Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole is so simple to make with dairy-free ingredients and a golden coconut–nut crumble topping. Perfect for holidays or make-ahead meal prep. AIP-friendly substitutes included!
Classic Casseroles
Who doesn’t love a good casserole? From the longtime favorites Tuna Noodle Casserole and Green Bean Casserole to new recipes like my Chicken Fajita Casserole, there’s a casserole for every occasion! However, one of my all-time favorites is this vegan sweet potato casserole.
This healthy sweet potato casserole is adapted from an original family holiday recipe that has been passed down for generations. The original is loaded with sugar, margarine, candied nuts, and of course marshmallows. I decided to lighten it up and add an allergy-friendly twist while keeping it as delicious as the original!
Ingredients & Alternatives
For this recipe, I took the original ingredients and made just a few simple swaps, and added some extra ingredients for more nutrients such as beta-carotene! Take a look below to find easy ingredient alternatives and learn how to make this recipe suitable for all your dietary needs.
- Sweet Potatoes – Sweet potatoes make the base sweet, velvety, and naturally nutrient-dense.
Produce Tip: Beauregard or Garnet sweet potatoes (the orange-fleshed kind) make the best sweet potato casserole. They’re naturally sweet, turn incredibly creamy when cooked, and are often labeled as “yams” in most grocery stores — even though they’re actually sweet potatoes.
- Pumpkin Puree – A little goes a long way for this casserole! Pumpkin makes the casserole smoother, creamier, lighter, and more flavorful without overwhelming the sweet potatoes.
- Tapioca Starch or Arrowroot Starch – Either one will work! They both act as an egg-free binder and help the casserole thicken, set, and stay creamy.
- Nuts – Use whatever nuts you like in this easy sweet potato casserole. For a rich, buttery flavor, cashews or macadamia nuts work especially well. A mix of pecans and macadamias also gives you the best of both worlds.
Nut-Free Swap: For a nut-free option, replace the amount of nuts with add more unsweetened coconut flakes instead!
- Butter or Coconut oil – For a vegan sweet potato casserole, use a non-dairy butter or refined coconut oil. Look for a non-dairy butter with at least 80% fat, minimal water, and a firm stick-style texture so it behaves like real butter in baking. I prefer to use Miyokos European Style Cashew Milk Butter. Clarified butter may be used for non-vegan option.
How to Make Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
Unlike some casserole dishes that have a long list of complicated directions, this sweet potato casserole comes together easily when you follow the steps below!
- Cook the Sweet Potatoes. For the perfect baked sweet potatoes, start by pricking using a fork to prick holes in your potatoes. Then, place them on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and bake them in the oven at 435 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-50 minutes or until they are tender.
- Blend. Once cooled, peel the sweet potatoes, and place them in a food processor or high-speed blender, pulsing until a smooth texture resembling sweet potato puree is formed.
- Combine Ingredients. Transfer all of the ingredients except for the toppings into a large bowl, and mix until they are evenly combined.
- Bake. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish, and let it bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make the Topping. While the casserole is baking, add the topping ingredients to a food processor, and pulse until a crumble-like topping is formed. Pour the topping into a bowl, and the melted butter or oil, mixing thoroughly.
Alternatively, you can also use shredded coconut and finely chopped nuts, then mix everything together by hand.
Bake Again. Spread the crumble mixture on top of the casserole, and place it back in the oven until the top is golden brown.
Note: The topping color will vary depending on the nuts you use. Pecans and walnuts create a darker crumble, while cashews or macadamia nuts bake up lighter.
Sweet Potato Casserole Toppings
This recipe calls for a nutty coconut topping, but feel free to experiment! For instance, you could use marshmallows instead of nuts, replace the topping with an oat crumble, or double the nuts for an extra rich flavor!
AIP-Friendly Version
Following an AIP diet eliminates grains, dairy, eggs, and other ingredients listed here instead placing a focus on consuming meat, vegetables (excluding nightshades), coconut milk, dairy fermented foods, bone broth, and more.
This was a largely requested recipe from our readers, and we were more than happy to provide it! Contrary to popular belief, transforming your favorite recipes into AIP-friendly dishes doesn’t take hours in the kitchen or strange elaborate ingredients. In fact, all you need are a few simple swaps! For example, to make AIP-friendly vegan sweet potato casserole, simply replace the nuts with extra coconut flakes, and substitute the butter with refined coconut oil.
Storage and Preparation
A common question I get is if this sweet potato casserole can be prepared ahead of time, and the answer is yes! Whether you want to refrigerate and serve in a few days or freeze this recipe for later, it’s the perfect make-ahead dish.
Refrigerator: Store your sweet potato marshmallow casserole recipe covered in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Pro Tip: To prevent soggy casserole, keep the topping separate. Then, add it on top before you reheat your casserole.
Freezer: For the best results, prepare the sweet potato casserole, but don’t bake it! Instead, cover it with a double layer of aluminum foil, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then, when you’re ready to cook your casserole, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, and let it come to room temperature on the counter before baking it in the oven!
Perfect Pairings
We wouldn’t judge you if you made a full meal out of this healthy sweet potato casserole! However, if you want to pair it with a main course for a full meal, take a look at a few of our favorite options below:
Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
- Total Time: 40-45 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with pumpkin is creamy, naturally sweet, and topped with a golden coconut–nut crumble. Perfect for holidays or make-ahead meal prep.
Ingredients
For the Casserole
- 3 cups cooked, peeled, chopped sweet potatoes (about 2 large or ~ 400 grams)
- 1 ½ cups pure pumpkin purée
- 2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
- 5 pitted dates, finely chopped (40 grams)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons melted non-dairy butter or refined coconut oil*
- ⅓ cup non-dairy milk or canned coconut milk (room temperature)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes
- ½ cup nuts (pecans halves, walnut halves, or macadamia nuts)
- ½ cup coconut sugar (see notes for substitutions)
- 4 Tablespoons coconut flour or gluten-free flour of choice
- 4 Tablespoons melted non-dairy butter or refined coconut oil *
- Optional pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease an 8×11 or 9×13 casserole dish and set aside.
- Add the cooked, peeled sweet potatoes to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix filling: Add pumpkin purée, starch, chopped dates, maple syrup, melted butter/oil, milk, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Stir until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Prepare topping: In a food processor, combine coconut, nuts, coconut sugar, and flour. Pulse into a coarse crumble. Alternative Method: Use shredded coconut, finely chop the nuts, and mix everything by hand.
- Transfer topping to a bowl, pour in melted butter/oil, and mix until evenly crumbly.
- Sprinkle topping over the baked casserole. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until golden.
If edges brown faster, tent lightly with foil and continue baking until the center is golden. - Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4–5 days.
Notes
Butter: Use a non-dairy butter with high fat and a firm stick texture for best baking results — I prefer Miyoko’s European-Style Cashew Milk Butter.* Clarified butter may be used for non-vegan option
AIP-Version: Replace nuts with extra shredded coconut. Use refined coconut oil instead of butter or non-dairy butter
Date-sweetened topping option: For the topping only, replace the coconut sugar with 8 finely chopped dates.
To Freeze: Cool completely, then freeze (without the topping for best texture) for up to 2 months. Add topping and bake to re-crisp when reheating. Reheat: Warm in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes or until heated through and the topping is crisp again. Microwaving works too, but the topping won’t stay crunchy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 357
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 220.1 mg
- Fat: 18.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.6 g
- Fiber: 6.3 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I made this tonight and oh my goodness!!!! It was like dessert! I absolutely LOVED it!!!! Thank you for a delicious gluten and dairy free recipe! With one of my most favorite potatoes!
Hi Missy! I’m so glad you enjoyed this casserole. It’s one of my favorites too, and it definitely tastes like dessert. It’s even better the next day, so I hope you’re enjoying it now! I like to combine mine with yogurt for breakfast, lol.
This is a great side dish! I love the flavor the macadamias add!
yes, those are the best! so buttery!
We all loved this so much, especially the macadamia nuts! YUM!
awesome! SO glad Rob!
Thank you for sharing these delicious and wonderful food.
What a brilliant recipe!
Another wonderful recipe, and I LOVE the inclusion of macadamia nuts. They’re one of my favorites.
Also I appreciate you holding off on pumpkin until October. I didn’t think it was possibly but I think even more of you now. You’re the best.
haha well i appreciate you more for reading that whole comment. LOVE YOU!
I’m melting over that topping Linds! OMGeeee! All of this and that almond mix from Simple Mills looks scrumptious! I looove how good pumpkin and sweet potatoes are so good for us… growing up, our spc was loaded with marshmallows and sugar… tons of brown sugar. I’ve since made it healthier…. but you’ve shown me the way here! Brilliant!
you”d love it friend. care to come over for coffee and casserole? hehe
p.s the marshmallows.. haha how did that southern style dish even begin. LOL!
This looks incredible–ANY sweet potato dish wins me over! 😀 I do wish there were some vegan-friendly options (maybe an egg substitution/omission and coconut oil instead of butter?), but I can tell you’ve done an amaaaaazing job with this recipe. Cheers! XO
Oh you can totally use chickpea (aquafaba). I think that would work!
A seriously amazing creation by you and adding this to our Thanksgiving menu no doubt
woohoo!
I bet this one is a total hit at your family’s table Lindsay! We always have a sweet potato something for the holidays, so I’ll need to give this a try! I bet we’ll love the lighter version too!
LOVE Simple Mills!
Goodness! I love that nutty, crunchy topping! My kids normally shy away from sweet potato casserole, but I think they would be all over this recipe!
My mom makes an amazing sweet potato casserole for the holidays, but we might need to change it up this year and add this one too. Love that nut topping!
Thanks for remembering us up here in Canada hehe. I love the sound of this lighter sweet potato casserole. 🙂
I always remember you guys… eh?! hehe
This has me so PUMPED for fall cooking!!
I’m going to add this casserole to my list of things to make for Thanksgiving this year! Oh and your casserole dish is super cute!
Awesome! Let me know when you do!
In love with this!!!
I am loving this combination together!!
im not a huge fan of casserole type dish but you are convincing me to try this!
Yea! So glad I could convince. haha!
That was such a genius idea to swap out the normal topping with the Simple Mills mix; sweet potato casserole has to be one of my very very favorite fall dishes especially at Thanksgiving time. <3
I love this!
Love the macadamia addition!
I JUST made sweet potato casserole last week! The macadamia nuts in here are BRILLIANT friend! I love the use of Simple Mills too!
for sure! love all their mixes!
Lindsay, I love this pumpkin + sweet potato casserole. Pinning for the wonderful holidays ahead! 🙂
Just used macadamia nuts this morning 🙂 i LOVE THEM and this recipe is off the hook!
Thank you Hawaii for the macadamia nut inspiration! Yum!
haha yes!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That looks amazing & YES to macadamia nuts!! They are the one with most not so great fat & worst for you , right? I don’t care! 🙂
yep! they are soooo good for you but a little goes a long way. 😉
I think this looks amazing! and I can’t believe it’s Paleo!?
Gasp! I know. Paleo delicious
Oh I have the same rule about pumpkin – not until October 1! But hooray – here we are. And you’ve got this gorgeous, re-vamped casserole for us!
Oh yea! we so think alike! <3
“You make the best pie, Drake says!”
I love drake!
Confession: I always hate sweet potato casserole. It was SO sickeningly sweet. Yes, I’m basically the worst southerner ever. That said, you’re looks 100x better than the southern versions I grew up on. Don’t tell my mom…
yep, my thoughts exactly. I didn’t like all the sweetness and marshmallows. ICK! this taste like mac nut pumpkin pie. You’d love bro! Macro diet approved, yes? LOL!
I have tried some of simple mills products and love them but haven’t tried their baking mixes. I neeed to get my hands on this so I can try this recipe!!!!
aren’t they the best?!! You gotta try the almond flour mixes, for sure!
I’m saving this for Thanksgiving! It sounds amazing and we definitely need a healthier side on the table!
for sure! evens out the pie, right? LOL!
Oooh forwarding this recipe on to my mom… I don’t have the biggest sweet tooth, but she loves all things sweet potato / casserole!! 😉 Hugs, Lindsay!
Oh that’s awesome Sarah! Let me know if you do! Invite me, LOL!
Whoa! This sounds amazing! Perfect side dish or dessert for the season. Love your new casserole dish, too. 🙂
I love hearing from you friend! How are you? Been thinking about you! This casserole dish is so your style. Cute x 10. hehe