Sweet Potato Casserole with Praline Topping

This Sweet Potato Casserole is made with roasted sweet potatoes, vanilla and cinnamon and a praline topping – a delicious Thanksgiving side dish!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Elevate your Thanksgiving table with this irresistible Sweet Potato Casserole! Roasted sweet potatoes are blended with warm vanilla and fragrant cinnamon, creating a creamy, perfectly spiced base. Topped with a golden, crunchy praline layer, this dish is a mouthwatering balance of sweetness and texture that will have everyone coming back for seconds. Healthy meets indulgent in this must-try holiday side! I also have this old- fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow recipe or Mashed Sweet Potato Brulee. Perfect to serve with my Dry Brine Turkey!

My Favorite Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Thanksgiving is a day for joy, gratitude, and incredible food—so why not make it a celebration of abundance without the compromise? By incorporating healthier, lightened-up dishes into your spread, you can enjoy every bite without feeling the need to hold back. Opt for recipes that highlight wholesome ingredients, like my roasted green beans and roasted Brussels sprouts, or lightened up classics like buttermilk mashed potatoes or this sweet potato casserole with its dreamy praline topping. Here’s why it’s my favorite sweet potato casserole recipe:

• Enhanced Flavor: Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in sweet potatoes, creating a deeper, richer sweetness that pairs beautifully with the vanilla and cinnamon in the casserole.
• Better Texture: Roasted sweet potatoes have a creamy, velvety texture that makes the base of the casserole smooth and luscious, without the need for extra butter or cream.
• Healthier Option: Roasting requires minimal oil and enhances the natural taste of the sweet potatoes, allowing you to keep the dish light while still tasting indulgent.

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Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients

First up, let’s talk about what you’ll need for the filling:

• Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need 2 ½ pounds (about four to six medium potatoes).
• Milk: I made it with fat-free milk, but 1% or 2% would work. Or, if you want to keep it dairy-free, try it with almond milk or another milk alternative.
• Pure Maple Syrup just a touch for a bit of sweetness
• Vanilla: Enhances the natural sweetness of the roasted sweet potatoes while adding a warm, aromatic depth
• Salt to balance out the sweetness
• Cinnamon for warm holiday flavor
• Eggs to bind the casserole and improve the texture

Next up – the praline topping!

• Nuts: Choose chopped walnuts or pecans.
• Flour: If you’re gluten-free, swap all-purpose flour for gluten-free.
• Oats: Get quick-cooking oatmeal or gluten-free oats.
• Brown Monk Fruit Sweetener: Substitute it for brown sugar, if you prefer.
• Seasoning: Just a little cinnamon and salt enhances the flavor.
• Butter: Melted butter or coconut oil will work as a dairy-free option.

How to Make Vanilla Sweet Potato Casserole

I tested out this easy sweet potato casserole a few ways. First, I boiled the sweet potatoes, but I loved it better with roasted ones since they caramelize and get sweet in the oven. Here’s how I made it, see recipe card below for printable instructions:

Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 375°F, prick the potatoes with a fork, and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for an hour or so until tender and set aside to cool. Peel off the skin, and mash them with a fork in a large bowl. This step can be done a few days ahead to save time.

Combine the milk, maple syrup, salt, spices, and eggs with the potatoes, and pour the mixture into a greased baking dish.

Topping: Stir the nuts, flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together and then mix in the butter or coconut oil. Sprinkle the praline mixture across the top of the sweet potato casserole.

Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least five minutes before serving.

Make Ahead Tips

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, it’s essential to do some prep ahead of time. You can bake, peel, and mash the sweet potatoes a couple of days in advance. You could even make the potato mixture and topping a day before, but I’d wait to sprinkle the praline topping over the casserole until right before baking.

Storage

Refrigerated leftovers will last 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.

Do you put eggs in sweet potato casserole?

You definitely don’t want to skip the eggs in your casserole. They bind all the ingredients together, resulting in a fluffier texture that’s not dense. Just make sure to cool the potatoes first so the eggs don’t scramble when you mix them in.

More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love: