This Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows is a classic Holiday side dish that will be an absolute crowd-pleaser on the Thanksgiving table this year despite being completely dairy-free and vegan!
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This easy and delicious vegan version of the popular Thanksgiving side dish is sweet, creamy, and buttery.
Every bite is filled with creamy mashed sweet potato, buttery brown sugar pecan streusel, and toasty marshmallows.
This easy vegan sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel and marshmallows is one I have been making since I went vegan over 11 years ago.
It's an absolute crowd-pleaser on Thanksgiving, whether you're vegan or not! Seriously, everyone in my family LOVES this recipe.
Ingredients
This vegan sweet potato casserole recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, and can be made gluten-free! It can be prepped ahead for a quick and stress-free holiday and makes for wonderful leftovers (the best part about Thanksgiving!!)
Sweet Potatoes: You'll need about 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, weighing about 3 pounds.
Vegan Butter: I recommend and love the brand Earth Balance but any plant-based butter will work. It adds a rich, buttery flavor to the sweet potato base.
Maple Syrup adds a touch of delicious maple flavor to the sweet potato mash. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet and so are the marshmallows and pecan streusel but trust me, it works! You can replace the maple syrup with more brown sugar.
Vegan Milk: I used unsweetened almond milk but you can use oat milk, soy milk, coconut milk, or any non-dairy milk.
Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Salt
Pecans are optional but a wonderful addition to add some crunch. If you don't like pecans, you can leave them out or replace them with walnuts.
Brown Sugar and All-Purpose Flour are combined with vegan butter to create a streusel topping. A sweet, crunchy topping is a must when making a sweet potato casserole.
Vegan Marshmallows: Some people leave them off but I would never! Marshmallows are a classic topping for this wonderfully sweet casserole and while it is a sweet dish, it's very complimentary to all the other delicious Thanksgiving foods.
Are marshmallows vegan?
Not usually, no. Traditional marshmallows are made of sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin. Gelatin is an animal by-product and not vegan.
But luckily, vegan-friendly marshmallows exist and they are just as delicious!
My top picks are Dandies Mini Marshmallows, Dandies Big Marshmallows, and Trader Joe's Vegan Marshmallows.
Helpful Equipment
Food Processor: I use a Ninja Food Processor to pulse the sweet potato into a purée. It works wonderfully and is less work than mashing by hand but a potato masher or immersion blender will also work.
Casserole Dish: I used a 3qt casserole dish from Sur La Table. For this sweet potato casserole, you'll need a 3qt or 4qt oven-safe baking dish.
Some other options are a 9x13 Casserole Dish, 3qt Glass Baking Dish, or this Staub Baking Dish Set.
How to Make This Recipe
Preheat oven to 350F.
Step 1: Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into large chunks. I used 4 medium-sized potatoes, about 3 pounds. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 2: Add the potatoes to a food processor along with the vegan butter, maple syrup, vegan milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt then pulse until smooth. Alternatively, use a potato masher.
Step 3: Spread the sweet potato casserole in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
Step 4: Make the pecan streusel by melting the vegan butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add the brown sugar and flour, and stir to combine. Roughly chop the pecans and add to the streusel topping. Sprinkle the pecan crumble over the mashed sweet potato.
Step 5: Top with marshmallows.
Step 6: Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the marshmallows are toasted on top.
Make Ahead Instructions
Making this casserole ahead of time can save you tons of time on Thanksgiving day!
I recommend making the sweet potato mash and putting it in the casserole dish you plan to bake it in. You can make ahead the pecan streusel but store it separately.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. The next day, top with pecan streusel and marshmallows then bake as instructed in the recipe card below.
Tips & Tricks
Use a food processor to purée the sweet potato to create a smooth and creamy mash.
Plan ahead! Have a less stressful Thanksgiving by prepping the bulk of the work the night before. It tastes just as great!
Substitutions & Additions
Maple Syrup: I love the maple flavor but more brown sugar will work as well.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar makes for a rich and caramel-like flavored topping. You could replace it with coconut sugar if desired.
Make it Gluten-Free: You can replace the flour with oat flour, almond flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour. The only flour in the recipe is in the streusel topping, the rest is naturally gluten-free.
Pecan Topping: Leave them off or replace them with walnuts.
Serving
This vegan sweet potato casserole is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that is perfectly paired with your favorite Holiday dishes.
Pairs well with the following holiday table staples: Mashed Potatoes with Vegan Gravy, Vegan Green Bean Casserole, Stuffing, Vegan Ham, Vegan Turkey, and Cornbread Muffins.
Storage & Reheating
Storage: If you have leftovers, transfer to an airtight storage container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Reheat at 350ºF until warmed through and the marshmallows have become melty and warm again.
Freezing: I don't recommend freezing this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Simply replace the all-purpose flour in the pecan streusel with gluten-free all-purpose flour, oat flour, or almond flour.
Nope- it does not need eggs. Eggs supposedly add structure to the sweet potato base but this vegan sweet potato casserole is not runny and is perfect as is!
Avoid over-boiling the sweet potatoes and make sure they have been drained completely. The sweet potato mixture should not be runny or liquidy- see photos for example.
Traditionally, no. It contains eggs, milk, butter, and gelatin-filled marshmallows. But luckily, those ingredients aren't necessary and you can make a vegan-friendly sweet potato casserole with a few easy substitutes.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
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Recipe
Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Ingredients
Mashed Sweet Potato
- 3 pounds Sweet Potatoes
- 2 tablespoons Vegan Butter
- 3 tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 2 tablespoons Vegan Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Pecan Streusel
- 3 tablespoons Vegan Butter melted
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar
- 6 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Chopped Pecans
Topping
- 2 cups Mini Vegan Marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into large chunks. I used 4 medium-sized potatoes, about 3 pounds.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Avoid over-boiling or you could end up with a runny sweet potato mash.
- Add the potatoes to a food processor along with the vegan butter, maple syrup, vegan milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt then pulse until smooth. Alternatively, use a potato masher.
- Spread the sweet potato casserole in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
- Make the pecan streusel by melting the vegan butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add the brown sugar and flour, stir to combine.
- Roughly chop the pecans and add to the streusel topping. Sprinkle the pecan crumble over the mashed sweet potato. Top with vegan marshmallows.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the marshmallows are toasted on top. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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Nancie Corbett says
Wonderful and easy recipe to follow. Thank you for sharing your talents.
Liv says
Happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Jeanie says
I made this for a work thanksgiving party and it was the star of the show! Will be making this again Thursday and again for Christmas.
Liv says
Incredible news! Thank you so much. So happy it was a hit! 🙂
Charlene says
Making this for Thanksgiving and Christmas. One of my families absolute favorite recipes. Thank you so much