• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • RECIPES
  • COOKBOOK
  • ABOUT
  • CHRISTMAS
  • FREE EBOOK
  • CHRISTMAS EMAIL SERIES
  • AVV MERCH

A Virtual Vegan

menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • COOKBOOK
  • ABOUT
  • CHRISTMAS
  • FREE EBOOK
  • CHRISTMAS EMAIL SERIES
  • AVV MERCH
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • COOKBOOK
    • ABOUT
    • CHRISTMAS
    • FREE EBOOK
    • CHRISTMAS EMAIL SERIES
    • AVV MERCH
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Sides

    Published: Nov 15, 2022 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 2 Comments

    Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

    5 from 4 votes
    JUMP TO RECIPE WATCH VIDEO
    Vegan sweet potato casserole

    Clear a spot on your Thanksgiving table for this deliciously sweet and savoury Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with irresistible, buttery pecan crumble topping!

    a white ceramic dish with sweet potato casserole decorated with pecans and fresh sage

    My love for this Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole is borderline over-the-top. I mean, what's not to love about creamy, lightly spiced, brown sugar sweet and savoury sweet potato mash filling, topped with buttery, golden, crumbly, herby, pecan crusted topping?

    This comforting, cozy, classic holiday fave has it all: Absolutely delicious, amazing balance of texture and flavour, and super easy to make. It absolutely deserves a spot on your Thanksgiving table!

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Making Ahead
    • Storing leftovers
    • Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe FAQs
    • More Sweet Potato Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Reviews & Questions

    Ingredients

    Nothing fancy required. Just sweet potatoes and some vegan pantry staples. Some fresh herbs if you've got them. No worries if not.

    ingredients for this recipe: sweet potatoes, spices, melted vegan butter, pecans, oats, flour, cornstarch, plant milk, salt and pepper, brown sugar.

    And a few ingredient notes:

    • Sweet potatoes - These should be orange and not the yellow/white variety.
    • Cornstarch - Used in this eggless sweet potato casserole to replace the eggs. It thickens up the filling and makes it creamier and more scoop-able. Arrowroot will work well too.
    • Plant milk - Any unsweetened and unflavoured variety such as cashew milk, soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk will do.
    • Brown sugar - Dark brown if possible for maximum flavour. Coconut sugar would work well too.
    • Flour - For the topping. This can be swapped for gluten-free all purpose flour if necessary.
    • Vegan butter - Adds great flavour to the crumble topping. Oil could be used instead but it won't taste nearly as good.
    • Herbs - If you can have some fresh sage or rosemary it's well worth adding to the crumble topping. It adds so much fresh fragrant flavour. Unfortunately dried herbs are no good in this recipe. If you don't have fresh simply omit them.
    • Pecans - My preference in this recipe but walnuts would work well too.

    Are you a marshmallows on your sweet potato casserole type person? See the FAQ's for a great way to enjoy this casserole with vegan marshmallows and the crunchy pecan topping!

    How To Make Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

    Vegan sweet potato casserole is really quick and easy to prepare. Here's how:

    how to make sweet potato casserole step by step as per the written instructions
    1. Cook the sweet potatoes.
    2. Blend the potatoes with all of the filling ingredients. I like to do this in a food processor or blender rather than with a potato masher, so everything including the cornstarch gets combined thoroughly.
    3. Spoon the sweet potato filling into a casserole dish.
    4. Mix up the pecan topping and sprinkle all over the top. Bake until golden brown.

    Serving Suggestions

    This classic is just perfect for gracing your Thanksgiving or holiday table. It's a vegan side dish that is particularly delicious with:

    • Roasts & Meatloaf - Serve it up alongside seitan recipes like my vegan turkey-style roast, vegan beef, or vegan chicken. It's also amazing with my vegan meatloaf, cranberry mushroom lentil loaf and Beyond Meat meatloaf.
    • Delicious veggies - Like brussels sprout salad, air fryer carrots or red cabbage with apples.
    • Other sides - The classics like vegan mashed potatoes, vegan green bean casserole, vegan stuffing, vegan Yorkshire puddings and red wine gravy. Also for a bit of tangy zip my green bean potato salad and cranberry sauce.

    Leftovers are also pretty amazing for breakfast or even dessert! ;O)

    a while casserole full of sweet potato casserole, decorated with fresh sage leaves.

    Making Ahead

    Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole can easily be made up to 2 days ahead. I do recommend keeping the pecan crumble topping separate until shortly before baking though. Prepare the sweet potato filling and spoon it into your oven proof dish. Cover tightly with cling-wrap then refrigerate. Mix up the crumble topping and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Sprinkle it over the sweet potato filling before baking.

    Storing leftovers

    Store leftovers covered tightly in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven if you want to keep the top crunchy, or reheat individual portions in a microwave or air fryer.

    Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe FAQs

    How can I make vegan sweet potato casserole gluten-free?

    Simply replace the flour in the crumble topping with gluten-free flour and you're all set.

    Can I add some marshmallows to this casserole?

    Yes we can make that work! I highly recommend you keep some of the crumble topping because the texture is a huge part of this recipe. But so you can enjoy that texture AND marshmallows, I recommend halving the crumble topping. Scatter it around in clumps, then fill in the empty spots with nice big marshmallows. I love Dandie's. Bake as directed.

    Can I freeze vegan sweet potato casserole?

    I don't recommend freezing it. The filling will become looser and potentially watery, and the topping will become soggy. it can be made a couple days ahead though. See my instructions in the post above.

    More Sweet Potato Recipes

    • sweet potato smoothie with an orange flowery straw
      Sweet Potato Smoothie
    • a fork being stuck into a pile of caramelized sweet potatoes
      The Best Vegan Sweet Potatoes
    • vegan mashed sweet potato in a bowl with vegan butter
      Vegan Mashed Sweet Potatoes
    • vegan sweet potato biscuits in a skillet
      Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits

    If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!

    Recipe

    sweet potato casserole in a white Staub casserole dish

    Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 4 votes
    Clear a spot on your Thanksgiving table for this deliciously sweet and savoury Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with irresistible, buttery pecan crumble topping!
    PRINT PIN SAVE Saved!
    PREP TIME: 22 minutes minutes
    COOK TIME: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time 1 hour hour 2 minutes minutes
    Servings 8 as a side

    Ingredients
      

    For the casserole

    • 2lb (900 grams) orange sweet potatoes
    • ⅓ cup (80 ml) creamy plant milk
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch , or arrowroot
    • ½ cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • OPTIONAL 2 tablespoons bourbon , (but use 2 tablespoons less milk)

    For the topping

    • ¾ cup (75 grams) chopped pecan nuts
    • ½ cup (50 grams) rolled/old fashioned oats , certified GF if necessary
    • ½ cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour , or GF all purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup (67 grams) dark brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or sage , (omit if you don't have fresh. Dried doesn't work well)
    • 4 tablespoons melted vegan butter , or olive oil
    • OPTIONAL 1 handful whole pecans , for decorating

    RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

    • Food Processor
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
    • Cook the sweet potatoes. Peel, cube, add to a saucepan, then cover in water. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes or until just fork tender. Don't overcook them.
    • Drain the sweet potatoes through a sieve or colander, then return to the pan and leave on the turned off but still warm stovetop with the lid off so they can steam dry for 5 to 10 minutes.
    • Make the pecan topping while the sweet potatoes are cooking. Add all of the dry topping ingredients to a bowl (pecans, oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and chopped sage/rosemary). Stir to combine then pour in the melted butter. Stir really well until clumpy with no dry bits. Set aside.
    • Blend the filling. Add the sweet potato to a food processor then add the milk, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and optional bourbon. Process until completely smooth.
    • Spoon the sweet potato mixture into a shallow baking dish (that will hold about 2 quarts/litres. Mine is 10.5 x 7.5-inch), level the top then sprinkle over the pecan topping in an even layer. Decorate the top with a handful of whole pecans if you have some.
    • Bake for 40 mins. It's best if left to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before digging in. If you have some fresh sage leaves they look pretty on the top when serving!

    NOTES

    Store leftovers covered tightly in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven if you want to keep the top crunchy, or reheat individual portions in a microwave or air fryer.
    Want to use marshmallows? See the FAQ's for a great way to enjoy this casserole with vegan marshmallows and the crunchy pecan topping!  

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 504mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 16267IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Rate it & leave feedback in the comments section below. I love seeing your remakes too. Tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram! 🌟
    « Vegan Broccoli Pasta
    Vegan Pecan Pie »
    166 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Kate Wood says

      November 15, 2022 at 8:38 am

      Could I mix butternut squash or pumpkin with the sweet potato if I don't have enough sweet potato?

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        November 15, 2022 at 9:42 am

        I guess you could but it will be better with sweet potatoes. If you are going to try it squash would be the best choice as its sweeter. Pumpkin would change the sweet/savoury balance of the dish too much. Using squash will change the texture somewhat though.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Melanie McDonald

    I'm Melanie McDonald (but you can call me Mel), cookbook author and creator of A Virtual Vegan. I share well-tested, flavour-packed vegan recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions. My goal is to give you the confidence to cook amazing vegan comfort food from scratch.

    More about me →

    Trending now!

    • vegan mincemeat
      Vegan Mincemeat
    • vegan christmas pudding
      The Ultimate Vegan Christmas Pudding
    • a bowl of potato soup
      Vegan Potato Soup
    • Perfect Vegan Yorkshire Puddings
      Perfect Vegan Yorkshire Puddings
    • a baking tray with triangles of baked tofu and a couple of pretty chive flours
      Baked Tofu
    • Cinnamon Roll in a Mug
    • 3 slices of bread stacked on a plate. Top slice thickly buttered with a small bite taken out
      Vegan Butter
    • Lentil Shepherd's Pie

    ❊ GET MY COOKBOOK ❊

    Vegan Comfort Cooking Melanie McDonald

    Amazon / Book Depository / Books-A-Million / Barnes & Noble / Indigo

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    TERMS

    PRIVACY
    ACCESSIBILITY
    NUTRITION

    KEEP IN TOUCH

    CONTACT ME
    SUBSCRIBE
    FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM
    FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK
    FOLLOW ON PINTEREST

    ABOUT

    ABOUT
    MY COOKBOOK
    MEDIA

    WORK WITH ME

    Copyright © 2023 A Virtual Vegan- All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material without express and written permission from this site's owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to A Virtual Vegan with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.