Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
Nothing says holidays like vegan sweet potato casserole. It’s the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or anytime in the fall.

This Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It has layers of flavor texture, including sweet, salty, and crunchy.
Sweet potatoes combine with spices, vegan butter, and pecans to create a standout side dish! It’s not just a delicious side but a real show-stopper.
This casserole looks beautiful on any holiday table and is simple to make.
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Key Ingredient Notes
- Small sweet potatoes – Choose sweet potatoes with smooth, uncracked skin.
- Vegan butter or margarine – Choose a favorite brand and make sure it is salted.
- Nutmeg – Freshly grated nutmeg gives this vegan casserole a warm and rounded flavor.
- Golden syrup – A common item in the U.K. This sweetener lends a fuller, caramelly flavor to the dish. You can use maple syrup, agave or dark corn syrup as a substitute.
- Light brown sugar – With a lower molasses content than dark brown sugar, light brown sugar balances the sweetness and spiciness.
- Tapioca starch – Used as a thickening agent. Cornstarch can be used as a substitute.
- Pecans – Walnuts or almonds can be substituted for pecans.
How To Make Sweet Potato Casserole
- Set the oven with a rack in the middle, and preheat it to 375°F or 190°C.
- Wash the sweet potatoes and dry them with a clean, lint-free towel or paper towel. Place the whole, clean potatoes on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake potatoes for 1 to 1½ hours. Potatoes are done when they’re tender and can be easily pierced. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and briefly cool them for about five minutes.
- Once cooled slightly, carefully peel the potatoes. Put the peeled potatoes in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Fit the stand mixer or electric mixer with beaters or a whip attachment.

- Mix on low to mash the potatoes. Add the vegan butter, nutmeg, salt, golden syrup, brown sugar and cane sugar. Continue mixing until the mixture is fully blended.
- Gradually mix in the tapioca starch and vanilla until combined.
- With the mixer on a low speed, slowly stream in the heated oat milk until fully incorporated. Add more if needed for texture. Taste and add nutmeg or salt as desired.
- Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch with vegan butter, then pour in the sweet potato mixture.
Make the topping:
- In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and mix well.
- Work the chilled vegan butter into the mixture with your fingertips until it resembles oatmeal with some pea-size pieces of vegan butter. Stir in the chopped pecan.
- Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the sweet potato. Bake it for 30 to 45 minutes, until the topping is crisp and golden brown. The sweet potatoes should be set but still slightly loose in the center. Serve this casserole hot.

Storage and Reheating
Cool the casserole completely. Transfer to an airtight container or tightly wrap the casserole dish. Store in the refrigerator for up to five days.
This casserole can be reheated in its original dish by baking it at 375°F until warm.
To reheat in the microwave, put the casserole in a microwave-safe dish, cover it, and heat it in short bursts until warm.
FAQs
My family will not finish a whole casserole. Can I make a half batch?
This recipe can be halved and baked in a 9-by-9-inch pan for a smaller batch.
Can this recipe be made ahead?

Yes! Prepare the casserole fully, but stop short of baking. Wrap in plastic and aluminum foil, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bake per instructions.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Pecan Pie
- Skillet Cornbread (Video)
- Vegan Turkey with Gravy
- Instant Pot Collard Greens
- Cornbread Pecan Dressing
- Sausage Stuffing
- Cranberry Orange Bread
- Vegan Southern Potato Salad

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
Equipment
- 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish
- Half sheet Baking pan
- Parchment paper or aluminum foil
- Stand or Hand Mixer
Baking Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements and measuring spoons.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds (2.27 kg) small sweet potatoes, about 10 potatoes
- 8 tablespoons (100 g) vegan butter or margarine, not unsalted
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅓ cup golden syrup, substitutes: maple syrup, agave or dark corn syrup.
- ⅓ cup (60 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (350 ml) oat milk, heated
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or margarine, softened
Topping
- 1 cup (180 g) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (125 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (100 g) vegan butter or margarine, not unsalted, cubed and chilled
- 1 cup (120 g) chopped pecans
Instructions
- Place a rack on the middle shelf of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C.
- Wash the sweet potatoes and pat them dry with a clean, lint-free towel or paper towel. Put them on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet.5 pounds (2.27 kg) small sweet potatoes
- Bake for 1 to 1½ hours or until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a knife. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool briefly for about 5 minutes.
- Carefully peel the potatoes and put them into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer that’s fitted with beaters or a whip attachment.
- At low speed, mix the hot sweet potatoes to mash them. Add the vegan butter, nutmeg, salt, golden syrup, brown sugar and cane sugar. Mix until they are blended thoroughly.8 tablespoons (100 g) vegan butter or margarine ,1½ teaspoons salt ,¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ,⅓ cup golden syrup ,⅓ cup (60 g) light brown sugar ,⅓ cup (65 g) granulated cane sugar
- Gradually mix in the tapioca starch and vanilla until combined.3 tablespoons tapioca starch ,2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, and then slowly stream in the heated oat milk until incorporated. Add more if needed. Taste and add more nutmeg or salt as desired.1½ cups (350 ml) oat milk
- Butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish with the softened vegan butter, then pour in the sweet potato mixture.1 tablespoon vegan butter or margarine
Make the topping:
- Put the flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl and mix well.1 cup (180 g) light brown sugar ,1 cup (125 g) unbleached all-purpose flour ,½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ,½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ,⅛ teaspoon salt
- Work the chilled vegan butter into the mixture with your fingertips until it resembles oatmeal with some pea-size pieces of vegan butter. Stir in the chopped pecan.8 tablespoons (100 g) vegan butter or margarine ,1 cup (120 g) chopped pecans
- Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the sweet potato. Bake it for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the topping is crisp and golden brown. The sweet potatoes should be set but still slightly loose in the center. Serve hot.
Notes
- You can make half the recipe and bake it in a 9-by-9-inch pan if you prefer a smaller batch.
- You can use walnuts or almonds instead of pecans.
- Adapted from The Gift Of Southern Cooking by Edna Lewis