Creamy sweet potatoes and warm spices with gooey marshmallows and a crunchy pecan crumble topping! This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans and Marshmallows may be the best lightened up side dish ever! Perfect to serve up at Thanksgiving or anytime really and easy to make gluten-free and vegan too!
Sweet potato casserole. One of the most classic Thanksgiving dinner side dishes ever! Lightened up but still includes all the deliciousness of a traditional sweet potato casserole. This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans and Marshmallows is loaded with flavor. I promise you won’t even miss the kind loaded with butter and sugar
The combination of brown sugary crunchy pecans and cornflakes with the sweet gooey marshmallows is my favorite part about this dish. Why pick one topping when you can have both? It’s not only an epic flavor explosion in your mouth but the alternating rows of marshmallow and pecans is beautiful and will look just marvelous on your Thanksgiving table!
This healthy sweet potato casserole recipe can even be made ahead of time! Just complete the mashed sweet potato base, add to a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and pop it in the fridge! When you are ready to bake, mix up the pecan topping, add it to the top and bake!
Make this one for your next holiday meal! I promise it will not disappoint! This easy sweet potato casserole will become one of your go-to holiday side dishes.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS HEALTHY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH PECANS AND MARSHMALLOWS
- Classic favorite. A traditional thanksgiving favorite, lightened up!
- Gluten-free as written and can be easily made vegan!
- Minimal prep time. Easy to prepare, and can be made ahead of time!
- Simple ingredients. Healthy, simple ingredients you can grab at your local grocery store!
- A family favorite that you will have on repeat! Perfect for upcoming holiday meals!
INGREDIENTS FOR HEALTHIER SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
- Sweet potatoes- I used fresh sweet potatoes.
- Syrup– I used pure maple syrup.You could also use honey here.
- Milk– I used unsweetened almond milk. Unsweetened coconut milk, oat milk, regular milk, or any milk or choice works here.
- Vanilla extract – to bring this dish more flavor.
- Egg- You could also sub a flax egg or just omit completely to make this dish vegan.
- Spices– Grab some nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
- Corn flakes- For some extra crunch!
- Pecans- I used chopped pecans.
- Brown sugar- You could also use coconut sugar here.
- Butter- I used regular butter. You can use dairy-free butter to make this dish dairy-free and vegan. I wouldn’t recommend subbing with coconut oil.
- Marshmallows- I used mini marshmallows. Use vegan marshmallows if needed.
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH PECANS AND MARSHMALLOWS
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 7×11-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Poke holes in sweet potatoes and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes, flipping halfway, or until potatoes are tender. Potatoes should be tender with a fork. Take out and allow to cool until cool to touch (about 15 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the sweet potatoes open and discard the skin. For the sweet potato base, add the sweet potato flesh to a large bowl with the maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat the sweet potato mixture until smooth. You could also use a potato masher. Pour the sweet potato filling into the prepared baking dish or pan and spread out evenly.
- To make the crunchy topping, combine the corn flakes, chopped pecans, brown sugar and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the topping ingredients over the top of the casserole in diagonal rows 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Then remove from the oven and sprinkle marshmallows in alternate rows between cornflake mixture. Bake for another 10 minutes or until marshmallows are toasted to liking.
HOW TO STORE
Store leftover sweet potato casserole in an airtight container or with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 1 week.
HEALTHY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH PECANS AND MARSHMALLOWS: FAQ
Yes. Just substitute the butter for vegan butter and use a flax egg or omit the egg completely. You can also omit the marshmallows or use vegan marshmallows!
Yes, you can! You can go ahead and cook the sweet potatoes, mix together the sweet potato base, and add to a baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge. Pull it out when you are ready to bake. For best results, you will want to add the pecan topping and marshmallows when you are ready to bake.
Yes. Allow sweet potato casserole to cool to room temperature. Then store in an air tight container for up to 3 months.
WANT TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans and Marshmallows
Creamy sweet potatoes and warm spices with gooey marshmallows and a crunchy pecan crumble topping! This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans and Marshmallows may be the best lightened up side dish ever! Perfect to serve up at Thanksgiving or anytime really and easy to make gluten-free and vegan too!
Ingredients
Sweet potato casserole:
- 3 lb. sweet potatoes - about 4 medium or 3 large sweet potatoes
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup (45g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (120g)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
Crunchy topping:
- 1 cup crushed corn flakes (28g) - or you can leave as is
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans (30g)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar (24g)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (30g)
- 1 cup mini marshmallows (55g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 7x11-inch dish with cooking spray.
- Poke holes in sweet potatoes and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 45-55 minutes, flipping halfway, or until potatoes are tender. Potatoes should be tender all over with a fork. Take out and allow to cool until cool to touch (about 15 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the sweet potatoes open and discard the skin. Add the sweet potato flesh to a bowl with the maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Use an electric mixer to beat until smooth. Pour into the prepared baking pan and spread out evenly.
- Combine the corn flakes, chopped pecans, brown sugar and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the casserole in diagonal rows 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Then remove from the oven and sprinkle marshmallows in alternate rows between cornflake mixture. Bake for another 10 minutes or until marshmallows are toasted to liking.
Notes
MFP entry: LFF Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
Per serving: 1/2 cup (177g)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 234Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 5gSugar: 17gProtein: 5g
Can this be pre made the day before? Except for the toppings of course?
It most certainly can! I think it’s actually better made the day before because it gives the potatoes more time for all the flavors to come together!
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit!
Followed the recipe exactly but I’m curious if the following subs would work to make it lighter or if they would compromise the taste – swerve brown sugar, sugar free maple syrup, and I can’t believe it’s not butter light. What do you think? I know those are staple ingredients in your other recipes but don’t want to use them here if you intentionally used real maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter for taste reasons.
Thanks Lauren!