This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is made with warming spices, rich maple syrup, and a crunchy oat crumble. While dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly, this recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole is just as delicious as the classic recipe.

Sweet Potato Casserole in white baking dish.

Ever since I was a little girl, my favorite Thanksgiving recipe has been Sweet Potato Casserole. Now, I grew up eating a sweet potato casserole that was made with sweet potatoes canned in a heavy syrup, combined with more sugar, eggs, and milk. AND then topped with butter, more sugar, nuts, and flour. I am not going to lie. It was incredible.

But as our family grew, many food issues arose. We have dairy allergies, egg allergies, and gluten sensitivities. Our classic recipe needed to be revamped.

I took it upon myself to recreate my family's Sweet Potato Casserole and make it allergy-friendly and a bit healthier, while keeping the family happy. And if you have ever messed with a classic recipe passed down for generations, that can be quite the task.

After multiple tries, SUCCESS!

I have created a Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole that is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and perfectly spiced. It is topped with a delicious oat crumble that adds texture and flavor to the casserole.

And most importantly, this recipe for Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is absolutely delicious. In fact, my entire extended family prefers this version to the traditional--and that speaks volumes!

Healthier Ingredients

ingredients for sweet potato casserole labeled on wooden board.

Sweet Potatoes: Instead of canned sweet potatoes in thick syrup, this Sweet Potato Casserole starts with homemade sweet potato puree, which can be made easily using the oven or instant pot. You need 3 cups of sweet potato puree for this casserole, which equates to about 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, or 3 very large sweet potatoes, or 6 medium sweet potatoes.
Apple Juice Concentrate: Not apple juice, but instead apple juice concentrate. It is a perfect ingredient to replicate the sweetness in traditional sweet potato casseroles without refined sugars. This allows just a small amount of maple syrup to be used while allowing the casserole to still be perfectly sweet.
Oats: Use old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats for the crumble, being sure to check that your oats are certified gluten-free if needed.
Coconut Oil/Vegan Butter: Coconut oil makes a great dairy-free option to replace butter and gives the crumble on this casserole a rich, nutty finish. Use vegan butter in place of coconut oil or if you are not dairy-free/vegan you can use regular butter.
Nuts: Walnuts or Pecans are a wonderful source of crunch and healthy fats, but feel free to omit the nuts and use additional oats to keep this Sweet Potato Casserole nut-free.
Nutmeg: Whenever I use nutmeg in a recipe, I use whole, dried nutmeg and grate it using a Microplane. The taste is superior to ground nutmeg and the whole nutmeg lasts in your spice cabinet indefinitely.

How to Make Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

Step One: Prepare Sweet Potato Filling

Roast fresh sweet potatoes at 400 degrees F for about 1 hour, or until fork-tender. Alternatively, use my recipe for Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes, to perfectly cook tender sweet potatoes.
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, allow them to cool slightly until you can easily handle them. Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and place the flesh of the potatoes into a food processor fitted with an s-blade or a blender.
Add in apple juice concentrate, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract, and puree until the mixture is smooth.
Spread the sweet potato puree into a greased 2-quart baking dish.

Filling for sweet potato casserole in food processor.

Step Two: Prepare Topping

Wipe out the blender or food processor. No need to wash as the flavors are similar, just rinse or wipe out using a paper towel.
Place the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut oil, nuts, and maple syrup into the food processor or blender and pulse until the oats are broken down and the crumble comes together.
Evenly sprinkle the crumble over the sweet potato puree.

Side by side pictures of Oat crumble in food processor and then it sprinkled on sweet potato casserole.

Step Three: Bake

Bake the casserole until heated through and the topping is golden brown.

Spoonful of healthy sweet potato casserole.

Preparing in Advance

A huge time-saving tip is to prepare your sweet potato casserole ahead of time, making your Holiday dinner that much easier to pull together.

Prepare the base of the sweet potato casserole as directed and place it into a large airtight container or freezer-safe bag, leaving 1-inch of room for expansion. Store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Prepare the oat topping as directed and place the crumble into a separate airtight container or storage bag. Store the oat crumble in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours or up to 1 month in the freezer.
If frozen, place both the sweet potato puree and crumble into the refrigerator to defrost 12-24 hours before planning to bake the casserole.
When ready to bake, spread the sweet potato puree into a greased casserole dish and sprinkle the crumble evenly over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake as directed.

Leftover Sweet Potato Casserole

Store any leftover casserole in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. And while it is delicious just served reheated, you can also use up your leftovers in more creative ways if desired.

Use leftover sweet potato casserole, crumble, and all, in place of the sweet potato puree in Sweet Potato Pancakes or Sweet Potato Waffles. The crumble will add a delicious texture to the pancakes or waffles.
Combine ½ cup of the leftover sweet potato casserole with 1 frozen cubed banana and 1 cup of canned coconut milk in the blender for a delicious, easy Sweet Potato Smoothie.

More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

If you made this Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole, be sure to leave a comment and review below.

This recipe was originally shared in 2016 but has been updated in 2020 with new photos and tips.

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

Healthier Ingredients