Sweet Potato Casserole with Praline Topping

This sweet potato casserole is made with roasted sweet potatoes, vanilla and cinnamon and topped with pralines – delicious Thanksgiving Day Garnish!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Elevate your Thanksgiving table with this irresistible Sweet Potato Casserole! Roasted sweet potatoes are mixed with warm vanilla and fragrant cinnamon, creating a creamy base with perfect spices. Covered in a golden, crunchy layer of praline, this dish is a mouth-watering balance of sweetness and texture that will have everyone coming back for seconds. Healthy meets indulgent in this festive country must-try! I have this old fashioned too Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow recipe or Mashed Sweet Potato Brulee. Perfect to serve with mine Dry brine Turkey!

My favorite sweet potato casserole recipe

Thanksgiving is a day of joy, gratitude and amazing food – so why not make it a celebration of abundance without compromise? By incorporating healthier, lighter meals into your diet, you can enjoy every bite without feeling the need to hold back. Choose recipes that highlight healthy ingredients, like mine baked green beans and Roasted Brussels Sproutsor light classics like buttermilk mashed potatoes or this sweet potato casserole with a dreamy praline topping. Here’s why this is my favorite sweet potato casserole recipe:

• Improved taste: Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes, creating a deeper, richer sweetness that pairs beautifully with the vanilla and cinnamon in the casserole.
• Better texture: Baked sweet potatoes have a creamy, velvety texture that makes the casserole base smooth and luscious without the need for extra butter or cream.
• A healthier option: Roasting requires minimal oil and enhances the natural flavor of sweet potatoes, allowing you to keep the dish light while still having a nice flavor.

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Ingredients for Sweet Potato Casserole

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

• Sweet Potatoes: You will need 2 ½ pounds (about four to six medium potatoes).
• milk: I made it with skim 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 of sweetness
• Vanilla: It enhances the natural sweetness of baked sweet potatoes while adding warm, flavorful depth
• salt to balance the sweetness
• cinnamon for a warm festive taste
• eggs to bind the casserole and improve consistency

Next comes the praline topping!

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

How to Make Vanilla Sweet Potato Casserole

I tried this easy sweet potato casserole several ways. I boiled the sweet potatoes first, but I liked them better roasted because they caramelize and get sweet in the oven. Here’s how I did it, see recipe card below for printing instructions:

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

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

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

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

Make tips ahead

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, it’s important to do some preparation ahead of time. You can bake, peel and mash the sweet potatoes several days in advance. You can even make the potato mixture and topping a day ahead, but I would wait to sprinkle the praline topping over the casserole just before baking.

Storage

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

Do you put eggs in a sweet potato casserole?

You definitely don’t want to miss the eggs in your casserole. They bind all the ingredients together, resulting in a fluffier texture that isn’t dense. Just remember to chill the potatoes first so the eggs don’t break when you mix them.

More Thanksgiving side dish recipes you’ll love: