If you are starting to plan out your Thanksgiving menu then this one is for you. I “real foodinized” an old family sweet potato casserole 
recipe that called for 2 cups of brown sugar…yikes! Why would sweet potatoes even need that much sugar when they’re already naturally sweet? Well, once you try this dish I think you’ll agree this “better for you” version is actually quite delicious and would be a great addition to any Thanksgiving Day spread. If you have the pleasure of serving an extra big crowd this holiday season then double the recipe!
Sweet Potato Casserole
Serves: 6-7 (as a side item)
Ingredients
- 2 medium to large sweet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- Topping Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ⅓ cup whole-wheat flour
- 4 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Peel, cube and boil sweet potatoes until tender. If you cut the cubes small enough (1 ½” to 2”) they shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Drain potatoes.
- Add the butter, vanilla, milk, egg and syrup to potatoes and mash/mix together by hand with a potato masher or fork or you can use an electric mixer.
- Transfer mashed potato mixture to a square casserole dish.
- Mix together the pecans and flour for the topping. Melt the butter and syrup together and stir into the pecan mixture.
- Evenly spread pecan topping on top of the potatoes in casserole dish.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until bubbly.
I made this tonight for our church Thanksgiving tomorrow. I found out I was lactose intolerant (after lots of stomach problems) so I made this dairy free. I used Lactaid milk and Earth Balance spread. Not as “real” as butter, but I have no other choice. I think the majority of my problem was butter. But it turned out amazing! And I know I will have at least 1 thing I can eat tomorrow with no worries. Love it!!
Ghee (a.k.a. clarified butter) is another product to try for those with a dairy intolerance….
[...] @ Food Your WayHealthy Green Bean Casserole @ Heart of Cooking and recommended at Whole New MomSweet Potato Casserole @ 100 Days of Real Food*Pumpkin Pie @ Heavenly Homemakers*Maple Pecan Pie @ Simple [...]
This looks great – I’ve been looking for a maple syrup/pecan sweet potato recipe and this looks perfect. I’ll be trying it out tomorrow!
[...] Sweet Potato Casserole: Peel, cube, and boil 3 sweet potatoes. Once soft, remove from heat and drain. Using a hand mixer, blend the potatoes, 1/3 c. milk, 3 T. butter, 2 t. vanilla extract, 1 egg, and 1 T. maple syrup. When the mixture is blended smooth, transfer to a covered baking dish and store in the refrigerator until tomorrow. [...]
[...] Sweet potatoes- Mix the 1/3 cup flour with 1 cup chopped nuts. Meanwhile, melt 1 T. maple syrup and 4 T. butter in a small saucepan. Once melted, stir into the nut mix and spread evenly over the top of the potatoes. Set aside until ready to bake. [...]
Just wanted to say, I made this for our Thanksgiving dinner, and it was a Big hit. Mmmm
Will definitely make again.
We made it for Thanksgiving and it was sooo good! Thanks for the recipe!
[...] (originally adapted from 100 days of real food) [...]
I make a dish that’s similar but add 2 to 3 Granny Smith apples cut into chunks. The tartness of the apples plays well with the sweet potatoes.
I am going to make this and sub 1/2 cup of the pecans for one half cup of shredded coconut for the topping. I also like the idea of using a little oatmeal in the topping.
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Have you ever made individualized portions of this and frozen it for school lunches?
Hi Stephanie. I have not but sounds like a good idea. Jill
Made this last night and loved it! I substituted almond milk, because I have a milk allergy. I thought it tasted wonderful but my husband said it was a bit dry. Any suggestions for making it more moist?
Hi Nedra. You could always try adding a little more milk or possibly even another egg. Jill
[...] Sweet Potato Casserole by 100 Days of Real Food [...]
Hi! Not only am I a newbie “real-food” eater, which I’m loving btw, but I’m also new in the kitchen. Double whammy! Can you tell me what size square dish I would use? Thanks for your help & I love love love your blog.
Hi Cyndee. We’re glad you’re enjoying your new way of eating!!! I would use a 9×9 pan, like the one you would use to make brownies. Jill
We made this on Saturday for a “pre-Thanksgiving” Dinner with friends! IT WAS SO DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!! We really enjoyed it!!!! Plus, the leftovers the next day of this were amazing!! I really enjoy your blog and thank you for this recipe!
We made a few small adjustments to the recipe, if anyone is curious.
1. We didn’t put the topping on top so it was nut-free. Instead, after we put the mixture into the casserole dish, we drizzled a thin layer of maple syrup on top (and spread the syrup over evenly on top) before putting it in the oven. This worked out really well and gave the perfect amount of sweetness, for anyone who is looking for a nut-free alternative.
2. Don’t be afraid to increase the sweet potato amount. We used likely 4 pounds of sweet potatoes (we were feeding a large group) but we kept all of the other ingredient amounts the same. It tasted great and was sooo yummy! We were glad we decided not to increase the proportions of everything else!
[...] Sweet Potato Casserole: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/11/07/recipe-sweet-potato-casserole/ [...]
Just made this tonight for Thanksgiving- I’m hoping I won’t eat it all before tomorrow!:)Thanks for the recipe!
I made this for Thanksgiving this year instead of the sugary one I usually make and got rave reviews. I’m so glad I found your recipe!
I tried your sweet potato casserole for desert this year for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Thank you! Next time, I think I’ll do yams instead since we happen to like them more. The only thing we did different was the topping. We did butter, oats,brown sugar (I used coconut palm sugar), cinnamon, and nutmeg. It was delicious!
I have a nut allergy, could I just make it without the pecans, or is there something I could substitute? thanks!
Hi Shannon. You absolutely can make it without nuts.~Amy