I hope you enjoy this comforting gluten-free sweet potato casserole at your Thanksgiving table. This irresistible combination of creamy sweet potatoes, crunchy pecans, and a hint of sweetness from brown sugar will ensure you enjoy the holiday alongside your gluten-eating friends. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
Thanksgiving can be difficult for people who cannot eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, or barley. Many traditional holiday dishes are off-limits, including dinner rolls, stuffing, gravy, and pies.
If you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity and must follow a strict gluten-free diet, I have some good news… sweet potato casserole is back on the table.
In my delicious gluten-free sweet potato casserole with a crunchy pecan topping, I’ll show you how to make this staple Thanksgiving side dish without gluten so you can get busy enjoying the holiday without worrying about getting sick.
While this sweet potato casserole is meant to be enjoyed as a side dish, it reminds me of a sweet potato pie dessert. The potatoes are buttery with hints of maple syrup. The topping is sweet and nutty, bursting with brown sugar and cinnamon flavors. This is a sweet potato casserole you’ll want to make every Thanksgiving day!
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Casserole
You’ll find this classic Thanksgiving side dish is quite easy to make and requires very simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need – all of this information is in the printable recipe card below, too.
For the sweet potato filling:
- 3-4 large sweet potatoes, approximately 2 lbs
- ½ cup milk, dairy-free milk ok
- ¼ cup butter or non-dairy butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or ¼ cup brown sugar (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the crumb topping:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup gluten-free flour (see notes for recommendations)
- ¼ cup butter, cut into pieces (use vegan butter or shortening if dairy-free)
- ¾ cup chopped pecans (see notes for nut alternatives)
How to Make a Sweet Potato Casserole
Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into 2-3-inch pieces. Either roast, steam, or boil them until they are fork-tender.
To roast them, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle them with a tablespoon of oil, and season to taste with salt—roast at 375° for about 25 to 30 minutes or until fork tender.
To steam them, place the cut potatoes in a large pan with a steamer basket and 2 inches of water in the bottom. Heat water to a boil and steam the potatoes until they are fork-tender—about 20 to 30 minutes.
To boil them, place the potatoes in a pot of cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Simmer the potatoes until tender. Carefully drain the water.
Once your potatoes are tender and ready to be mashed, preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13″ casserole dish. Set it aside.
Mash the room-temperature sweet potatoes, butter, and milk in a large bowl using a potato masher or ricer. Alternatively, you can put the sweet potatoes in the food processor and pulse until smooth, or use a hand-held electric mixer or immersion blender to blend the potatoes.
Add the eggs, maple syrup or brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt to the mashed sweet potatoes and mix until smooth. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared casserole dish.
Mix the brown sugar and gluten-free flour in a small bowl to create the crumb topping. Rub the butter pieces into the flour and sugar until you have pea-sized crumbs. Mix in the chopped pecans with the crumb mixture. Evenly spread the crumb topping on the sweet potato filling.
Bake the sweet potato casserole in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the casserole is hot, and the crumb topping is golden brown and crisp. Keep warm until ready to serve or serve immediately.
The Results
This sweet potato casserole hits all the holiday notes. It’s infused with maple syrup and brown sugar, making it the perfect side dish at your gluten-free Thanksgiving table.
Its smooth and creamy filling tastes like sweet potato pie, and the crunchy topping adds a wonderful texture to the overall dish. It’s a classic Thanksgiving recipe your family will demand you make every year.
Recipe Notes
Gluten-Free Flour: Use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour that contains xanthan gum, like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour.
Roast, Steam, or Boil the Sweet Potatoes – Which Is Better? Roasting enhances the flavor, but steaming or boiling your sweet potatoes works well if you don’t have oven space to spare. Steaming or boiling potatoes will offer a softer potato filling.
Maple Syrup vs. Brown Sugar: I used maple syrup to add flavor and sweetness to the sweet potatoes, saving the brown sugar for the crumb topping. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, and maple syrup will bring out their sweetness.
Butter Alternatives: I always recommend using butter because it tastes better. Vegetable oil, coconut oil, dairy-free butter, or butter works great in filling, and either butter, vegan butter, or shortening will work great in the crumb topping.
Milk Alternatives: You can use whole or skim milk, or to make it dairy-free, use unsweetened almond, soy, cashew, or coconut milk.
Vegan Alternatives: To make a vegan sweet potato casserole, use vegan butter (like Earth Balance), dairy-free milk, and omit the eggs. There’s no need to use an egg replacer; instead, leave out the eggs altogether. However, the sweet potato casserole will be denser without eggs since the eggs help the filling set like a pie.
Nut-Free Alternative: To make the pecan crumble nut-free, omit the nuts. If you’d like to add texture to the crumb topping, use pumpkin seeds instead (optional). You can buy some great gluten-free nut brands at the store, but if you’re looking for certified gluten-free nuts, I highly recommend shopping at Nuts.com. Use my link to activate a $10 off coupon.
Marshmallow Topping Alternative: A traditional sweet potato casserole is topped with mini marshmallows vs. a sweet pecan streusel. You can add the marshmallows instead of the pecan topping. Not all marshmallows are gluten-free; most mainstream brands are made with pork gelatin. Vegan marshmallows don’t melt and may burn more quickly than regular marshmallows.
Leftovers: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container or cover the baking dish with plastic wrap. The sweet potato casserole will taste good for 4-5 days after you make it. You can also make this recipe a day ahead of time and reheat it in the oven on Thanksgiving Day.
Happy Holidays!
I hope my gluten-free sweet potato casserole makes your holiday table a little sweeter this year. I don’t doubt that this recipe will soon become a family favorite. Happy Holidays!
Need help navigating the holiday season without gluten? Enroll in my Gluten-Free Holiday Survival Mini-Course to learn strategies to help you easily navigate the season while making your physical and mental health a top priority.
Want more Thanksgiving recipes?
- Better than Stove Top Stuffing Gluten-Free Stuffing
- Festive Cranberry Jalapeno Dip (Salsa)
- Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- How to Make Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons (Garlic & Herbs)
- Pull-Apart Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
- Gluten-Free Gravy Mixes – Tested for Hidden Gluten
- 18+ Gluten-Free Christmas Party Appetizers
- Classic Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Slow Cooker Apple Butter (Gluten-Free)
- The Best Gluten-Free Apple Pie Recipe
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet with foil or parchment paper
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 potato masher/ricer
- 1 9×13 casserole dish
Ingredients
For the sweet potato filling
- 3-4 sweet potatoes (large) approximately 2 lbs
- ½ cup milk dairy-free milk ok
- ¼ cup butter or non-dairy butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or ¼ cup brown sugar – see notes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the crumb topping:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup gluten-free flour see notes
- ¼ cup butter use vegan butter or shortening if dairy-free, cut into pieces
- ¾ cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into 2-3-inch pieces. Either roast, steam, or boil them until they are fork-tender.To roast them, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle them with a tablespoon of oil, and season to taste with salt—roast at 375° for about 25 to 30 minutes or until fork tender.To steam them, place the cut potatoes in a large pan with a steamer basket and 2 inches of water in the bottom. Heat water to a boil and steam the potatoes until they are fork-tender—about 20 to 30 minutes.To boil them, place the potatoes in a pot of cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Simmer the potatoes until tender. Carefully drain the water.
- Once your potatoes are tender and ready to be mashed, preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13″ casserole dish. Set it aside.
- Mash the room-temperature sweet potatoes, butter, and milk in a large bowl using a potato masher or ricer. Alternatively, you can put the sweet potatoes in the food processor and pulse until smooth, or use a hand-held electric mixer or immersion blender to blend the potatoes.
- Add the eggs, maple syrup or brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt and mix until smooth. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared casserole dish.
- Mix the brown sugar and gluten-free flour in a small bowl to create the crumb topping. Rub the butter pieces into the flour and sugar until you have pea-sized crumbs. Mix in the chopped pecans with the crumb mixture. Evenly spread the crumb topping on top of the sweet potato filling.
- Bake the sweet potato casserole in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the casserole is hot, and the crumb topping is golden brown and crisp. Keep warm until ready to serve or serve immediately.
As a gluten-free marshmallow alternative topping, you can use Marshmallow Fluff. It says “gluten free” right on the label, and the ingredients are corn syrup, sugar, dried egg white and vanillin.
The only supermarket in our area that carries the original Marshmallow Fluff is Publix.