This Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole is the ultimate crowd-pleasing, allergy-friendly version of sweet potato casserole. Made with earthy sweet potato puree, warming spices, rich maple syrup, and a crunchy oat crumble, it is truly the best recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole. It just also happens to be dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly!
Ever since I was a little girl, my favorite Thanksgiving recipe has been Sweet Potato Casserole. Sweet, earthy, warming, creamy, and crunchy, this side dish tastes as rich and sweet as a dessert. No wonder I have always loved it!
As my extended family grew, I was tasked with taking my all-time favorite sweet potato casserole recipe and making it dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, and vegan-friendly to accommodate everyone's food sensitivities.
After multiple tries, I nailed it!
In fact, this Gluten-Free Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole is now our all-time favorite version of Sweet Potato Casserole and a family favorite (at my table and many of yours) that will passed down through the generations to be enjoyed again and again.
Notes on Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes: Instead of using sweet potatoes that are canned in thick syrup, this Sweet Potato Casserole starts by making homemade sweet potato puree, which is as easy as mashing baked sweet potatoes or Instant Pot sweet potatoes.
- Apple Juice Concentrate: You read that right! This recipe uses apple juice concentrate, not apple juice. Defrosted apple juice concentrate replicates the sweetness in traditional sweet potato casseroles without refined sugars.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup, not only keeps this sweet potato casserole vegan-friendly but also compliments the natural earthy flavor of the sweet potatoes.
- Oats: Use old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats for the topping, not steel-cut oats. Be sure to check that your oats are certified gluten-free if needed.
- Coconut Oil/Vegan Butter: Coconut oil makes a great dairy-free option to replace butter and gives the crumble on this casserole a rich, nutty finish. Feel free to use your favorite vegan butter in place of coconut oil if desired.
- Nuts: Use either walnuts or pecans, as both are delicious in this recipe.
Substitutions
- No Apple Juice Concentrate? The apple juice concentrate is key to adding sweetness without a lot of added sugars. If you don't have it on hand, use ¼ cup of apple juice and increase the maple syrup from ¼ cup to ½ cup in the sweet potato base.
- Nut-Free Sweet Potato Casserole: Omit the nuts and use 1&½ cups of oats instead of just ½ cup of oats for topping.
How to Make Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One: Prepare Sweet Potato Filling. After roasting or pressure-cooking sweet potatoes until tender, use a food processor or blender to blend the flesh of the baked sweet potatoes with the apple juice concentrate, maple syrup, spices, and vanilla until smooth.
Step Two: Prepare Topping. Wipe out the blender or food processor. No need to wash as the flavors are similar, just rinse or wipe out using a paper towel, and then pulse the oats, spices, coconut oil, and nuts together until everything comes together to form a crumble.
Step Three: Assemble and Bake. Evenly top the sweet potato puree with the oat crumble and bake until the crumble is golden brown and the sweet potato casserole is warmed through.
Make-Ahead Instructions
A huge time-saving tip is to prepare your sweet potato casserole ahead of time, making your Holiday dinner that much easier to pull together.
- Refrigerate (Prepare up to 48 days in advance): Prepare the base and the crumble of the sweet potato casserole as directed. Transfer the sweet potato puree to one large airtight container and the crumble to a separate airtight container. When ready to bake, assemble the casserole as the recipe directs. Let the casserole sit on the counter, as the oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Once the oven is fully preheated, bake for 55-60 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Freeze (Prepare up to 1 month in advance): Prepare the base and the crumble of the sweet potato casserole as directed. Assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe baking dish, such as a disposable foil baking pan. Wrap tightly in 3 layers of foil. Transfer the sweet potato casserole to the freezer and freeze for up to 1 month. Remove the casserole from the freezer 24 hours before baking, to allow it to fully defrost. Let the casserole sit on the counter, as the oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Once the oven is fully preheated, bake for 55-60 minutes, or until warmed through.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate: Store leftover sweet potato casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: While you can freeze the leftover baked casserole in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month, the topping will become soggy after defrosting, so I don't recommend it.
- Reheat: For large portions, bake covered with foil at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until warmed through. For individual servings, place on a heat-safe plate, cover with a paper towel, and microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
- Creative Leftover Idea: Use leftover sweet potato casserole, crumble, and all, in place of the sweet potato puree in Sweet Potato Pancakes or Sweet Potato Waffles. The crumble will add a delicious texture to the pancakes or waffles. Find more leftover Thanksgiving Recipes here.
More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
- Corn Casserole
- Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
- Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- Twice Baked Butternut Squash
If you made this Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole, be sure to leave a comment and review below.
The Best Gluten-Free & Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes for a total of 3 cups of sweet potato puree
- ⅓ cup apple juice concentrate thawed
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg (whole bulb grated with a Microplane)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- dash of salt
For Topping
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped nuts walnuts or pecans
- ¼ cup coconut oil or vegan butter not melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg (whole bulb grated with a Microplane)
Instructions
To Prepare Sweet Potatoes
- Wash, dry, and prick the sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Roast at 400℉ for 45 minutes until fork-tender. Alternatively, pressure cook on a trivet above 1½ cups of cold tap water for 22 minutes, following my recipe for Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes.
- Cool the sweet potatoes until just cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the skin of the sweet potatoes. Measure out 3 cups of the flesh of the sweet potatoes to use for the casserole. (Should be fairly close to what you have made.)
Sweet Potato Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish with coconut oil or vegan butter.
- In a food processor fitted with an s-blade, place 3 cups of the flesh of the sweet potatoes. Add ⅓ cup apple juice concentrate, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Process until the mixture is well combined and the sweet potatoes are creamy and smooth. Transfer the sweet potato puree to the prepared baking dish.
- Wipe out the food processor and return to the base. Add the ½ cup oats, 1 cup nuts, ¼ cup coconut oil (or vegan butter), ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg to the food processor fitted with an s-blade. Pulse a few times until the mixture is just combined and crumbly. Don't overprocess, you want the topping to have a bit of texture.
- Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the sweet potato mixture.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the casserole is warmed through.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Refrigerate (Prepare up to 48 days in advance): Prepare the base and the crumble of the sweet potato casserole as directed. Transfer the sweet potato puree to one large airtight container and the crumble to a separate airtight container. When ready to bake, assemble the casserole as the recipe directs. Let the casserole sit on the counter, as the oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Once the oven is fully preheated, bake for 55-60 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Freeze (Prepare up to 1 month in advance): Prepare the base and the crumble of the sweet potato casserole as directed. Assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe baking dish, such as a disposable foil baking pan. Wrap tightly in 3 layers of foil. Transfer the sweet potato casserole to the freezer and freeze for up to 1 month. Remove the casserole from the freezer 24 hours prior to baking, to allow it to fully defrost. Let the casserole sit on the counter, as the oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Once the oven is fully preheated, bake for 55-60 minutes, or until warmed through.
Liz
This will have to make an appearance on our Thanksgiving table! I love sweet potatoes and it's so nice that this recipe is vegan and gluten free so my whole family can enjoy it!
Marsha
This was absolutely delicious! Definitely going to make again soon.
Kristen Chidsey
THanks for sharing Marsha! So happy to hear you enjoyed the sweet potato casserole.
Kim
I doubled the recipe and proceeded in 2 batches in my food processor. My 1st batch of topping was ok but my 2nd batch got doughy. I refrigerated both and now I’m wondering if I should reprocess and add more oats before I put on top before baking? Otherwise it will be in clumps. Everything smells amazing I can’t wait to bake and serve fit Easter!!
Kim
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Kim! It sounds like you may have processed the 2nd batch a bit too much and broke it all down too fine. You can MIX in a few tablespoons of oats for texture or you can bake as it, and let it be more like a cobbler topping. I hope you enjoy!
Tricia
Delicious! I have a super sensitive gut so I appreciate the healthier option on this.
Roberta
Could you use applesauce instead of apple juice?
Kristen Chidsey
Yes, but you may need a bit more maple syrup as the apple juice concentrate is much sweeter than applesauce.
Merry Hagenston
How could I substitute anything to make this lower carb but still be your awesome recipe?? Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Merry! Making this recipe low carb would be difficult as the sweet potatoes are not low carb themselves. To shave off 15 grams or more of carbs, you could use butternut squash puree instead of sweet potatoes and use all walnuts instead of oats on the topping. If you try that out, let us know how you like it. It won't be the same, but close 🙂
Carlee Savage
I thought I saw a version of this with sweet potatoes made in IP?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Carlee. I use my Instant Pot to "bake" sweet potatoes, and I have a youtube video walking through making it using this method.
Carlee
Can this casserole be "baked" in the Instant Pot?
Thx!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Carlee! I prefer preparing my sweet potatoes in the instant pot and then baking the casserole in the oven. That will ensure a nice crisp crumble topping.
Junia
Hi Kristen,
Your recipe looks delicious, but I don't really need to make it gluten free, I am just trying to cut out the sugar that is typically used. My questions are can I just boil the sweet potatoes and mash them and can oats be added without a food processor. I don't have one, but do have a blender. Can you use just regular oats from oatmeal? Thanks!
Junia
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Junia! You can certainly make this work without a food processor. I would mash the potatoes well or use a hand held mixer to get really smooth (but a few lumps is okay in my opinion.) For the topping, use oats that you use for oatmeal, but I would zap in blender until broken down a bit--it makes the topping much more enjoyable. I hope you enjoy!
Junia
Thanks for your response Kristin, but I also needed to know if I can just boil them like regular potatoes vs putting them in the oven. Seems easier to just boil them vs heating up the kitchen.
Kristen Chidsey
Absolutely Junia. Boiling sweet potatoes works as well. Just drain them well so your casserole won't be watery! Enjoy!
Jill
Hello - this looks delicious! I'm allergic to oats, should I use something else, such as breadcrumbs? Or just leave them out and increase the nuts by 1/2 cup?
Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jill! I would double the nuts! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving
Carrie
We are allergic to nuts:(. What else can I sub for the topping?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Carrie! You can add an additional 1/2 cup of oats to replace the chopped nuts--it works great. I hope you enjoy!
Debbie
I am WFPB so instead of the coconut oil I used apple juice to moisten the topping and left everything else the same. It is fabulous!
Kristen Chidsey
What a fabulous idea Debbie! I am so glad you enjoyed.
Carlee Savage
Fantastic! My kitchen smells like a caramel apple!
I didn't have a 2 qt pan, so used a 1.5qt. - so it's deeper. I lowered the temp to 325°, but how do I know it's done? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Carlee! The casserole will be done once warmed through and the topping is browned. I would plan to cook for 1 hour. Enjoy!