Healthy sweet potato casserole with oatmeal topping

My Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is a lightened up version of a classic Thanksgiving side dish.  You won't miss the marshmallow topping in this dish!  Creamy, fluffy sweet potatoes are baked to perfection and topped with a crumbly oatmeal pecan streusel.  This dish can easily be made vegan and gluten free too!

Sweet potato casserole is one of those classic Thanksgiving side dishes.  It's always a staple at my holiday table.  It’s the one dish that my husband Pete makes every year.  He usually follows a certain Food Network chef's recipe but it’s not exactly the healthiest recipe around.  With a full cup of sugar in the filling and another cup of sugar in the topping along with ¾ stick of butter, it's a calorie bomb! 

This year I'm taking over sweet potato duty with my lightened up casserole.  My Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole has less calories, fat, and sugar but still tastes decadent and is sure to be a crowd favorite.  Say goodbye to the sticky, sweet marshmallow topping we all grew up eating.  My version has a delicious, crumbly oatmeal pecan streusel topping that lets the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes shine through.  Once you try it, you'll never go back!

Why This Sweet Potato Casserole is Healthier

• Most sweet potato casseroles have a lot of butter and heavy cream in the filling. My version has no butter or cream.  I just use some milk to keep the filling moist and an egg to bind it together. 
• Traditional recipes use a LOT of sugar in the filling.  My version uses maple syrup, a natural sweetener.  I only use ¼ cup for the entire dish.  Roasting the sweet potatoes brings out their natural sweetness so less added sugar is needed. 
• I skip the marshmallow topping.  Instead, I top the casserole with an irresistible crumbly oatmeal streusel made with whole grain oats and white whole wheat flour.  Chopped pecans add a nice crunch along with healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.   

Ingredients for Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

Filling:

• Sweet potatoes
• Egg
• Maple syrup
• Milk
• Vanilla extract
• Spices- cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt

Topping:

• Rolled oats
• Flour (I use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour)
• Pecans
• Brown sugar
• Butter or coconut oil

How to make Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

1. Cook the sweet potatoes- I prefer to bake them in the oven or even cook them in the air fryer.  Check out my Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes. 
2. Make the filling- Using a hand mixer, mix the cooked sweet potato in a bowl with an egg, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and a pinch of salt.  Pour the sweet potato mixture into a baking dish and smooth out the top.
3. Make the topping-  Mix rolled oats, flour, pecans, brown sugar, and melted butter or coconut oil together in a bowl.  Scatter the topping over the sweet potatoes.
4. Bake- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until filling is hot and topping is golden brown.  

FAQs

How can you cook the sweet potatoes?

You can cook the sweet potatoes for this casserole a number of ways. I prefer to bake them in the oven or cook them in the air fryer because they develop a richer flavor. However, you can also cook them in the microwave or steam them in a steamer basket on the stove.

Can you make this dish vegan?

Yes, you can easily make this dish vegan! Just use coconut oil instead of butter in the topping. In the filling, use a nondairy milk like almond milk or oat milk. Instead of an egg, use a flax egg. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water. Let it sit for 5 minutes then use it in the recipe as a substitute for 1 egg.

Can you make this dish gluten free?

Yes, you can easily make this dish gluten free! Just use certified gluten-free oats and gluten-free flour (such as almond flour or a gluten-free flour blend) in the topping.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this dish ahead of time. You can cook the sweet potatoes ahead of time and refrigerate them until you're ready to make the rest of the casserole. You can also prepare the whole casserole ahead of time. Refrigerate the filling and the topping separately. Then, when you're ready to eat the dish, spread the filling on top of the filling and bake it.

Try These Other Thanksgiving Recipes:

Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes

Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

Maple Glazed Acorn Squash

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Deviled Eggs

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Blueberry Brie Bites

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• ▢ Sweet Potatoes:
• ▢ 3 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 medium)
• ▢ 1 large egg or flax egg
• ▢ ¼ cup maple syrup
• ▢ ¾ cup milk, any type (can use dairy-free milk like almond or oat milk)
• ▢ 1 tablespoons vanilla
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon allspice
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ Topping:
• ▢ ¼ cup rolled oats (can use certified gluten-free oats)
• ▢ ¼ cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour (can use gluten-free flour)
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped pecans
• ▢ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil

• Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven at 400F for 40-45 minutes until soft. Scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Lower the oven to 350°F.

• Add the other ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Pour into baking dish. Smooth out the top.

• Mix topping ingredients together in bowl and stir in the melted butter with a fork. Scatter topping over the sweet potatoes.

• Bake 30 minutes until filling is hot and topping is browned. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

• To make this recipe vegan, use coconut oil instead of butter in the topping. In the filling, use a nondairy milk like almond milk or oat milk. Instead of an egg, use a flax egg. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water. Let it sit for 5 minutes then use it in the recipe as a substitute for 1 egg.
• To make this recipe gluten free, use certified gluten-free oats and gluten-free flour (such as almond flour or a gluten-free flour blend) in the topping.

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 22637IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1mg