Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecans and Brown Sugar

If you love a pecan-topped sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving, but not the dairy and eggs it typically contains, you're going to want to save this recipe. It contains the perfect balance of vegan butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg to create a rich sweet potato filling, plus a pecan topping that's surrounded by crunchy brown sugar.

Even better, it's super easy to make, and you can make it in advance. So you can create a dish that everyone will love at your holiday dinner, without taking up too much of your time.

You can also make this recipe with marshmallows instead. Just head over to my vegan sweet potato casserole with marshmallows recipe for detailed instructions.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

If you have questions about what kind of sweet potatoes you should use or whether you can substitute the coconut milk, check this section for the answer. If you have questions that aren't addressed here, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll reply as soon as I can!

sweet potatoes: For this dish, I recommend using sweet potatoes with orange flesh, such as Jewel or Garnet varieties. Purple sweet potatoes would also make a colorful twist on the classic if you're feeling creative!

coconut milk: For the best taste, look for canned coconut milk that isn't labeled "lite" or reduced fat. Most poeple won't be able to taste the coconut in this recipe, but if you prefer, you could also use another type of non-dairy milk instead. Because other non-dairy milks are more watery than canned coconut milk, you may want to reduce the amount of milk you use to 1/4 cup or 6 tablespoons.

maple syrup: I love the flavor of maple syrup in this recipe, but vegan light brown sugar or agave would also work here. Feel free to adjust the amount of maple syrup to your taste. If you're increasing it, you may want to reduce the coconut milk by an equal amount.

vegan butter: Most types of vegan butter will work here, including store-bought sticks and spreads or my homemade vegan butter. I don't recommend replacing with oil, because the vegan butter adds a rich, buttery flavor to the casserole.

vanilla extract: For the best results, I recommend using real vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla. Real vanilla has more complex flavors than artificial versions.

salt: This enhances all the flavors of the dish. I used sea salt, but pink salt or table salt will also work.

cinnamon and nutmeg: These warm spices pair perfectly with sweet potato. You could also use ground ginger, allspice, or cloves if you prefer.

vegan brown sugar: In the US (and many other countries), not all brown sugar is vegan. Some brands may use animal bone char to process the sugar. To avoid this, look for sugar labeled "organic" or "vegan." If you want to keep this recipe free of refined sugar, you can also use coconut sugar.

all-purpose flour: This helps to absorb some of the vegan butter in the topping and create its crunchy texture. If you're making this recipe gluten-free, you can use 7 tablespoons (39 g.) of oat flour instead.

pecans: You could also use walnuts or skip the nuts altogether to make it nut-free.

Serving Suggestions

Sweet potato casserole is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that's typically served as part of a large feast. Some people make it for their Christmas dinner as well. If you're planning a vegan holiday dinner, you may want to check out my vegan Thanksgiving menu or my vegan Christmas recipes collection to get more plant-based inspiration.

My favorite vegan Thanksgiving dinner main dishes and sides include:

• lentil loaf
• classic vegan stuffing
• vegan green bean casserole
• vegan cornbread
• butternut squash casserole
• vegan sour cream mashed potatoes

Make Ahead

The holidays are busy, and this dish is perfect if you need to make something in advance. You could make it up to 3 days ahead of time, but I recommend making it 1 or 2 days in advance if you expect to have leftovers.

To make this recipe ahead of time, just follow the recipe normally, and stop after you spread the sweet potato filling into the casserole dish. After filling the casserole dish (without the pecan topping), let it cool at room temperature, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Store your topping in the refrigerator in an airtight container or storage bag. (If you have time, make your topping just before baking.)

Before you're ready to bake, remove the casserole from the refrigerator and bring it back to room temperature. Then, add your pecan topping and bake as usual. If you're short on time and need to bake the casserole straight from the refrigerator, bake the casserole for 10 minutes without the topping, then add the topping and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes.

Storage and Reheating

If you have leftovers, you can cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and store the whole dish in the refrigerator. You can also transfer the casserole to an airtight container and refrigerate it. Store this sweet potato casserole for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. I don't recommend freezing.

Reheat the whole casserole in the oven. For individual servings, I prefer to use the air fryer. Place some of the sweet potato casserole on a sheet of aluminum foil and create a tent with the foil to cover it without touching the brown sugar topping. Then heat it in the air fryer until it's heated all the way through. If you prefer, you can also reheat it in a bowl in the microwave.