This Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect dish for the holidays. It’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup and has some coconut milk for creaminess, making it an option for dessert or dinner. Serve it on the family table for an easy and healthy take on classic comfort food.
Oh Thanksgiving. The holiday of food. And what Thanksgiving table is complete without sweet potato casserole? Not one I want to be sitting at.
This sweet potato casserole is a gluten free version of the classic, made a little healthier by adding some oats into the topping and using natural sweeteners. And roasting the sweet potatoes really gives them a lovely caramelized flavor you don’t get if you cook them on the stove or in an Instant Pot. That’s why THIS sweet potato casserole is the one you need. Plus I’m giving you step by step instructions (and pictures!) so you’ll know exactly what to do. No worries, no stress.
So first up, let’s talk about how to roast those potatoes!
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes
The first step is to roast the sweet potatoes. I prefer this to boiling as it gives the sweet potatoes a little carmelization on them. You don’t want too much otherwise they won’t blend together well, but a little is nice in the dish.
To start, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Halve the sweet potatoes using a sharp knife and cutting board, then cover them in oil. This recipe uses avocado oil as it has less of a distinct flavor than olive oil, but either will do. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place the halved potatoes face down. Put them in the oven and roast them for 45 minutes, until a fork or knife easily pierces all the way through the potato. They’ll look like the picture on the right, below.
Next up is the crunchy oat and pecan topping.
How to Make the Casserole Topping
While the potatoes are cooking, prep the baking dish and prepare the topping. Take a little bit of butter and spread a very thin layer onto the baking dish. Set the dish aside, then move on to the topping. Combine all of the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon. Pretty easy, right?
How to Make Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole
Once the sweet potatoes are done cooking, take the oven temperature down to 375 degrees F. Set the potatoes aside to cool while you combine the rest of the sweet potato mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir everything together with the whisk attachment. You can also use a hand mixer and large bowl if you don’t have a stand mixer.
Now to add in the potatoes to finish the mixture. Once the potatoes have cooled a bit, peel the skins off each potato half. These should come off easily by peeling them with your hands, as in the photo below.
After all the skins are off dump the flesh into the bowl and whisk together until the mixture is smooth. Then you’ll assemble the casserole.
How to Assemble this Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
Using a rubber spatula, scoop the sweet potato mixture into the baking dish and spread it in an even layer. Do the same with the topping, then pop the dish in the oven for 35 minutes.
If you’re oven heats unevenly – which is pretty normal, most are warmer toward the back of the oven – check the dish after about 20 minutes to see if it’s browning evenly. If not, turn the dish around 180 degrees and let it cook that way for the remaining time. You want it to look like the last picture on the right, below.
Check the dish once again after the timer goes off to make sure it’s browned enough to your liking. If not, stick it in for another 5 or so minutes. Otherwise, it’s done and ready to serve!
One thing to note about this recipe: it makes a lot of topping. Each bite will be about half topping, half sweet potato. I like it that way, but I realize not everyone does. If you like less topping, simply cut the topping ingredients in half and cook as written in the recipe.
Now let’s answer a couple of questions you might be thinking about.
Are Sweet Potatoes Gluten Free?
Yes, they are. While everything in this recipe is gluten free, sweet potatoes are naturally gluten free. And delicious.
Can I Make This Sweet Potato Casserole Ahead of Time?
You can make it partly ahead of time. Roast the veggies and make the filling and topping, but keep them separate. The day you’re ready to serve it, assemble them and bake according to the recipe.
Can I Make This Casserole in a Slow Cooker or Crockpot?
You might be able to, but you won’t get the yummy caramelization of the sweet potatoes or the crunchiness of the topping. I wouldn’t recommend it.
Can I Freeze This Sweet Potato Casserole?
Again, I wouldn’t recommend it. The topping will form ice crystals and when you go to reheat it will get soggy.
*A quick note about Thanksgiving, since this recipe is very geared toward that holiday. Really, the day is all about giving thanks – for what you have and the people that are around you. If you follow along with me on Instagram, you’ll know I like to do daily gratitude and it’s really helped keep the spirit of Thanksgiving going for me.
If you want to practice giving thanks all month, all year, or just at your Thanksgiving table, print out my Giving Thanks freebie below.
In need of other gluten free holiday recipes to serve at your next gathering? Check these out:
- How to make an Awesome Gluten Free Cheese Board
- Gluten Free Sausage, Apple, & Dried Cranberry Stuffing
- Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins
- Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Oven Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
- Baked Apples with Ginger, Dates, and Pecans
- Crustless Banana Cream Pie Cups
- Healthy Apple Crisp
If you try this Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole (or any other recipe) then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It totally makes my day to hear how a recipe worked out for you.
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more good to eat, gluten free food and how I’m trying to get my kids into the kitchen.
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Recipe for Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole
Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mixture:
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1/2 tbsp oil avocado or olive
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 extra large egg
Topping:
- 2.5 cup gluten free oats
- 1/3 cup almond meal or flour, fine
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
- 2/3 cup pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Items Needed:
- A sharp knife
- A cutting board
- A sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Measuring spoons
- A 9x13 dish (or similar size dish)
- A large bowl
- Measuring cups
- A liquid measuring cup
- A wooden spoon
- A stand mixer (or hand mixer and large bowl)
- A rubber spatula
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut the potatoes in half length-wise on a cutting board with a large sharp knife . Take out a sheet pan and place a piece of parchment paper on it, covering the surface. Place the halved potatoes on the sheet pan, flesh side up.
- Measure out the oil with a measuring spoon and pour a small amount onto each potato half, until the measuring spoon is empty. Using your hands, coat each potato half with the oil, both skin side and flesh side.
- Place the potato halves flesh side down on the sheet pan and cook in the oven for 45 minutes, until a fork or knife inserted into each potato goes in without resistance.
- While potatoes are cooking, take out a 9x13 (or similar size) dish and give it a thin coat of butter. Set aside.
- Next make the topping. Combine the ingredients for the topping into a large bowl, measuring the right amount with measuring cups and spoons, and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Set aside.
- Once potatoes are done cooking, take them out of the oven and let sit for a couple minutes to cool. As they cool, start preparing the rest of the potato mixture. Turn the oven temperature down to 375 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), measure out and combine the remaining ingredients from the sweet potato mixture list with the whisk attachment (or a hand mixer).
- Once the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, peel the skins off using your hands. They should peel easily if they are cooked all the way through.
- Place the peeled potato pieces in the bowl of the stand mixer and whisk everything together until there are no lumps of potato left.
- Scoop the sweet potato mixture into the 9x13 dish with a rubber spatula and spread into an even layer.
- Spoon the topping onto the sweet potato mixture with a wooden spoon and spread that into an even layer as well. Place the baking dish into the over and cook for 35 minutes. The dish is done when the topping is golden brown on top.
Notes
Nutrition
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