This simple gluten-free sweet potato casserole is absolutely amazing for a Thanksgiving side dish! Cinnamon meets toasty pecans to make a delectable streusel topping over smooth and creamy sweet potatoes. It’s sure to become a family favorite.
This sweet potato casserole recipe is a holiday favorite, ideal for any festive occasion, not just Thanksgiving. What’s great is that all the ingredients are readily available at your local grocery store. A delightful treat that brings the warmth of the holiday season to any meal!
Rest assured, these potatoes don’t come with the traditional, but often disappointing, marshmallow topping you might expect. Instead, they have a mouthwatering streusel pecan crumble that will truly impress!
I love making this traditional sweet potato casserole, and gluten-free green bean casserole every Thanksgiving no matter what. They’re crowd-pleasing recipes that everyone looks forward to. Served up with a tasty gluten-free turkey and gluten-free crescent rolls, they create one delicious and well-rounded meal.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Despite its simplicity, this casserole is bursting with the rich flavors of sweet potatoes, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- Tailored for those following a gluten-free diet, it allows everyone to enjoy a classic holiday dish without worry.
- With the Instant Pot method, you can have perfectly cooked sweet potatoes in a fraction of the time.
- If there are any leftovers (though it’s doubtful!), they taste just as delicious the next day, making it a practical dish for busy times.
Sweet Potato Pecan Streusel Topping
I’ve never been a big marshmallow fan so topping a vegetable with them has never hooked me. This pecan, brown sugar streusel topping though… Now that’s a different story!
This topping is made simply with brown sugar, chopped pecans, gluten-free flour and butter. It really takes sweet potato casserole to the next level and I bet your kids will even ask for seconds (mine always do). While it isn’t a healthy sweet potato casserole it is delicious and worth it!
What you’ll need
- Sweet potatoes – Roughly 4 large sweet potatoes are perfect for this recipe.
- Brown sugar – You’ll need brown sugar for the casserole and the pecan topping. Feel free to replace with coconut sugar but I would not recommend replacing with maple syrup.
- Milk – Regular milk works best but feel free to swap for a mild plant-based milk.
- Butter – You’ll need melted butter for the casserole and cold butter for the streusel topping.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract – Make sure you have gluten-free vanilla extract.
- Spices – Nutmeg, cinnamon, and a dash of salt is all you need to take this recipe to the next level.
- Pecans – Pecan halves or pieces will work.
- Flour – I like to use a good brand of gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill but you can also make your own gluten-free flour.
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Making large sweet potatoes in the instant pot is truly the best way to do it. It takes a fraction of the time baking does and is so easy for making creamy sweet potatoes. Rachel from Rachel Cooks has a great instant pot sweet potatoes recipe I highly recommend following.
It will make this recipe even easier than it already is. Plus, clean up is a breeze! Learn how to cook sweet potatoes here too. They are great for making mashed sweet potatoes too! Serve them up with air fryer BBQ chicken for a delicious meal.
How to make gluten-free sweet potato casserole
Steps 1 : The wet ingredients
Add all of the wet ingredients to a stand mixer (Shown in images 1-5)
Step 2 : Spice it up
Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt to the large bowl (Shown in images 6&7)
Step 3: Mix
Mix ingredient until smooth (Image 8)
Step 4: Bake
Transfer batter to a casserole dish or baking dish and bake the sweet potato filling for 30 minutes (Image 9)
Step 5: Top it off
While the casserole is baking, combine the topping ingredients and top on casserole (Images 10-12)
Step 6: Bake (again)
Bake the casserole for an extra 15 minutes or until the pecan topping is golden brown.
Pro tip: Use room temperature eggs and dairy to ensure even mixing and better incorporation.
Can I make this casserole vegan?
You can absolutely make this a vegan sweet potato casserole. Swap the butter for dairy-free butter or coconut oil, milk for a type of dairy-free milk, and eggs for flax eggs or another egg replacer.
Full fat coconut milk, almond milk, or another creamy dairy-free milk are great options. For thinner milks like almond, you may need less. Making this casserole vegan allows those with all different types of allergy restrictions to enjoy on Thanksgiving day.
Storage
Storing – Keep this gluten-free sweet potato casserole in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container or a the cooled baking dish covered with plastic wrap. Just reheating as needed in the microwave or bake at 250 degrees until warmed through. It is a delicious leftover dish!
Freezing – For freezing, I recommend following all the instructions up until the baking and streusel making. Prepare the batter and freeze in freezer safe container. When you are ready to bake, remove from the freezer and thaw. Once thawed, bake as directed and make the streusel while it is baking.
More recipes you’ll love
- This gluten-free pumpkin delight is one of the easiest desserts to make and its packed with creamy pumpkin flavor.
- Gluten-Free Ginger Molasses Cookies are always a hit at the holiday table.
- What’s thanksgiving without gluten-free mashed potatoes served with mouth watering gluten-free gravy?
- If you’re looking for thanksgiving side dishes, try this gluten-free corn casserole or this gluten-free stuffing.
- But, these roasted sweet potatoes are great as well and they couldn’t be easier to throw together.
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Best Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes large
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cold butter
Instructions
- Cook sweet potatoes in oven at 425 degrees for 45-50 minutes until fork can be inserted easily OR for 15 minutes on high pressure with a natural release in the Instant Pot
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Peel potatoes, put them in a stand mixer and whip for about 30 seconds
- Add 1 C brown sugar, 1/2 C milk, 3 eggs, vanilla and 1/2 tsp nutmeg and cinnamon then mix until well incorporated and smooth
- Transfer to a greased 9×9 or 9×13 inch baking dish
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees
- In another bowl, combine 3/4 C brown sugar, 1/2 C pecans and 1/4 C gf flour. Cut in the 2 T butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over baked potatoes and return to oven to cook another 15 minutes.
Notes
Storage
Storing – Keep this gluten-free sweet potato casserole in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container or a the cooled baking dish covered with plastic wrap. Just reheating as needed in the microwave or bake at 250 until warmed through. It is a delicious leftover dish! Freezing – For freezing, I recommend following all the instructions up until the baking and streusel making. Prepare the batter and freeze in freezer safe container. When you are ready to bake, remove from the freezer and unthaw. Once thawed, bake as directed and make the streusel while it is baking.Nutrition
*This post was originally published on November 10, 2009. It has been updated with new photos, instructions and more information. It is still the same tasty recipe we’ve been making for years though!
Phoebe says
This topping is absolutely perfect! Totally making this for Thanksgiving!
Chandice says
Awww thanks so much! It is my favorite way to enjoy sweet potatoes. 🙂
Betsy says
Sounds yummy! I think I will try this recipe this year. I loooove sweet potatoes any time of year!