Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Chipotle Pecan Streusel

Baked vegan sweet potato casserole just got a makeover with an amazing chipotle maple pecan topping. Don't miss out on this one! It also happens to be vegan (with non-vegan option included).

Thanksgiving or Sunday dinner, this vegan sweet potato casserole can be the star of the show, even rivaling our all-time favorite shredded Brussels sprouts and sautéed green beans and mushrooms.

With a touch of spice, thanks to the maple and chipotle chile pepper-glazed pecans (or use my Maple Pecans recipe), it is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Smooth, creamy sweet potatoes and the crunch of toasted nuts…it just doesn’t get any better than that!

If you follow a vegan or dairy-free diet, this casserole fits in well. Instead of milk, the sweet potatoes are whipped with coconut milk (or an alternative milk of your choice) and coconut oil is used in place of butter. Healthy and delicious!

If you prefer more traditional ingredients, this recipe works just as well with milk and butter.

What you need for this vegan sweet potato casserole recipe:

These are the main components of this recipe:

• Sweet potatoes: You’ll need 3 pounds of sweet potatoes. Choose ones that are close in size so that they are done in approximately the same amount of time.
• Coconut milk: Light coconut milk is a great non-dairy option and adds fantastic flavor. If you prefer, sub with full-fat coconut milk, regular milk or your favorite milk alternative, such as almond milk.
• Spices: All of our favorite fall spices are included – cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger. A pinch of chipotle chile powder is used in the mashed sweet potatoes and the topping, adding just the right amount of heat.
• Pecans: Start with either raw pecans halves or pecan pieces. If using pecan halves, roughly chop them.
• Maple syrup: Maple syrup is an ingredient in the mashed sweet potatoes and the chipotle pecans. Be sure to use pure maple syrup, not the corn syrup fake version.
• Sugar: A few tablespoons of brown sugar are needed for the topping. Coconut sugar can be substituted.
• Oats and flour: Old-fashioned oats and flour round out the topping ingredients. I prefer to use whole wheat pastry flour, but all-purpose flour works, too.

See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.

How to make sweet potato vegan casserole:

The process for making this recipe is basic: roast and mash the sweet potatoes, prepare the pecans and topping and, finally, bake the casserole. Easy as can be!

There are a few tips I want to share with you so that you end up with the best dish possible.

Let’s start with the chipotle chile powder since it’s the most unconventional ingredient. Just a pinch will do the trick to achieve a perfectly balanced sweet and savory sweet potato casserole. I included the chile powder in both the maple chipotle pecans and the mashed potatoes. If you’re sensitive to spice, eliminate it from the potatoes or simply reduce the amount used.

When roasting the pecans and when baking the casserole in the final step, watch the pecans carefully so that they don’t burn. When making the pecans in the first step, they should be roasted just until they’re light golden brown.

I baked the sweet potatoes for this recipe. However, boiling them works, too. Peel the potatoes, cut them into 1-inch cubes, place in a large pot and cover with cold water by an inch. Bring the pot of water to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain into a colander and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Nobody likes lumpy potatoes! You may have to mix the potatoes, using a hand mixer, for several minutes to make them silky smooth. Test them along the way to make sure all of the lumps are gone. If you don’t have a hand mixer, no problem. A potato masher and some good old-fashioned elbow grease will do the trick.

If you don’t have a hand mixer, no problem. A potato masher and some good old-fashioned elbow grease will do the trick. One of my readers commented that she used an immersion blender to blend the sweet potato mixture. Great suggestion!

I used a 1 ½-quart oval casserole dish – I’ve had this one (affiliate link) for 20 years and it’s a workhorse! A 9-inch deep pie dish or an 8- by 8-inch baking pan will work, too.

Is this pecan sweet potato casserole vegan?

If you use the ingredients listed in the recipe below without making any of the substitutions, then this is indeed a vegan sweet potato casserole.

The two main components to watch – the milk and the fat added to the topping. To keep this a vegan side dish, use coconut milk or an alternative milk (like almond milk) in the mashed sweet potatoes.

For the topping, stick with melted coconut oil rather than butter.

Can sweet potato casserole be made ahead of time?

Absolutely! It’s always handy to have a make ahead sweet potato casserole recipe on hand for feast day. I have a few suggestions to make that work well without sacrificing the creamy, fluffy texture of the potatoes.

For the crumble topping, the chipotle pecans can be made up to a week in advance. Place them in a lidded jar or airtight container and store in the refrigerator until it’s time to make the topping. The rest of the topping can be put together a day ahead of time, though I prefer to add the melted coconut oil or butter just before using the topping.

Admittedly, I do prefer to mash the potatoes the day of serving, but it’s perfectly okay to make them the day before. I suggest storing them in the refrigerator, covered, without the topping.

Before adding the topping, bring the mashed potatoes to room temperature. If the potatoes are a little stiff, whip them with a splash of liquid (coconut milk or whichever milk you chose to use).

Since the potatoes will still be a bit cold, you’ll have to add some baking time. Watch the topping carefully when baking in the oven. If you notice that the pecans or oats are browning too much, cover the casserole with foil for the last minutes.

This post was first published on November 5, 2020 and updated on November 16, 2021.

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