Sweet Potato Casserole

I love taking classic dishes and giving them a healthy twist, and this sweet potato casserole is no exception! It’s healthy, gluten free, vegan, and freaking delicious! 

Growing up, my family never made sweet potato anything. In fact, I didn’t even try a sweet potato until my thirties, and the first time I had one, I was not  impressed. But then I learned to cook them myself, and now I can’t get enough!

Traditional sweet potato casseroles are loaded with butter and brown sugar, which taste delicious, but they are not very healthy. So I decided to take this classic dish and give it a healthy makeover, and I couldn’t be happier with it!

This recipe does not use butter or brown sugar, but it’s still creamy and sweet! 

So here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• ¾ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups mini vegan marshmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F

Place cubed sweet potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil, continue cooking for about 15 minutes, until fork tender

Drain the potatoes and add them to a large mixing bowl

Add maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to the potatoes, and mash using a hand masher or electric mixer until smooth

Fold in pecans and add mixture to a greased 9x13 baking dish

Top with marshmallows and bake at 375° for about 25 minutes, until the marshmallow are golden brown

Notes:

• Vegan marshmallows do not melt as well as regular marshmallows, so keep that in mind
• Nuts are optional
• Or you can eliminate the marshmallows if you want to lower the sugar content and keep the nuts
• If you want them creamier, you can add in about ¼ cup vegan butter before mashing
• If they’re too thick, add in unsweetened almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you get to your desired thickness

Storing Leftovers:

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They taste best reheated in the oven!