This simple homemade vegan sweet potato casserole requires just 10 minutes of prep work, and loaded with yummy sweet cinnamon, maple syrup, and gooey vegan marshmallows on top. Perfect for prepping the before Thanksgiving too!

sweet potato casserole on marble

Why you need to make this vegan sweet potato casserole for your Thanksgiving dinner

If you’re looking for an SUPER easy side dish that’s an absolute crowd pleaser of a dish, then you need to try this amazing vegan sweet potato casserole.

Next to mashed potatoes and vegan stuffing, this sweet potato casserole recipe is THE vegan side dish to make this Thanksgiving. It’s naturally vegan, eggless, dairy free, and nut free, all while still having that classic cinnamon-y sweet and creamy taste!

Not to mention, only 7 ingredients, and just 10 minutes of prep work. Talk about simple! Now all you need is the vegan lentil loaf and of course, the vegan pumpkin pie.

vegan sweet potato casserole being scooped

Need help planning Thanksgiving? Check out my guide to vegan Thanksgiving, as well as my vegan Thanksgiving dessert menu! And for hardcore readers, you’ll need my free vegan Thanksgiving grocery list and menu planner, downloadable below!

This vegan sweet potato casserole is unlike any veganized version you’ve tried before. It tastes identical to the traditional sweet potato casserole (with marshmallows on top or with streusel!)!

In fact, you can also make this sweet potato casserole two ways: one with vegan marshmallows or one with a cinnamon streusel topping!

The secret trick? Baking the sweet potatoes. But we’ll get to that in a second!

Ingredients and substitutions:

This vegan sweet potato casserole might be a little different in terms of ingredients than what you’re used to in a traditional sweet potato casserole (but only slightly, it’s a very very easy recipe), but it tastes just like a classic.

In fact, both versions taste identical to anything you grew up with.

What you’ll need:

  • Baked sweet potatoes: a delicious starch that’s packed with nutrients!
  • Arrowroot starch: this can also be labelled as arrowroot powder. You can also swap in cornstarch if you’re having trouble finding arrowroot.
  • Coconut cream: I’ve tested this recipe with oat milk as well, and it works out amazingly!
  • Maple syrup: the maple flavor just shines through this casserole.
  • Vanila extract
  • Cinnamon

For toppings, you can use:

  • Vegan marshmallows
  • Pecans or pumpkin seeds
  • Cinnamon streusel: a combination of flour, cinnamon, maple syrup, and coconut oil!
sweet potato casserole ingredients

How to make vegan sweet potato casserole (overview)

For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.

You can either do a simple vegan sweet potato casserole with marshmallows (that’s gluten free, dairy free, and egg-free), or a vegan and Paleo sweet potato casserole with a cinnamon pecan streusel (that’s also grain-free). Or do both!

Pre-step: preparing the sweet potatoes

Some people recommend steaming the sweet potatoes, but I say otherwise.

In order to get that sweet, caramel flavor, you’ll need to bake your potatoes beforehand. This is quite simple though. I have a whole guide here, in fact!

Quick Tip: just rinse your sweet potatoes, then place them onto tin foil and a baking tray. Place the tray into the oven at 375F for about an hour, and that should do it!

Step 1: make the sweet potato casserole filling

Now for the filling, which is super simple. In fact, you don’t need any machine or kitchen equipment really to do any part of this recipe, which is why I love it. Makes Thanksgiving very easy!

To make the base of your vegan sweet potato casserole:

  1. Blend the sweet potatoes in a food processor. You can also use a hand mixer, but I find a large food processor to be more efficient.
  2. Add in the remaining ingredients. This will be your arrowroot powder, coconut cream or dairy free milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon.
  3. Blend again until creamy and smooth.
how to make vegan sweet potato casserole

Step 2: Top & Bake the Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

As I mentioned above, you have two topping variations for this vegan sweet potato casserole: vegan marshmallows or cinnamon pecan streusel. We’ll go over the steps for both.

For the marshmallows, you can absolutely find vegan marshmallows these day in most grocery stores. My personal favorite is a brand called Dandies. You can get them on Amazon or at Whole Foods. They taste just like a regular marshmallow. Trader Joe’s also carries their own brand of marshmallows that is naturally vegan.

For the vegan marshmallow topping:

  1. Simple pour your sweet potato filling into a casserole dish.
  2. Top with marshmallows and optional pecans.
  3. Bake and serve!

For the streusel topping, you’ll need to:

  1. Combine the flour and cinnamon together.
  2. Add in the melted coconut oil and maple syrup, stirring the mixture until it’s a wet crumble.
  3. Sprinkle the pecans over the base of the Paleo sweet potato casserole, then evenly distribute the streusel on top.
  4. Bake in the oven, and you’re done!

Pretty cool, right? This vegan sweet potato casserole is truly one of my faves. Nothing beats marshmallows for me (it’s from my childhood, I just can’t!), but this is basically neck and neck with it, if that tells you anything 😉

paleo vegan sweet potato casserole

Quick Tip: if you don’t need grain-free but would like to use the cinnamon streusel topping instead of marshmallows, you can easily swap in either all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 baking flour here at a 1:1 ratio to the cassava.

Can I make sweet potato casserole ahead of time?

That’s exactly what I do, so yes!

Thanksgiving dinner is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. I typically prepare this dish right before we’re about to eat, but you can definitely prepare it earlier in the day or even the day before.

Day before option: prepare the sweet potato casserole filling according to the directions, and top with desired topping (either marshmallows or streusel). Cover the sweet potato casserole and place it in the fridge overnight. 40 minutes before serving, place the sweet potato casserole into the oven to bake. Remove and serve warm.

Earlier in the day: prepare the sweet potato casserole filling according to the directions, and top with desired topping (either marshmallows or streusel). Cover the sweet potato casserole and place it in the fridge until ready to bake. 40 minutes before serving, place the sweet potato casserole into the oven to bake. Remove and serve warm.

scooped vegan sweet potato casserole

Can you freeze sweet potato casserole?

Yes, you can! If you’re freezing the sweet potato casserole before baking, hold off on adding your desired topping. Just freeze the base of your vegan sweet potato casserole.

Then when you’re ready to bake, remove the casserole base from the freezer, and allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge. This will save you some time during the Thanksgiving prep, which, hey, any saved time is valuable during this holiday shuffle!

How to reheat vegan sweet potato casserole

Well, truthfully, I’ve never had this problem on Thanksgiving, because if there are any leftovers of sweet potato casserole, I’m calling dibs on it that night haha!

Buttttt with the recipe testing with this one, I did indeed have some leftovers!

To reheat your vegan sweet potato casserole with either the marshmallow pecan topping or the streusel, simply preheat the oven to 325F. Spoon however much you want to reheat into a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, and you’re done!

scooping the vegan sweet potato casserole

You are just going to absolutely love this easy vegan sweet potato casserole! It’s such a breeze to make on Thanksgiving Day and a crowd pleaser for all eaters, vegan or not.

Heck, you could even make both toppings if you felt like it!

If you make this sweet potato casserole, let me know down below in the comments section! And of course, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations, so be sure to tag me on Instagram and Pinterest when you make it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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sweet potato casserole on marble

Ridiculously Yummy Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 40
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This simple homemade vegan sweet potato casserole requires just 10 minutes of prep work, and loaded with yummy sweet cinnamon, maple syrup, and gooey vegan marshmallows on top. Perfect for prepping the before Thanksgiving too!

Ingredients

Scale

Sweet Potato Casserole Base:

  • 950 grams cooked sweet potato, skin removed
  • 100 mL dairy free unsweetened milk*
  • 30 grams arrowroot powder or cornstarch
  • 50 grams maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole Streusel:

  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil or vegan butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2/3 cup pecans

Vegan Marshmallow and Pecan Topping:

  • 1 bag vegan marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F, and make sure you have a large baking dish; somewhere around 9×11″
  2. In a large bowl, use a potato masher or hand mixer paddle to mash the sweet potatoes. You want the texture to be smooth.
  3. Add in the arrowroot powder, maple syrup, coconut cream, cinnamon, and vanilla, and combine it all together until it’s a thick batter.
  4. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the baking dish and set aside after you’ve chosen your topping.

Vegan Streusel:

  1. With the sweet potato casserole off to the side, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and cinnamon.
  2. Add in the melted coconut oil and maple syrup, and combine until it’s a wet crumble.
  3. Sprinkle the pecans over the sweet potato casserole, and then crumble the streusel topping evenly over the casserole.
  4. Place the casserole into the oven to bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the streusel are started to crisp.
  5. Remove from the oven and serve.

Vegan Marshmallow and Pecan Topping:

  1. Sprinkle the marshmallows and pecans evenly over the sweet potato casserole and place the casserole into the oven to bake.
  2. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the marshmallows have started to brown. If they aren’t browning close to that time, turn on the broiler to medium and allow the marshmallow to broil for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Remove from the oven and serve.

Equipment

Notes

To make nut-free: swap out the pecans for pumpkin seeds, and make sure you’re using nut-free dairy-free milk.

Day before option: prepare the sweet potato casserole filling according to the directions, and top with desired topping (either marshmallows or streusel). Cover the sweet potato casserole and place it in the fridge overnight. 40 minutes before serving, place the sweet potato casserole into the oven to bake. Remove and serve warm.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/10th of sweet potato casserole with marshmallows
  • Calories: 169
  • Sugar: 9.7 g
  • Sodium: 29.3 mg
  • Fat: 5.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23.7 g
  • Protein: 2.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg