This savory sweet potato casserole is made with herbs and spices for rich, comforting flavor and is topped with a sweet and savory pecan crumble. Gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free. A healthy, flavorful side dish perfect for Thanksgiving and the holidays.
Looking for more healthy holiday side dishes? Try these sautéed green beans with mushrooms and onions and Brussels sprouts with honey and goat cheese.
Reasons to Love this Recipe
- Nutrient packed - Sweet potatoes are known for their nutritional benefits like beta-carotene (vitamin A), fiber, and antioxidants. Just like these easy Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, this healthy side dish packs in the nutrients.
- Make-ahead friendly - This sweet potato bake can easily be prepped hours before, or even days before, making meal prep (especially around the holidays) a little bit easier.
- Dairy free and gluten free - I use broth to help smooth the sweet potato base vs. milk to keep this dairy free. Plus, the flavors from the broth pair perfectly with the sweet potatoes and in my opinion taste way better than using milk or cream.
- Savory flavors - If you know me, I'm not a fan of overly sweet dishes and I love that this sweet potato casserole focuses on warm, savory flavors vs. being overpowered with sweetness. Rosemary garlic baby potatoes also make a great savory potato dish for the holidays.
You know those sweet potato casseroles with boat loads of refined sugars and topped with marshmallows? Well, this savory sweet potato casserole is anything but.
Made with mashed sweet potatoes, cozy herbs, and the most delicious sweet and savory pecan crumb topping. You'll never want to go back to the "other kind" again 🙂
I tested this recipe numerous times to get the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors... I think we were all sick of sweet potatoes by the end...ha! Can't wait for you all to try this recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Rosemary and Thyme - To keep things easy, I use dried herbs, but fresh can also be used. The recipe card below lists amounts for both.
- Coconut sugar - To keep this free of refined sugars, I use coconut sugar, but brown sugar can also be used.
- Chicken broth - When a recipe calls for broth, I always use chicken bone broth for the health benefits. However, this recipe calls for such a small amount, you can really use any chicken, or vegetable broth. Just don't use beef broth.
A complete list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below. The above are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
If you find yourself with leftover pecans from this recipe, make this apple arugula pecan salad or wild rice salad with pecans and craisins.
Clean food tips: Choose a quality extra-virgin olive oil (my go-to is California Olive Ranch) to ensure you are getting all the amazing benefits extra-virgin olive oil provides.
For the best flavor, and quality, I recommend organic spices and garlic powder, but conventional can be used as well.
Substitutions
- For a vegan savory sweet potato casserole, use vegetable broth as opposed to chicken broth.
- I prefer the taste of pecans with the sweet potatoes and coconut sugar, but you can swap pecans for walnuts.
- If you aren't dairy free, you can replace the extra-virgin olive oil with melted butter for a little buttery flavor.
How to Make Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
Step 1: Peel and cut sweet potatoes into cubes and boil until fork tender (about 20 minutes). Drain, and return to pot.
Step 2: While the potatoes are boiling, make the pecan crumble topping.
Step 3: Using a potato masher, mash potatoes to your desired texture (I like to keep some smaller chunks).
Step 4: Add the garlic, paprika, salt, olive oil and broth the pot. Mix to combine.
Step 5: Evenly spread mashed sweet potatoes into a 9x9 baking dish.
Step 6: Sprinkle pecan crumble topping over the sweet potatoes and bake at 375-degrees F for 20 minutes.
Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams & What's the Difference
If you're confused on the difference between a sweet potato and a yam, you are not alone. The terms "sweet potatoes" and "yams" are often used interchangeably, but in fact, they are actually quite different.
Sweet potatoes are creamy, sweet, and full of fiber and antioxidants. They typically have orange skin, but can come in other colors like purple and white.
Yams on the other hand have a bark-like skin that is rough and typically darker brown. Yams are starchy (not sweet) and are actually hard to come by.
A lot of sweet potatoes are actually labeled as yams. True yams are not common at most grocery stores. So, as long as you are buying an orange fleshed potato, (even if they are labeled as "yams") you should be good knowing you are getting a true sweet potato.
Tips & Notes
- A 9x9 baking dish is best so that the sweet potatoes can fully heat through before the pecan topping starts to burn.
- If you use a smaller dish than a 9x9, you will need to add 5-10 minutes of additional bake time, as the sweet potatoes may take longer to heat through. To prevent the pecan topping from burning, add the pecan topping during the last 15-20 minutes.
- Mash sweet potatoes to desired texture. I like to keep some smaller pieces vs. fully mashed and creamy, but you do you.
- Keep the pot over low heat while mashing the sweet potatoes. That way the casserole stays hot in the oven, and the pecan topping doesn't burn.
- The recipe as written makes about 12 good-sized servings. If you don't need that much, simply cut the recipe in half and bake in a smaller dish.
Make Ahead Directions
Just like my fall quinoa salad and butternut squash mac and cheese recipe, this savory sweet potato casserole is one of those side dishes you can definitely prep head, making holiday dinners easier to get on the table.
Step 1: Make the sweet potato mash and store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Remove from fridge and allow to sit at room temp for 30 minutes to help it reheat evenly.
Step 2: Bake covered at 375-degrees F for 15 minutes. While the sweet potatoes bake, make the pecan topping.
Step 3: Remove the foil and evenly sprinkle on the pecan crumble topping and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until heated through and topping is toasted (but not burnt).
Storing and Reheating
Storing: Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and will stay fresh for 5 days.
Reheating: For best results, reheat in the oven at 350-degrees F so that the pecan topping can stay crisp. The microwave will also work, the topping just won't be crisp.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. You can swap the bone broth for vegetable broth. The remaining ingredients are already vegan.
I typically do, or else I leave a little bit of the skin on for a heartier texture in the final dish. It's totally up to you, but I feel most people prefer the skin peeled.
You can use a standard potato masher for a most rustic, classic texture. Or you can use a hand mixer if you'd like a creamier texture.
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More Thanksgiving and Holiday Side Dishes
Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
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Equipment
- 1 large stock pot
- 1 potato masher
- 1 9x9 baking dish
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. sweet potatoes
- 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian/vegan)
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. fine sea salt
Ingredients for the Pecan Crumble Topping
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ tsp. dried thyme (2-2.5 tsp. fresh)
- ½ tsp. dried rosemary (1.5-2 tsp. fresh)
- ¼ cup coconut sugar (brown sugar can also be used)
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375-degrees F.
- Peel sweet potatoes and cut them into uniform cubes or slices (size doesn't really matter). Place cut sweet potatoes in a large pot with enough water to fully submerge the potatoes. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, make the pecan crumble topping. Add all ingredients (1 cup pecans, chopped, ⅓ cup almond flour, 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, ¾ tsp. dried thyme, ½ tsp. dried rosemary , ¼ cup coconut sugar and ¼ tsp. fine sea salt) to a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Once sweet potatoes are fork tender, drain liquid and return them to the pot. Using a potato masher, mash to desired consistency (I like to leave a few chunky pieces to a more rustic texture). Add 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup chicken broth, ½ tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. paprika, and 1 tsp. fine sea salt. Mix to combine. (TIP: keep on low heat while preparing the mashed potatoes - keeping them warm before baking will speed up the baking time while not allowing the pecan topping to burn).
- Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to a 9x9 baking dish and spread them into an even layer. Then sprinkle pecan crumble over the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through (see notes).
- Remove from oven and enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken bone broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth can be used. Just don't use beef broth.
- If using fresh herbs, taste and adjust the topping pending how strong you want the herb flavors to come through. Rosemary is typically stronger than thyme.
- The pecan topping will start to burn at around 20 minutes, so don't overcook. If you are baking these in a smaller pan, add the pecan topping about halfway through baking time. A smaller pan will require longer bake time to fully heat the potatoes.
Nutrition
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Rich Mazone says
Sounds wonderful.any "make ahead" secrets?
So tired of dissert sweet potato casseroles. this one sounds like an actual side dish.
Sara says
Hi Rich! Please see below for "make ahead" directions. You can also make the morning of and keep warm in the crockpot (I just did this this past weekend). If using the crock pot, place the mashed sweet potatoes in the crock pot on high for a few hours (to fully heat the potatoes). Mix the topping ingredients and place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 300-F for 20 minutes (stirring halfway through). Then add the topping to the sweet potatoes in the crock pot. Turn crockpot down to low/warm after a few hours.
Step 1: Make the sweet potato mash and store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Remove from fridge and allow to sit at room temp for 30 minutes to help it reheat evenly.
Step 2: Bake covered at 375-degrees F for 15 minutes. While the sweet potatoes bake, make the pecan topping.
Step 3: Remove the foil and evenly sprinkle on the pecan crumble topping and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until heated through and topping is toasted (but not burnt).
Kari says
I had this dish at Thanksgiving this year and WOW! So incredibly good. Sara really captured the full flavor, savory and sweet goodness of a sweet potato bake.
Sara says
Thanks for letting me know... so glad you enjoyed this!
Debra and Larry Passo says
Amazing recipe. I prefer to bake yams (avoids a dirty pot to clean) and I did subst chicken broth for miso broth. I also used brown sugar. I accidentally used dried thyme and rosemary and it still tasted wonderful. The thyme and rosemary soaked in the olive oil mixture for at least an hour which probably helped to soften them up before mixing into the yam mixture.
Everyone loved this new recipe alongside our customary sweetened yams with brn sugar and kahlua!
This is a winner and to be repeated throughout the year.
Sara says
Thanks for sharing the simple modification you made and so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Appreciate you sharing!
Sara says
So much better than the classic marshmallow topped sweet potato casserole! This dish has the perfect balance of sweet and savory.