Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Pecan Crumble is simple yet decadent, with a hint of cinnamon and crunchy brown sugar and pecan topping that sets it over the top!
There is no question. Sweet potato casserole is my favorite component of the Thanksgiving meal. Which is why I take great pride in making one that is absolutely perfect! This sweet potato casserole with candied pecan crumble has come to be my favorite, and I am so excited to share the recipe with you!
My mom’s sweet potato casserole was made with a marshmallow topping. I do admit that I love a marshmallow topping, but in Spain marshmallows aren’t so easy to find, which has made me branch out and experiment with various pecan toppings. I have found one combination that I am kind of in love with! A combination of brown sugar, flour, a little bit of butter and pecans that make a sweet, crunchy, decadent topping. It is basically life-changing.
I am a personal fan of a sweet potato casserole that has a sweet but not too sweet base, and a super sweet topping. The combination is just perfection!
I guess you could say that this version is “healthier” than many sweet potato casserole recipes, but when I am making a Thanksgiving classic, making it healthy is not my top priority! My first priority is to make it taste amazing. I just happen to believe that this sweet potato casserole with candied pecan crumble is perfect as it is, no additional butter or sugar necessary.
Ingredients to make the sweet potato mixture:
Sweet Potatoes: I use 3 large sweet potatoes for this recipe, around 2.5 – 3 pounds. I have made this recipe both boiling and baking the sweet potatoes and they both work great. Boiling is faster, but baking brings out a little more of the sweet potato´s natural sweetness. If I have time, I bake them.
Plant-Based Milk: I find it best to use soy or almond milk here as they tend to be thicker and creamier than other plant-based milks.
Maple Syrup: The 1/4 cup of maple syrup in this recipe gives the sweet potato mixture just the amount of added sweetness. However, you can always add more if you want it to be extra sweet!
Vegan Butter: Butter is just necessary in this recipe, oil won’t cut it. It gives the sweet potato mixture an added richness and helps it to whip up nicely.
Flax egg: I like adding a flax egg as I always used to use real eggs in my sweet potato casserole. It helps the mixture to hold it´s form. However, if you don’t have a flax egg you can just omit it without a problem! It will still come out delicious.
Vanilla: Just to give it an added touch of sweetness!
Cinnamon: I love cinnamon in my sweet potato casserole as it gives it an added depth of flavor and a touch of warm spice.
Ingredients to make the candied pecan crumble:
Pecans: I like to roughly chop pecans for the topping to leave it with a chunky texture. Pecans have a natural sweetness that make them perfect for so many fall recipes.
Brown Sugar: I love brown sugar as a topping in this recipe as it is the classic flavor for the topping of sweet potato casserole.
Vegan Butter: Melted vegan butter helps to bind everything together and provide an added richness to the topping.
Flour: Mixing flour with the brown sugar, butter, and pecans gives the topping a perfect crunch! I use plain flour with this recipe but oat flour, almond flour, or gluten-free flour would also work.
Serving dishes for this Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Pecan Crumble
This casserole works in a 9×9 inch square baking dish, 9×13 inch rectangular baking dish, a 12inch cast iron pan, or a large oval baking dish. Keep in mind the larger the surface area of the dish, the thinner the casserole will be. If you use a larger dish than a 9×9 inch square baking dish, you will need to double the topping recipe. If this is baked in a 9×9 inch will have a thicker sweet potato base be more sweet potato-heavy and 9x13inch will be thinner and more topping-heavy, get it?
Methods to cook the Sweet Potatoes
- Bake the sweet potatoes. This is my preferred method when I have time as I don´t have to worry about peeling the sweet potatoes or chopping them.
- Method: Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and prick them 4-5 times with a fork and bake in the oven at 425ºF/220ºC until the potatoes are fork tender, usually 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from the over and peel once cooled enough to handle.
- Boil the sweet potatoes. I have used this method when I am short on time and it also works perfectly. In total it cuts about 30 minutes off of the total cooking time of the recipe.
- Method: Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into 1.5 inch cubes. Place in a medium-sized pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a medium-low heat so that it continues to simmer for about 20 minutes, until fork tender. Drain.
Can you make this recipe in advance?
Absolutely! That is the beauty behind this recipe, you can make it 1-2 days beforehand, leave it covered in the fridge, and bake on Thanksgiving day (or whatever day you are eating it!) This dish is so good, isn’t it a bit crazy that we only eat it one day out of the year?
Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Pecan Crumble
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mixture
- 3 large sweet potatoes ~1.5 lbs, 1500g
- 1/3 cup plant-based milk almond or soy are the creamiest
- 1/3 cup brown sugar Could add 1/2 cup if you like it extra sweet
- 3 tbs vegan butter, melted
- 1 flax egg optional, see note 1
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
Candied Pecan Crumble (double if using 9×13 baking dish)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup flour can sub oat, almond, or gluten-free flour
- 3 tbs vegan butter, melted
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Bake the sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220C. Poke each sweet potato 4-5 times with a fork and lay on a baking sheet. Bake for 45min, until fork tender. They should be completely soft on the inside. Allow to cool slightly.
- While you are baking the sweet potatoes, prepare the flax egg (if using), and prepare the crunchy pecan topping.
- To prepare the flax egg: mix together 1tbs ground flax + 2.5tbs water in a small bowl and set aside.
- To prepare the candied pecan crumble: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and vegan butter until combined. Remember that this recipe is intended for a 9x9inch baking dish. If using a 9x13inch baking dish, double the topping recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Scoop out the inside of the sweet potatoes into a large bowl. Then add the plant-based milk, maple syrup, vegan butter, flax egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to the same bowl. Mix slightly with a wooden spoon to combine before using a hand mixer to avoid splashing.
- Then with a hand mixer, beat all of the ingredients together until mixed well, about 3-4 minutes. If you don´t have a hand mixer, just mix well with a wooden spoon or you could also use an immersion blender.
- Taste the mixture and add more salt if necessary or brown sugar if you like an extra sweet casserole. Spread the mixture evenly to a 9×9 inch or 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle the pecan crumble topping that you prepared earlier evenly across the sweet potato mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 30min.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.
- This sweet potato casserole stays good for 4-5 days in the fridge. Leftovers are the absolute BEST!