Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans Recipe - Vegan in the Freezer (2024)

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Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is a very easy updated version of the mashed sweet potato casserole. Lots of nice bites with a much more healthy topping. A side dish that shines for the holidays and throughout the year.

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans Recipe - Vegan in the Freezer (1)

I'm always looking for a new side dish to go with our dinner. Especially one with a vegetable that I don't use all the time. I found it with this recipe for an Easy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans even.

Sweet potatoes have become used more often over the last couple of years and they aren't just relegated to the holiday table. Sweet potato fries and roasted sweet potatoes come to mind.

I even have a Sweet Potato Chips from the Air Fryer recipe on the blog and spicy sweet potato fries are coming soon.

This recipe is keeping the holidays in mind but the sweet potatoes are bite-size chunks versus mashed.

It only takes 15 minutes to put this recipe together. The rest of the time is in the baking. And you can prepare it ahead a few days and bake the day of the meal.

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans Recipe - Vegan in the Freezer (2)

I've actually included photos with this recipe made with a thicker topping using the same ingredients. It is delicious and perfect for the holidays but I was also wanted to aim for a healthy sweet potato casserole.

Believe me, both recipes are healthier than the old standard sweet potato casserole so go ahead and make whichever you like.

The thicker topping is photographed further at the bottom near the recipe card.

Also, nothing is out of the ordinary for this vegan casserole it's just that wonderful coconut sugar is used instead of refined sugar and dairy free butter is used which makes no difference in terms of taste.

The recipe is delicious!

Table of Contents

How Do You Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans?

  • The topping is made with coconut sugar, raisins, and pecans which helps keep the sweetness a bit more mellow. Those marshmallows can be pretty darn overpowering.
  • You can even double or triple the topping if you're looking for that thick festive feel of overabundance. Sometimes that's good nut I also like the feel of comfort and abundance.
  • The photo here shows the minimal ingredients to use when tossing with the sweet potato pieces.
  • The picture right below that shows the raw mix in the casserole ready to go into the over. It is so easy!

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans Recipe - Vegan in the Freezer (3)

So all you do is mix the few ingredients in a large bowl and then toss with the cubed sweet potatoes and then bake.

The natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes and the sweetened mixture is a perfect side dish that everyone can enjoy.

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans Recipe - Vegan in the Freezer (4)

Are Yams Sweet Potatoes?

  • Let me tell you the short answer - Yes! Now let me be more clear.
  • I have never seen a real yam in person. It is rough, dark brown, a little hairy looking and white on the inside. I am sure they are in grocery stores somewhere but never in the ones I've visited.
  • The vegetables that we see in the grocery store that are marked as yams are sweet potatoes. They come in different shades and the more orange they are the sweeter they are.
  • Usually, the whiter ones are called yams - but they're sweet potatoes.
  • Sweet potatoes may be pointy at the ends but not especially. The color of the sweet potato in this recipe is the sweet potato that we use in most recipes.

For this recipe - Go for orange.

Don't forget that you can go extravagant with the topping mixture. Just double it or triple it.

See the photo below and you'll see that you can lay it on top just as you would with a marshmallow topping.

It's still the larger chunks of sweet potatoes below the topping but you get an extra kick of lots of decadent sweetness.

So let the fun begin and have a new vegetable dish on the table. For any day or a holiday.

Everyone appreciates the nice bites os sweet potato as a change from the mashed casserole. Such a beautiful and delicious topping too.

Pretty simple, huh! So just remember when you're putting this casserole together that it's a hit in the making!

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans Recipe - Vegan in the Freezer (6)

What Do You Think?

If you take a photo of your beautifully colorful side dish I would love to see it. Follow me over on Instagram and tag me on your photo @vegan_in_the_freezer.

Your opinion means a lot to me and if you'd like to leave a comment and possibly a star rating I'd love to hear your thoughts.

📋 Recipe

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans Recipe - Vegan in the Freezer (7)

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

Ginny McMeans

Chunky Sweet Potato Casserole is a wonderful way to celebrate a great side dish.

4.41 from 10 votes

Print Save

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Casserole

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 380 kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds sweet potatoes
  • ½ cup coconut sugar - organic
  • 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (you can use almond flour too)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons dairy free butter
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • ½ cup pecans - coarsely chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Lightly grease an 8x10 casserole dish.

  • Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into bite-sized chunks. Set aside.

  • Place the chunks into the prepared casserole dish - in one layer.

  • In a small food processor add coconut sugar, chickpea flour, cinnamon, and dairy free butter. Mix until well combined.

  • Dump in a large bowl and mix in the raisins, pecans and sweet potatoes.

  • Pour into the prepared casserole.

  • Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Notes

You can keep the unbaked casserole, covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 215mgPotassium: 869mgFiber: 9gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 32176IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Side Dishes

  • Instant Pot Potatoes and Carrots
  • Vegan Broccoli Rice Casserole
  • Skillet Potato Recipe with Lentils and Carrots
  • Vegan Macaroni Salad Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

  1. Ginny McMeans

    You are very welcome Emma! It has become a family favorite for us too. Good to know about the almond flour. I love almond flour and I'm going to add this to the recipe.

  2. Toni Gail

    I want to make this for Christmas for my partner and me but we are quarantined - it's just going to be the two of us - so I think 3 lbs. of sweet potatoes is too much. But to know how much to cut down the other ingredients, I need to know how pounds translates to individual potatoes and I can't find anything on the web. If I use two average sized sweet potatoes, (large-ish medium), how would I translate the pounds? In other words, would I put in 1/2 of each of the other ingredients? 1/4? Can you give me a clue? Thank you. It sounds absolutely delicious and I'm excited about making it. Thanks again.

  3. Ginny McMeans

    This isn't one of those recipes where the coating measurements have to be exact to the sweet potato weight. So I would guess that you have close to 1 1/2 pounds. I would just half all of the other ingredients and go for that. Merry Christmas and a kitchen scale would make a great gift 🙂

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Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans Recipe - Vegan in the Freezer (2024)

FAQs

Can you freeze sweet potato pecan casserole? ›

Yes, you can freeze sweet potato casserole. Bake the filling according to the directions (preferably in a foil baking pan) without adding the topping. Allow the casserole to cool, then wrap the entire baking dish tightly in foil. Freeze for up to three months.

Can sweet potatoes be made ahead and frozen? ›

A batch of make-ahead and freeze, slow-cooker sweet potatoes tastes just as irresistibly good as if you made it on the same day! Prep early for Thanksgiving by cooking and freezing these slow-cooker sweet potatoes weeks beforehand. Freeing up oven space so your holiday meal will come together quickly and stress-free.

Should you freeze sweet potatoes cooked or raw? ›

Can you freeze raw sweet potatoes? It's not recommended to freeze raw sweet potato fries or cubes. They won't hold up well in the freezer and they won't cook correctly in recipes. Blanching or cooking sweet potatoes fully is the way to go.

Can I freeze a potato casserole? ›

Absolutely! Most casseroles freeze beautifully, and will last three to six months in the freezer. Beyond six months, the quality of the casserole might decrease, and frost might develop, but it will still be safe to consume.

Can homemade sweet potato casserole be frozen? ›

If you're looking for an easy dish to cross off your holiday to-do list, start with sweet potato casserole. This favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas side dish freezes very well, and if stored properly, it can be prepared months in advance.

Can you pre make sweet potato casserole and freeze? ›

Here are some other great Make-Ahead Thanksgiving recipes. Freezing Instructions: Prepare the sweet potato casserole completely, but don't bake it. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Should you freeze sweet potato casserole before or after baking? ›

Freezing an unbaked casserole will yield disastrous results; raw sweet potatoes are full of water, and freezing them can burst their cells and render them a watery mess when removed from cold storage. If at all possible, you should also freeze the cooked casserole and topping separately.

Why can't you freeze sweet potatoes? ›

While deciding where to store sweet potatoes keep in mind whether they're raw or cooked. Storing raw sweet potatoes in the freezer will actually make them spoil faster, however it's best to keep baked sweet potatoes or cooked yams in the freezer.

What happens if you freeze sweet potatoes without blanching? ›

If you freeze them without cooking them first, they're likely to get freezer burn and develop an unpleasant texture. 2. Try blanching your potatoes to save prep time. If you need to quickly prepare sweet potatoes for the freezer, try blanching them.

What is the best way to freeze cooked sweet potatoes? ›

Yes, baked sweet potatoes can be frozen. Allow them to cool completely, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before placing them in an airtight container or a freezer bag. This helps prevent freezer burn and maintains their quality. Thaw and reheat when you're ready to enjoy them.

Is it OK to freeze raw sweet potatoes? ›

The simple answer is yes! Sweet potatoes can be frozen raw, baked, boiled, or even mashed. However, keep in mind that raw frozen sweet potatoes are likely to get freezer burn, so try to cook them in some way first.

What's the best way to freeze sweet potatoes? ›

Cook, peel, and mash the potatoes. Let the potatoes cool slightly and then transfer to zip top bags and store in the freezer. Another option is to cut and blanch the potatoes. Simply boil for 5 minutes until they are slightly tender.

What casseroles do not freeze well? ›

Avoid freezing casseroles made with dairy products (especially soft cheeses with a high-water content like ricotta or cottage), eggs, starchy vegetables, and watery vegetables like lettuce and cucumber.

Is it better to freeze a casserole before or after cooking? ›

If the casserole you're making has raw meat in it, you should absolutely bake the dish to the full temperature before you cool and freeze it. If it has pre-cooked meat or no meat, you don't have to cook it at all. Freeze the casserole uncooked, and save the cooking for later.

Should I thaw frozen casserole before baking? ›

Thawing the casserole first can help to ensure even baking—no icy centers allowed. The biggest mistake in this process is not giving yourself enough time. It's not advisable to attempt to thaw your casserole in the oven or in the microwave.

Can you freeze hashbrown casserole after baking? ›

You can freeze the hashbrown casserole, either before baking it or after it has been baked and cooled. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking or reheating in the oven.

Can you refreeze sweet potato casserole? ›

You can safely refreeze frozen food that has thawed—raw or cooked, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. To safely refreeze, the thawed product must have been kept cold at 40 degrees or below for no more than 3-4 days.

Can you freeze sweet potato crunch casserole? ›

The answer is yes! This sweet potato crunch makes a great make-ahead Thanksgiving side dish. Don't you just love when that happens? I recommend freezing the sweet potato casserole unbaked, just up until the part before adding the pecan topping and freezing for up to 3 months.

Can you freeze leftover pumpkin and pecan pie? ›

Step one: Bake and cool the pie. Fully bake the pie, then allow it to cool completely, which can take up to three hours. (Freezing a warm pie will create ice and compromise the flavor and texture upon thawing.) Step two: Wrap the pie in plastic wrap and stash it in a freezer bag.

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