Sweet Potato Crunch Casserole

Cooking can be therapeutic, especially when you're cooking something you love and enjoying the process as well. Today, I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes with you all: sweet potato crunch casserole! This dish is so simple to make, but it's loaded with flavor and happiness.

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This gluten-free sweet potato casserole is a Holiday and Fall season dish filled with Autumn flavors and finished with a delicious crunchy pecan topping. I love how versatile it can be; however, it was initially conceived as a Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving side dish; it can also work as a breakfast treat and even as a dessert with a scoop of vegan ice cream and maple syrup.

This was inspired by a combination of flavors of a traditional sweet potato casserole, our savory sweet potato, and my sweet temptation plantains recipe; a traditional Panamanian sweet side dish is always present in every special celebration but can also be served as a warm sweet to end a meal.

Jump to:

• 🧾 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🍶 Substitutions
• 📖 Variations
• 🥢 How to serve
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🥡 Storage and Reheating Instructions
• ❓ FAQ
• 📚 More Holiday Recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews and Comments

🧾 Ingredients

• Sweet Potatoes: These orange beauties are packed with vitamins and fiber, offering a natural sweetness that pairs well with our other ingredients.
• Apples: They add a tart crunch, balancing the sweetness of the dish while also providing a dose of antioxidants.
• Brown Sugar: It caramelizes beautifully, giving the casserole that irresistible, gooey texture we all crave.
• Cinnamon: This spice is a flavor powerhouse that also has anti-inflammatory properties, making the dish not just tasty but also a bit healthier.
• Nutmeg: It adds a warm, nutty aroma that complements the sweetness of the casserole, elevating its flavor profile.
• Allspice: This is your one-stop-shop for a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, adding complexity to the dish without overwhelming it.
• Pecans: These nuts bring in a delightful crunch and are also rich in healthy fats and protein.
• Gluten-Free Flour Mix: It helps bind the ingredients together while keeping the dish accessible for those with gluten sensitivities.
• Vegan Butter: This plant-based alternative offers the creamy, rich texture you'd expect from regular butter but without the dairy.
• Salt: A pinch enhances all the other flavors, making them pop without making the dish overly salty.

See the recipe card for quantities.

🔪 Instructions

Preheat oven and peel sweet potatoes and apples.

Hint: for this sweet potato casserole, choose fresh over canned sweet potatoes, as they will better keep their shape and texture.

If you love healthy apple recipes, don´t forget to give a go to our delicious brown sugar and apple oatmeal and our cinnamon apple smoothie, which is low in calories and high in protein.

🍶 Substitutions

Although this casserole requires simple ingredients, you can make some replacements getting virtually the same results.

• Apples – granny smiths have a deliciously tart edge that works well with the sweetness of the potatoes and the sugar. An alternative tart-cooking apple can be used as a substitute.
• Sweet potatoes - use yams instead.
• Flour - if you don't follow a gluten-free diet, you can substitute with all-purpose flour instead of store-bought or our gluten-free homemade mix.
• Coconut sugar - brown sugar works perfectly.
• Spices - if you have pumpkin pie spice mix, for convenience, you can replace the addition of the spices its correspondence. i.e., a total of 1 ¾
• Crunchy pecan praline topping – have this sweet potato casserole with walnuts or almonds instead of pecans. Check out these brown sugar candied walnuts, made in 10 minutes with 4 ingredients.

📖 Variations

• Fruit twist - we have tried this sweet potato and apple casserole with pears, and we loved it. I recommend using firm pears and tossing a lemon on them to make up for the apple's tartness.
• Extra cozy - add half a teaspoon of vanilla extract into the pecan mixture.

Hint: If you make this crunch recipe omitting the apples, you could boil sweet potatoes just until slightly tender and only bake the buttery sweet potato mixture for the last 30 minutes.

🥢 How to serve

Serve on your holidays table next to spiced cranberry sauce, cornbread, and a nut roast.

If you plan to have it as dessert, toss in a dollop of vegan vanilla ice cream or peanut nicecream.

Having this dairy-free sweet potato casserole for breakfast with fresh fruit and dairy-free yogurt for a delicious fall morning treat.

🍽 Equipment

• Mixing Bowl: This is where the magic starts. You'll need it to combine your sweet potatoes, apples, and all those delicious spices evenly.
• Baking Dish: The MVP for getting that perfect bake. It ensures even heat distribution, so every bite of your casserole is a little piece of heaven.
• Measuring Spoons: Precision is key, folks! These help you add just the right amount of spices and salt, making sure your casserole is flavorful but not overwhelming.

🥡 Storage and Reheating Instructions

In the Fridge

• Storing: Once your casserole has cooled down, transfer it to an airtight container and pop it in the fridge. It'll stay fresh for up to 5 days.
• Reheating: When you're ready to dive back in, preheat your oven to 350°F. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until it's heated through.

Freezing and Reheating

• Freezing: If you're playing the long game, you can freeze this bad boy. Just make sure it's in an airtight, freezer-safe container. It'll keep for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: No need to thaw! Preheat your oven to 350°F, cover the frozen casserole with aluminum foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes. Check to make sure it's heated through before serving.

Meal Prep Option

• Prep Ahead: You can prep all your ingredients and store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge. When you're ready to cook, just assemble and bake. This way, you can have a fresh casserole in a jiffy, any day of the week.

❓ FAQ

📚 More Holiday Recipes

Try these mashed sweet potatoes, infused with coconut oil and rosemary flavor, or simply make perfect vegan mashed potatoes.

Try out these oven-baked sweet potatoes, a fantastic side dish.

Our cornbread stuffing with cranberries and pecans is another perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner, served with a savory vegan vegetable casserole and the hashbrown breakfast casserole.

Add some veggies to your table with our maple-glazed carrots, a green kale and pecan salad, or roasted healthy Brussels sprouts.

Check out our vegan pumpkin pie, sweet potato cake, and sweet potato pudding for a complete Thanksgiving treat.

⭐ If you try this gluten-free sweet potato casserole recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

📋 Recipe