Are you ready for another recipe for a very #AmbitiousThanksgiving?! I know I am.
If I had to pick only ONE thing to eat at Thanksgiving, it would be this healthy sweet potato casserole. I started making it four years ago and love republishing it on the blog every fall because it’s an absolute must-make.
In fact, now my mother-in-law requests that I bring it to Thanksgiving every year. That’s how you know it’s good, am I right?!
FREE Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide (+ printable checklist!)
Whether you’re hosting or just attending, this Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide email series is for everyone. Enter your email below to get all of my best recipes, tips, and a FREE printable checklist for all of your Thanksgiving needs.
What makes this sweet potato casserole healthy and yet still oh so good?
- Instead of tons of butter mixed into the sweet potatoes, we’re adding some almond milk for the perfect amount of moisture. You’ll just need 3 tablespoons of butter total for that delicious crumb topping, but feel free to use vegan butter or coconut oil.
- The sweet potato mixture is just sweetened with a bit of pure maple syrup.
- We’re skipping the marshmallow topping and adding a crunchy, addicting pecan oatmeal topping instead. YUM!
I’m not going to lie, there have been plenty of times where I’ve preferred this as my Thanksgiving dessert because it’s so delicious. Add a little whipped cream on top or serve with vanilla ice cream and you’re set.
Healthy sweet potato casserole ingredients
This incredible, healthy sweet potato casserole recipe is simple and delicious. You’ll basically need sweet potatoes, spices, oats and pecans to make the whole thing. So easy! Here’s everything you need:
- Roasted sweet potatoes: This recipe starts with roasted sweet potatoes, which is critical to keeping the casserole sweet, creamy and delicious without having to use a ton of excess sweeteners. The good news is that you can roast them ahead of time! They take an hour, so I like to bake them a few days before, then wrap them in foil and place in the fridge until ready to bake. Making them ahead is optional.
- Pure maple syrup: I love adding pure maple syrup to the sweet potato filling. It’s only 2 tablespoons so you can feel free to use honey if you’d like, but I ALWAYS vote maple.
- Almond milk: a little almond milk helps smooth things out and make the sweet potato filling uber creamy. Feel free to use whatever milk you’d like. I think coconut or cashew milk would also be delicious!
- Egg: I typically add 1 egg to the sweet potato mixture for a little extra moisture. Feel free to leave it out if you’re vegan.
- Spices: Add a little cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of allspice for just the right amount of spice.
- Pecan oatmeal crumble: Who doesn’t love a crunchy oat topping? This one includes a little butter, brown sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, rolled oats and sweet pecans! Trust me, it’s fabulous.
Simple ingredient swaps
Out of a few ingredients? No problem! This sweet potato casserole is easy to customize:
- For the butter: feel free to sub coconut oil or vegan butter.
- For the brown sugar: you can also use coconut sugar, or make your own brown sugar with this tutorial!
- For the flour: if you don’t have any whole wheat pastry flour, feel free to use regular, all purpose flour. See below for a gluten free option.
Easily make it dairy free or vegan
That’s right, you can easily turn this into a vegan sweet potato casserole! Use coconut oil or vegan butter instead of regular butter in the topping to keep it dairy free; and if vegan, skip the egg in the sweet potato mixture. It will still be delicious!
How to make gluten free sweet potato casserole
Simply use oat flour or an all-purpose gluten free flour instead of whole wheat flour.
How to make sweet potato casserole ahead of time
Here’s some good news: not only is this recipe EASY, but you can also make it a day ahead of time if you’d like. Simply:
- Prepare the recipe as directed.
- Cover with foil and place it in the refrigerator.
- Once ready, bake as directed and serve!
As I mentioned before you can also roast your sweet potatoes ahead of time. They take an hour, so I like to bake them a few days before, then wrap them in foil and place in the fridge until ready to bake the casserole. I’m always happy when I can save as much time as possible during Thanksgiving as it means there’s more time for wine and good conversations with the people you love.
How to store & reheat leftover sweet potato casserole
- To store: store any leftover healthy sweet potato casserole covered in the baking pan or in separate, airtight containers in the fridge for up to four days.
- To reheat: simply reheat a portion of the healthy sweet potato casserole in the microwave, or feel free to re-warm the entire baking dish to enjoy a few more servings.
More Thanksgiving recipes to serve
- The Best Homemade Healthy Green Bean Casserole
- Parmesan Bacon Sourdough Mushroom Stuffing
- Twice Baked Butternut Squash
- Herb Butter Maple Roasted Turkey
- Winter Roasted Butternut Squash Black Lentil Salad with Grapes + Arugula
- The Best Creamy Garlic Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- The Best Tart Cherry Pie You’ll Ever Eat
- Vegan & Paleo Pecan Pie Bars
Don’t forget to check out all of our healthy, delicious Thanksgiving recipes here, and tips for hosting Thanksgiving here!
I hope you love this amazing, healthy sweet potato casserole recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Oat Streusel
Ingredients
- For the potatoes:
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large or 5 medium sweet potatoes)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg (or can leave out if vegan)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- For the topping:
- 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or regular flour (if GF, use gluten free oat flour)
- 1/3 cup rolled oats (gluten free if desired)
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons melted butter (or sub vegan butter or coconut oil)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash sweet potatoes and use a fork to poke holes in sweet potatoes; about 4-5 pokes per potato used. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil and roast for 45 minutes-1 hour or until very fork tender. Allow potatoes to cool for 5-10 minutes. Lower oven heat to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 8x8 inch pan, 9 inch pie pan, or a 1 1/2 quart or 2 quart safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Cut open sweet potatoes and discard the skin, place sweet potato flesh in a large bowl and add in maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Use an electric mixer to beat until smooth, adding a splash more almond milk if you want them to be creamier. Pour into prepared baking pan and smooth top.
- To make the topping: Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, and pecans. Use a fork to stir in melted butter until a nice crumb forms. Sprinkle all over the top of the sweet potato mixture.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serves 8.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen Photography by: Yoga of Cooking
146 comments
Moving is the worst! Looks yummy!
Yea-heah! You did it! Welcome to Chicago, lady! I probably would’ve cried if my movers cancelled on me. CANN’T WAIT TO SEE APARTMENT PICS WOOHOO
I have moving ADD, too! The pictures get me every. single. time. Can’t wait to make this!
I love the streusel topping, this looks so creamy and delicious!
How did you know that sweet potato casserole is my favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Enjoy Chi-Town! And this is going on the Christmas dinner list as we’re hosting! Thanks!
This recipe is awesome! I made it for our Thanksgiving dinner and everyone loved it! This is a keeper. I also made your 15 Minute Homemade Orange-Cranberry Sauce and it too was delicious and is going in my recipe vault!
Making this today (well the sweet potatoe part, then refrigerating until tomorrow to put the topping on and bake! I am making this and our healthy pumpkin pie ? Love your blog and recipes!
Can yo make this a day before and reheat the next day? Or in the morning and reheat that evening? Thx 🙂
You bet!
Can you make this with whole milk instead of almond milk?
Hi Jen! Whole milk will make the recipe very rich (and potentially thicker), but should work!
Thanks!!!
Sweet potato dishes are my favorite side dishes at Thanksgiving!
Agreed! So good.
I definitely want to make a sweet potato casserole for my Thanksgiving feast! It’d be difficult to not eat at least half of the casserole dish though, haha! For mine, I would actually go a more non-traditional route and use purple sweet potatoes, Japanese sweet potatoes, or Hannah sweet potatoes–anything that isn’t orange or red!
Hope you love this recipe! And those potatoes would definitely be fun 🙂
I just made this with Japanese purple potatoes. Just as good as regular sweet potatoes. I’ve done this with Ellie Krieger’s recipe with the Japanese purple potatoes too. This is very similar but her’s don’t have the oat topping just pecans. This time I tried with the oat toppings and looks pretty and delicious for Christmas dinner, just me and my husband only due to Covid :(. I’ll make this again for next year with family for sure. Thanks for sharing your recipe! Merry Christmas!
Perfect! Sounds delicious. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
These pictures are absolutely stunning! Sweet potato casserole is a MUST at our Thanksgiving too, so I can’t wait to try your recipe this year!
Thanks Alyssa! Hope everyone loves this one 🙂
Is there anything I could use instead of rolled oats? Texturally have a hard time with them! This looks amazing otherwise!!!
You can try quick oats!
Can I use almonds instead of pecans (the only tree nut allergy free this end)? What would you add if using almonds?
Can I use almonds instead of pecans (the only tree nut allergy free this end)? What would you add if using almonds?
Yes almonds instead of pecans work great or you can omit the nuts completely
Delicious! I made it for Thanksgiving and everyone was asking for the recipe and going for seconds and thirds! It was easy to prep the night before and put in the oven to cook the next day. Thank you for such a simple and delicious recipe!
Perfect! I’m so glad everyone loved it. My go-to Thanksgiving side!
Can you double this recipe for a 13×9!pan?
Absolutely — that sounds amazing!
I just wanted to bring to your attention that another food blogger has copied your recipe verbatim -https://www.kimscravings.com/easy-sweet-potato-casserole/
Thank you for the heads up!
If I don’t use whole wheat pastry flour, the recipe says use regular flour. What is considered regular flour? All purpose flour? Thanks!
Yes, all purpose flour!
Could almond meal be used as a replacement for flour in this recipe?
Oat flour will work best for this recipe if you want to make it gluten free 🙂 Almond meal would probably work, but you really won’t get a ‘crumble’ like texture.
If I were to make ahead, I would do everything but the final bake for 25-30 minutes ?! Or do I do it all and then just reheat on the day of
Yes do everything but the final bake and then bake as directed!
Love this! I added some cinnamon and a smidge of cayenne to the topping for a little kick and it was a big hit! Yum!!
Love the idea of using a little cayenne – delicious!!
I made the Lightened sweet potato pecan oar strudel for Thanksgiving. It was delicious and got rave reviews from everyone!
Amazing! I’m so glad 🙂
They were delicious and I didn’t use ginger like the video showed as I assumed it was wrong. The family loved them!
Such a hit for Thanksgiving! Easy to make and so delicious! Thanks!
Amazing – so happy to hear that!
We have made this last year and it was a huge hit! We are making it again this Christmas
Amazing! I hope everyone loved it 🙂
Delicious!! The only thing I did differently, was add more pecans to the topping. I’m so happy I found a great sweet potato casserole recipe without tons of butter and sugar. I will be making this again soon. Thank you!
Perfect! So happy you loved this one!
I could have this for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day!!!
Love that!!
Delicious and easy to make. Will make again for new twist at Thanksgiving.
Perfect! Love that 🙂
This recipe is amazing! Made it for thanksgiving last year and going to make again!
I’m so glad!
How many days in advance could this be prepared? I was thinking possibly three days without the oat topping? Then add the oat topping and beforehand?
2-3 days in advance is fine! The oat topping will crisp up upon baking!
Looking forward to making (love all your stuff!) but keeping things small this year. Do you think you could half the recipe??
Yes you can. And you can use regular milk instead.
Hi! Apologies for the delay – Yes absolutely!
You’d best add an hour to your prep time. No one should peel sweet potatoes straight out of the oven. You should advise as such so novice cooks don’t burn their fingers and then feel dispair for failure. This also allows for planning better kitchen timing for anyone overall. I already make a similar recipe. Also suggest milk as an alternative to the almond milk. There are many people with nut allergies.
Thanks for your note! I do mention to let the potatoes cool for 5-10 minutes, which should be just enough time so no one will burn their fingers. The ingredients also say “unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)” 🙂
Can I sub Avocado oil for the butter?
I wouldn’t’ recommend but vegan butter is a great sub!
I found this recipe when looking for a compromise between my husband’s sweet tooth and my need for lower-calorie sweet potatoes. I made it basically as written, with 1% milk. We absolutely LOVED it. The sweet potato mixture was just sweet enough, and the topping was to die for. The crunch of the oats and pecans made a delightful contrast to the fluffy potatoes. I could have foregone every other Thanksgiving side and just eaten this with some turkey on the side if I’d realized how good it would be. I’d give this 10 stars if I could. Thank you for sharing!!!
The perfect combo! So glad you both loved it!
Made this recipe for Thanksgiving and it was an absolute HIT! Can’t wait to make this a holiday staple! xx
Amazing! I’m so glad 🙂
This is definitely going into my year after year thanksgiving sides! I added a little nutmeg to my potato purée and increase the amount of crumble topping (more oats, pecans and butter but not as much extra sugar) because my baking dish was larger and shallow. Everyone at the table loved it! Thank!
Love it! Glad it was a hit!
This is by far the best sweet potato casserole recipe I have ever tried! It is delicious with a combination of smooth creamy sweet potatoes and crispy hearty topping, and isn’t too sweet like most recipes. I love the flavor from the roasted sweet potatoes, and the almond flour and coconut oil add unexpected dimensions and depth of flavor. I used 2 tbsp coconut oil and 1 tbsp butter, and swapped a bit of the maple syrup for honey. I also used unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I didn’t end up with quite as much topping as shown in the picture, but it was still enough. This recipe beat out about 10 other amazing dishes in our thanksgiving meal to be the unanimous favorite!
Perfect! So happy to hear that!
Made the whole Thanksgiving feast for the first time and this recipe was a hit!!! I love that even the most traditional, “marshmallow-sweet potato” homies could agree that this was one of the best dishes on the table! I can see this being an annual Turkey-day recipe for me.
YES the best!!
This was everyone’s favorite side at my family’s thanksgiving dinner this year! It will definitely be on the menu for Christmas. Only question: can the recipe be doubled?
So happy to hear that! And yes, you’ll just need a larger pan (or two) 🙂
The recipe was easy to prepare. The dish is so great! It was perfectly creamy and crunchy. Our guests always love having it, too! I highly recommend.
So happy to hear that!
I LOVED these sweet potatoes! Sweet potato casserole with streusel topping is my favorite Thanksgiving side, and this was a great lightened-up version! Excited to eat the leftovers 🙂
Mine, too! Glad you loved this one 🙂
These were a big hit at my house for Thanksgiving! They were very easy to make and taste delicious. The topping is the best part! Thanks Monique! You helped me with my entire Thanksgiving menu this year!
So happy to hear that! Glad I could help 🙂
Followed recipe exactly as written and this was a total hit. Nobody missed the heavy version. I may up the yummy pecan topping by 50% next time b/c let’s face it – that’s what totally makes this dish rock! Thanks for sharing!
So glad it was a hit! I’m all about extra topping, too 🙂
Delish! Not overly sweet but love the crunch on top from the pecans. Will make again!
So glad you loved it!
Great side for thanksgiving! Sweet potato casserole is a staple in my house and everyone loved this version with the maple syrup. We will be making again next year!
I’m so glad! One of my fav sides, too 🙂
Probably my favorite dish at thanksgiving! Usually sweet potato casseroles are loaded with sugar and butter but this one does not need it and is already super sweet by roasting the sweet potatoes. Almost tastes like pumpkin pie!
So true! Perfect for dessert, too 🙂
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was so delicious! My picky toddler loved it too. I’ll be making this regularly as a dessert!
So happy to hear that! I love this for dessert, too 🙂
This was just what I was hoping for. My husband was like omg wow and this is healthy? I told him you have no idea what people traditionally do to sweet potatoes on thanksgiving (Haha)! The truth is sweet potatoes are really good on their own that it doesn’t take much to make them holiday delicious, and this recipe was just right.
Amazing! So glad they were a hit 🙂
We made this for Thanksgiving this year and LOVED it! We couldn’t tell the difference between this lightened up recipe, and previous “regular” sweet potato casserole recipes we have made over the years. Definitely will be making again!
Such a great change-up! Glad everyone enjoyed.
This was delicious. Definitely sweet enough too. Save some calories from the traditional version and you won’t regret it.
The best! Glad you loved it!
Delicious! Definitely a keeper.
So glad you loved it!
Absolutely the best sweet potato recipe I’ve ever had! So easy to make and everyone I’ve made it for has raved about it. It’s a perfect level of sweetness and I highly recommend!
So happy to hear that!
Wow – so good. It’s hearty, warm, comforting, filling – all the things. Totally kills a craving for sweets, but doesn’t leave you with a sugar hangover. The smooth sweet potatoes are such a good contrast with the crunchy topping. Will make this throughout the year, not just at the holidays.
Absolutely! So glad you loved it. We make it year-round, too 🙂
Made just as recipient stated, but in a slightly bigger dish so I had to add some more topping since it was bigger. SO good, whole fam loved it for thanksgiving and it is so much better than the traditional kind. This was the perfect amount of sweetness and texture.
Perfect! Happy to hear that 🙂
This was great! I made exactly as directed and my family didn’t seem to notice it was “lightened up.”
Perfect! Happy to hear that.
I made this for Thanksgiving for a small gathering of 4 and it was so good that I hardly had any leftovers. I am doubling the recipe this time for Christmas. Thank you for this delicious recipe!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
I made this for the first time today and I couldn’t be happier. In my opinion the casserole tastes like it has more butter and sugar than it actually does. I have a feeling I’m going to make this for years to come.
It tastes super indulgent but with more wholesome ingredients! Glad you loved it 🙂
Phenomenal recipe, my go to for the holidays! One of my family’s favorite dishes and it’s so easy to make!
I can honestly say, I use to hate sweet potato casserole. Couldn’t stand it, until I tried this recipe. Now I cannot imagine my holiday meal without it, and neither can my entire family. I have to double this recipe because it will be gone in seconds, it is that good.
This is yummy! Nice warm flavors, a little bit sweet but without being cloying or gloppy like some other sweet potato casseroles. Will make this again for sure.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed.
I made this to try before a dinner party. As a side, 3 stars, tastes like pumpkin pie. Tastes like pumpkin pie! Get out a smidgen of whipped cream or creamy dessert topping and bingo….healthy dessert. Left out the egg due to guest allergies and it was fine. Won’t be serving it at the party, but a keeper for those of us who think dinner isn’t over until we’ve had dessert. Will add the egg next time to see if it makes much difference. But a calorie saved….
Glad you enjoyed it! Definitely a great dessert option 🙂
Having never had or made sweet potato casserole before this was a wonderful surprise. It was easy to make and insanely delicious. Thank you! Happy Canadian Thanksgiving x
This is the most DELICIOUS sweet potato dish I have ever made!! My 6 year old calls it crunchy pie and is always asking for it!! I have been making it for about 3 years now and it’s a hit every time! I like to make it with whole milk and I use walnuts instead of pecans!! DELICIOUS!!!!!
I made this last year and CANNOT WAIT to make it again for thanksgiving this year!!!!! IT IS SOOOOOO DELICIOUS and easy to make!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!
You’re welcome, so excited for you to make it again!!
Incredible recipe!! I was worried that since the sweet potatoes didn’t have any sort of sugar added that the casserole wouldn’t be sweet enough, but the brown sugar added to the pecan streusel topping added just the right amount of sweetness! I did add a little more of spices than the recipe called for but that’s just a personal preference. 🙂 Will be making again!
There’s some maple syrup in the sweet potato mixture! Glad to hear that it was sweet enough for you and that you loved it, Lizzie 🙂
So yummy! Doubled the recipe for a larger group and it turned out perfectly. Thanks!!
This recipe says to put in an 8×8 pan, but the photo shows a larger pan being used. If I want to make more than an 8×8 pan, do I just double the recipe? And then, what size pam should I use?
Sorry for the confusion! Totally fine to double the recipe and use a larger pan, such as a 9 x 13 inch pan 🙂
This was amazing for our thanksgiving dinner! Everyone loved it
Absolutely delicious!! We loved all of the spices in the sweet potato mix and the crumble topping was the best we have had. This one will be on our menu for many Thanksgivings to come!
Can this be baked in a crockpot? If yes, how long would it take?
I haven’t tried it! Not sure if it would get the same crisp topping, but feel free to try!
Easy, whole, healthy and delicious dish!! I make this at the start of the week and have it for breakfast through the week.
LOVE this one for breakfast–so happy you do, too!
This is so unbelievably scrumptious that I’ve made it during all four seasons this year! The spicing and texture of the sweet potato is chef’s kiss on its own, and then the crumble just takes it to a whole new texture-flavor level. I’ve tried other sweet potato casserole recipes and nothing compares to this one. Thank you, Monique!!
Aw thank you, Dena! I’m SO happy you’re a fan ❤️
(Five stars, obviously!)
Looks amazing- I just had a question: could you boil the sweet potatoes instead of roasting them? Our oven is broken at the moment.
-Emma
Hi Emma – sure, but I prefer to bake them to keep their flavors concentrated. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
This has quickly become a family favorite and tradition in our house. I eat the leftovers for breakfast
Ah this is amazing! So glad you are loving this recipe! ❤️🙂
This recipe is a STAPLE in our family thanksgiving now. I have made it the past 4 years and my family requests it every year. It’s consistently my favorite dish each year!! Would recommend this recipe time and time again. It’s truly the best.
P.S. I double the delicious topping because I cannot get enough of it!
That topping thoughhh ❤️ So glad this recipe is a hit!
Super good! Can barely even tell it’s “healthy”.
Yay! I am so glad you are loving this recipe ❤️🙂
Yum!!