Sweet potato casserole

We see this delicious dish served up with turkey and dressing all the time. Don’t reserve this dish for only Thanksgiving and Christmas, as it can make its way to the table year round. No need for all that brown sugar to hide the natural sweetness of the sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are easy to find and can sit on your kitchen counter for days until you are ready to rock. Just please, no marshmallows on top!

2 pounds (900 g) sweet potatoes
¼ cup (60 mL) coconut milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil or butter
2 teaspoons (10 ml) cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5 ml) nutmeg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon zest
~ salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup (50 g) chopped pecans

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into equal-sized cubes. Place all in large sauce or stock pot, cover with water, and boil until potatoes are very tender.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
3. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Using a handheld mixer, blend in coconut milk.
4. Add eggs, vanilla, oil (or butter), cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest.
5. Place sweet potato mixture into 9” x 9” Pyrex pan, or oval baker.
6. Sprinkle crushed pecans on top.
7. Bake 20–30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Variation—If you don’t like the lemon zest, just leave it out. I think it happens to really brighten the flavors.

Hint—You can freeze this recipe with a protein and make a great portable meal.

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Sweet potato casserole mashes boiled sweet potatoes with coconut milk, warm spices, and lemon zest, then bakes under a crushed pecan topping until golden. No brown sugar, no marshmallows - the potatoes bring their own sweetness. It belongs beside turkey and dressing but earns its place year-round.

Pro Tips

• Boil the cubes until very tender so the handheld mixer turns them silky; under-boiled potatoes leave lumps baking cannot fix.
• Lemon zest brightens the whole dish - leave it out if you must, but the recipe argues hard for it.
• Crush the pecans rather than chopping them fine; the coarse topping is the only crust this casserole needs.
• Freeze it with a protein for a portable meal - the recipe's own hint.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it sweet enough without sugar?

Yes - the recipe skips brown sugar on purpose and explicitly calls out marshmallows as a no.

Is it dairy-free?

It already is - coconut milk and oil do the work, with butter as the optional swap.

When should I serve it?

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the classics, but the recipe says serve it year-round.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Sweet potato casserole

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Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 2 lb (900 g) sweet potatoes
• ¼ cup (60 mL) coconut milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ½ cup (50 g) chopped pecans

Method

 

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into equal-sized cubes.
2. Place all in large sauce or stock pot, cover with water, and boil until potatoes are very tender.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
4. Drain potatoes and return to pot.
5. Using a handheld mixer, blend in coconut milk.
6. Add eggs, vanilla, oil (or butter), cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest.
7. Place sweet potato mixture into 9” x 9” Pyrex pan, or oval baker.
8. Sprinkle crushed pecans on top.
9. Bake 20–30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

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