This is a super yummy and easy sweet potato casserole recipe! It contains no refined sugar and can easily be made dairy free if you use coconut oil in place of the butter.

It harkens back to a traditional sweet potato casserole, but with a few alterations and without the marshmallows. Instead, a crunchy pecan and coconut sugar topping bakes right on top.

The Best Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole (No Refined Sugar)

Some traditional casseroles include flour in the topping, but not mine, so this one is gluten free too! It’s perfect to bring to family gatherings.

I really like to use coconut sugar in place of refined sugar. It has a slight brown sugar taste and doesn’t taste like coconut at all! It’s still sugar, but a better alternative.

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time! I love getting to be around family, and this year I get to experience Thanksgiving with my husband’s side of the family. They have a tradition of always eating shrimp cocktail at the start of the meal. My family has certain foods we eat too, like my mom’s cranberry sauce and her delicious deviled eggs. With both sides of the family, I always look forward to trying new dishes. This year my dad is smoking the turkey! Talk about a turkey like I’ve never had!

Anyways, this healthy sweet potato casserole fits the new dish category for me! Both my husband and I really enjoy the creamy texture and the delicious sweet potato flavor. Scrumptious for sure!

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is a perfect time to whip up this simple sweet potato casserole. Take it to a potluck or make it for your own family gathering!

Why You’ll Love This Healthier Sweet Potato Casserole

No refined sugar. Coconut sugar sweetens both the filling and the topping.
Gluten free topping. Chopped pecans, coconut sugar and butter, with no flour at all.
Creamy and rich. Coconut cream and eggs make the filling smooth and custardy.
Easy to make dairy free. Use coconut oil instead of butter.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is what goes into this healthy sweet potato casserole recipe and why each one is there. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

Sweet potatoes: You need 4 cups cooked and mashed, without the skin, which usually takes a few medium to large sweet potatoes. Baking them whole brings out their natural sweetness and keeps the mash thick instead of watery. Boiled sweet potatoes soak up water, which can make the filling loose and bland.
Coconut sugar: Used in both the filling and the topping in place of refined sugar. It tastes like a mild brown sugar, not like coconut, and gives the pecans a caramel note as they bake.
Eggs: Set the filling as it bakes, so it slices and scoops like a soft custard instead of plain mashed potatoes. Beat them in one at a time so they blend in smoothly.
Butter: Softened butter is creamed with the coconut sugar for the filling, and melted butter binds the topping. Swap in coconut oil to make the whole dish dairy free.
Vanilla: Adds warmth and rounds out the sweetness. Pure vanilla extract has the best flavor.
Coconut cream: Makes the filling extra creamy and rich without any dairy. Stir the can well before measuring, since the thick cream and liquid separate. Coconut cream is thicker and richer than coconut milk, so don’t swap one for the other.
Cinnamon and salt: Both are added to the filling in the method. Cinnamon brings the classic holiday flavor, and a pinch of salt keeps the casserole from tasting flat.
Pecans: Finely chopped so they form an even, crunchy layer over the soft filling. Toasting them first deepens their flavor, but it isn’t required. Chop them small so every scoop of casserole gets some crunch.

How to Make Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

Bake the sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Poke holes all over the sweet potatoes with a fork, lay them on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about an hour, until they’re cooked all the way through and a knife slides in with no resistance.
Mash. When they’re cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh away from the skins and mash it until smooth. Measure out 4 cups. A potato masher works, but a hand mixer gives the smoothest, creamiest filling. Pick out any stringy fibers as you go.
Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the coconut sugar and softened butter until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
Finish the filling. Beat in the vanilla, cinnamon, salt, coconut cream and mashed sweet potato until the filling is smooth and evenly orange with no streaks.
Bake. Spread the filling in a greased 8×8 casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes at 350°F. The edges will start to set and the center will still be a little soft.
Make the topping. While the casserole bakes, mix together the chopped pecans, coconut sugar and melted butter until the nuts are evenly coated. The mixture should look like damp, crumbly sand.
Top and finish. After 25 minutes, sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole and bake for another 10 minutes, until warmed through and the pecans smell toasty.

Tip: Wait to add the pecan topping until the casserole has baked for 25 minutes. The final 10 minutes is just enough to warm it through without burning the nuts.

Ways to Customize Sweet Potato Casserole

Make it dairy free. Use coconut oil in place of the butter in both the filling and the topping.
Change the nuts. Walnuts work well in place of pecans.
Warm up the spices. Add a pinch of nutmeg or ginger with the cinnamon.
Add the marshmallows back. If your family insists on tradition, scatter mini marshmallows over the pecans for the last few minutes of baking.

Sweet Potato Casserole FAQs

Can I use canned sweet potatoes? Yes. Drain them very well and mash them before measuring. Choose sweet potatoes canned in water, not syrup, so the casserole doesn’t get too sweet.
Is this sweet potato casserole gluten free? Yes. The topping has no flour, just pecans, coconut sugar and butter.
Can I use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar? Yes. Brown sugar works the same way, though the recipe will no longer be free of refined sugar.
Can I make it ahead? Bake and mash the sweet potatoes up to 2 days ahead and keep them in the fridge. Mix the topping separately and add it during the last 10 minutes of baking.
How do I store leftovers? Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Can I freeze it? Yes. Freeze the baked casserole, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Do I need to peel the sweet potatoes? No peeling before baking. Once they are cooked, the skins pull right off and you can scoop out the soft flesh.
Can I double it? Yes. Bake a double batch in a 9×13 dish and add a few extra minutes to the first bake.

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Healthy sweet potato casserole made with mashed sweet potatoes, coconut sugar and coconut cream, finished with a crunchy pecan topping. It has no refined sugar or marshmallows, and the topping is gluten free.

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Servings 8

Ingredients

Filling

4 cups sweet potato cooked and mashed without the skin
½ cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup butter softened
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup coconut cream

Topping

½ cup pecans finely chopped
¼ cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Use a fork to poke holes in the sweet potatoes. You many need a few medium-large sweet potatoes to make 4 cups. After putting holes in the sweet potatoes lay them on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about an hour. Remove from oven when they are cooked all the way through.
Cream coconut sugar and butter until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, cinnamon, salt, coconut cream and mashed sweet potato.
Put filling in a greased and 8x8 casserole dish. Bake 25 minutes at 350°.
While the sweet potato is in the oven mix together the topping ingredients. After 25 minutes of baking, add the topping to the casserole and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until warmed through. Enjoy!

Made this casserole? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell us what types of dishes are family traditions for you in the comments below!

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This recipe was shared by Lisa. Visit her blog, A Table Full of Joy, for more recipes.