinnamon, and BLEND.
Then just stir in your pecans, put it in a casserole dish, top it with marshmallows, and boom. Thanksgiving happiness.
Side note: I’ve been using these marshmallows from Dandie’s for years, and we love them! I discovered them while searching for marshmallows that didn’t have a bunch of weird ingredients in them, and these fit the bill. They are made with NO corn syrup and NO gelatin, so they’re even vegan! They puff up and melt just like the ones we all ate as kids, so its a win win! (not sponsored, just love them)
Let’s be honest, this is basically a dessert disguised as a side dish. And I’m not mad about it one bit.
I love that this tastes indulgent and decadent (just like grandma’s), but is made with real food ingredients, and is naturally sweetened so you don’t feel sick from a sugar crash right afterward.
Looking for more sweet potato recipes?
- Chipotle Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Slow Cooker Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
- Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Coconut Rice & Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Dessert Fries
- Sweet Potato Puree with Sautéed Shrimp & Brussels
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Maple Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 (10oz) bag of jumbo sized marshmallows
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil)
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and chop the potatoes into small cubes. Spread the potatoes out onto a baking sheet in an even layer (this may take two baking sheets depending on how big yours are). Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes, and season with a pinch of salt. Toss to combine, then bake for 30-40 minutes, until soft.
- When the potatoes are done baking, transfer them to a food processor. Add the maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla. Blend for about 30 seconds, until you have a smooth consistency. Do not over blend because this could cause the potatoes to become gummy.
- Remove the blade from the food processor, then stir in the chopped pecans.
- Spray a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick spray, and transfer the sweet potatoes into the dish. Use a spoon to smooth out the top. Place the marshmallows on top in even rows so they cover all of the potatoes.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Then, turn on the broiler and let the marshmallows brown. This will only take 3-4 minutes, so watch them closely because they will burn very quickly.
- Once the marshmallows have turned slightly brown, remove from the oven and let it cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
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