Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is a sweet and warmly spiced side with honey, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, then topped with pecans.
This sweet potato recipe is the perfect holiday Side Dish to round out your table this holiday season. It’s a flavorful, sweet, family-favorite made with nutritious ingredients. For another healthy casserole to add to your holiday table be sure to try this healthier version of Green Bean Casserole as well.
HEALTHY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
This Sweet Potato Side Dish is packed with plenty of flavor and texture. The naturally sweet and nutty potatoes are flavored with honey, and a pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. Then the fluffy sweet potatoes are topped off with crunchy pecans for some variety in texture. It’s an easy recipe that’s sure to be a hit with your family and guests.
Sweet Potato Casseroles are a popular dish to serve for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This Sweet Potato Casserole is so healthy because of just a few changes to the traditional sweet potato casserole ingredients. Firstly, a lot of sweet potato dishes you’ll find use tons of butter. This really isn’t necessary. After steaming the sweet potatoes they’re plenty soft and moist without the addition of butter.The brown sugar that you’d usually find in the sweet potato base has been replaced with honey. The honey adds some extra moisture to the sweet potatoes and is generally healthier than other sugars. However, there’s still a little brown sugar in the crunchy pecan topping to give it a nice caramelized coating. You’ll also notice that flour is removed from the recipe, so it’s a great sweet potato dish for anyone on a gluten-free diet.
Sweet potatoes are a naturally healthy ingredient. They’re rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. Without all the butter, sweet potato recipes, like this one and Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries, quickly become a healthy and filling side that you can add to add to any meal.
MORE HEALTHY HOLIDAY SIDE DISHES
Roasted Acorn Squash
Turkey Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Whole Wheat Chicken Sausage Stuffing
Parmesan Roasted Vegetables
TIPS FOR MAKING SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
- Prep time: Start by setting the oven heat to 350 degrees F, and prepping the baking dish with cooking spray. Then peel the sweet potatoes and slice each of them into about 1-inch chunks.
- Steam: Add about 2 inches of water to a large pot, and then place a steamer basket over the water. Pour the sweet potatoes into the basket. Cover and steam for 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Remove the steamer basket and let the potatoes rest for 5 minutes. Dump out the water, and add the steamed potatoes back into the pot.
- Sweet potato mash: Add the honey, egg, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, teaspoon nutmeg, ginger, and salt to a mixing bowl. Then whisk the ingredients together. Add the spice mixture to the sweet potatoes, and mash with an immersion blender or regular potato masher. While mashing, mix the sweet potato base with the spices and honey until well combined. Add the sweet potato filling to the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
- Pecan topping: Combine the chopped pecans and brown sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle the pecan topping evenly over the casserole dish.
- Roasting time: Pop the Sweet Potato Casserole in the warm oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is a delicious golden brown color.
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VARIATIONS ON SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
- Sweeteners: You can try some different options to replace the sweeteners in the recipe. If you prefer a touch of maple flavor use ¼ cup maple syrup to replace the honey. You could also use maple syrup in place of the brown sugar, or use healthy sweeteners like coconut sugar or molasses instead of brown sugar.
- Pecan oatmeal topping: You can make a delicious crumb topping by adding oatmeal to the pecan mixture. Add ¼ cup unsalted butter,
- Marshmallows: Another special topping you can try are marshmallows. Put the Sweet Potato Casserole in the oven as usual and bake for the first 40 minutes. Then take the dish from the oven, sprinkle on a mini marshmallow topping, and return it to the oven until the marshmallows are golden on top.
MORE HEALTHY GLUTEN FREE SIDES
Roasted Tomatoes
Healthy Baked Beans
Baked French Fries
Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
HOW TO STORE SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
- Serve: If you have any leftovers from this sweet potato recipe, don’t leave them out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Let the dish cool, then cover it in aluminum foil, or transfer it to airtight containers to store in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freeze: You could also freeze the dish. Make sure to seal it carefully so it can stay good for up to 2 months.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar , packed
- 1/2 cup pecans , chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with baking spray.
- Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch chunks.
- Add the sweet potatoes to a large pot in a steamer basket over 2 inches of water.
- Cover and steam for 20 minutes.
- Remove the steamer basket and let sweet potatoes cool for 5 minutes and discard cooking water.
- Add the potatoes back into the emptied pot.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the honey, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
- Using an immersion blender or a potato masher, mix and mash the sweet potatoes and honey egg mixture ingredients together well.
- Add the sweet potato mixture to the baking dish evenly.
- In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar and pecans.
- Sprinkle it over the mixture.
- Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes.
Nutrition
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