Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans (No Marshmallows)
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This healthy sweet potato casserole has a crunchy pecan topping. With no marshmallows, it’s a savory Thanksgiving side that’s dairy free and so delicious!
This sweet potato casserole recipe is better for you than the classic you may have grown up with. It’s made with wholesome ingredients and absolutely nothing artificial. Instead of marshmallows and loads of processed sugar, this lighter Thanksgiving side dish uses the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes, plus a splash of maple syrup and some coconut sugar.
But the best part? It’s just as tasty, cozy, and comforting as the traditional dish. The simple pecan streusel adds the perfect crunch. It’s so good, you won’t even miss the mini marshmallows.
If your holidays are as busy as mine, you’ll also be happy to know that you can make this dish in advance. That’s a big bonus during busy holidays! So grab a casserole dish and whip this up for your next Thanksgiving dinner or get-together! It has become one of my favorite lighter holiday sides and I’m sure it will become one of your favorites, too.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making this sweet potato casserole recipe! I’ve made this countless times to save you from a failed attempt.
- If your sweet potatoes are especially thick, you may need to roast them a bit longer to ensure they are soft and tender all the way through.
- You can bake, peel, and mash the sweet potatoes 2-3 days in advance, then store them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the casserole. If you do this, you will need to melt your coconut oil before mixing it in to make the sweet potato filling.
- To save some time, you can completely assemble the casserole and refrigerate it unbaked. If you bake the casserole cold, straight from the fridge, add 5-10 minutes of additional cook time.
- Check on the sweet potato casserole about 3/4 of the way through the cook time. You want to be sure the pecan topping and edges aren’t becoming too brown. If it looks too dark, place a sheet of foil over the top of the baking dish.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to make the perfect side dish:
Notes and Substitutions
Flour: Make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free all-purpose flour in the pecan topping.
Oats: Use old fashioned rolled oats in this recipe. Quick cooking oats will become mushy because they’re already partially cooked. For a less crumbly streusel, you can make oat flour to use instead.
Coconut sugar is a natural sweetener, and you can substitute it with monk fruit sugar, raw sugar, any other sweetener that works with your dietary restrictions.
Coconut oil: Ghee or butter can be used in place of the coconut oil in this recipe for both the sweet potato portion and the topping.
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Because this sweet potato casserole has no marshmallows on top, it’s pretty simple to make. Follow these step by step instructions:
- Cook the potatoes I like to microwave sweet potatoes. It’s a quick method, and it also frees up your oven for cooking other things.
To bake sweet potatoes in a 400° F. oven, place the unpeeled taters on a baking sheet and pierce them several times with a fork. This allows steam to escape so they cook without any popping or bursting skins. It takes about 55-60 minutes for them to cook.
Test to see if they’re done by sliding a knife through the thickest part of the largest potato. It should slice through to the middle easily!
When they’re cool enough to handle, cut each potato in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to get it ready for the casserole.
- Add the casserole ingredients to the sweet potato flesh. Then mash and mix it up until sweet potato mixture is smooth and everything is well combined.
- Make the pecan topping. Mix together the whole wheat flour, oats, coconut sugar, and chopped pecans in a small bowl. Melt the coconut oil and stir it into the topping to create a crumbly streusel.
- Spread the sweet potato mixture into a greased casserole dish, then sprinkle the pecan streusel evenly over the top.
- Bake the sweet potato casserole for about 45 minutes. Near the end of the cooking time, check the casserole to make sure the top and edges aren’t over-cooking or burning.
How to Store Leftovers
Allow the leftover casserole to cool completely before storing. Then you can store leftovers in an airtight container or wrap the baking dish tightly in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can freeze properly stored leftovers for about 3 months.
To reheat, place into the oven until warmed through and the topping slightly crisps up again.
Make it kid friendly: Although this sweet potato casserole has no marshmallows, it is still somewhat sweet from the maple syrup.
To encourage little ones to try it, you could serve it with extra maple syrup dairy free marshmallows on the side. I bet they’d love this festive Grinch dip, too!
FAQs
Either method will work perfectly! I prefer to bake my sweet potatoes because I just find that it is easier. But if your oven space is taken up and you prefer not to microwave your sweet potatoes, boiling them is totally fine.
Absolutely! You can prep the entire dish, cover it and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake. You can also just cook the sweet potatoes and take that step out of your prep time. Either way, it's a fantastic make-ahead recipe.
For more side dish ideas, check out my roundup of lighter holiday sides!
I'd love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel
Equipment
- Rectangular Baking Dish 11 x 7 inches
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes about 3 lbs
- ⅓ cup coconut oil or ghee or butter
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pecan Topping
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup coconut sugar or monk fruit sugar
- ¼ cup coconut oil or ghee or butter, melted
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Meanwhile, place your sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and pierce them several times with a fork. Roast the potatoes in the oven until tender throughout, about 55-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F (149°C).Allow sweet potatoes to cool enough to handle, then cut lengthwise. Scoop out the sweet potato flesh into a large bowl and discard the skins.
- Add ⅓ cup coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla to the sweet potatoes and mix until sweet potato mixture is smooth and everything is well combined. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a greased 11 x 7 baking dish and set aside.
- Make the topping by mixing the whole wheat pastry flour, oats, coconut sugar, ¼ cup melted coconut oil, and chopped pecans in a bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture.
- Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. Near the end of cooking time, check to make sure the topping isn't getting too dark. Allow the casserole to cool and set for about 10 minutes, then serve while hot.
Notes
- If your sweet potatoes are especially wide/thick, you may need to roast them for 60-70 minutes to make sure they are soft and tender through.
- You can bake the sweet potatoes 2-3 days in advance, mash, then store them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the casserole. If you do this, you will need to melt your coconut oil before mixing it into the sweet potatoes.
- You can completely assemble this recipe without baking beforehand, bake time will be 5-10 minutes longer if you bake straight from the fridge.
Nutrition
2025 Update: This recipe is still a family favorite and has been updated to simplify the cooking instructions and add extra cooking tips for our readers. We hope you love it as much as we do!
Pairing Suggestions
This is truly the best sweet potato casserole recipe and will go with anything and everything you like to serve at your holiday meal on Thanksgiving day. Whether it's a roasted turkey, ham, Italian sausage stuffing, green bean casserole or roasted parsnips and carrots, this casserole will pair well with it all.
A cranberry old fashioned is a great finishing touch too. Or even a creamy eggnog martini or some eggnog punch. And don't forget a Thanksgiving dessert like pumpkin cream pie!
I've even been known to make it for dinner during the fall because who can resist the allure of sweet potato casserole when the air is crisp and cool. And don't forget the stuffing muffins and pecan tarts!
