Indulge in the sweet, savory, and oh-so-satisfying Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows, y’all! This Southern classic is bringing the heat with its creamy, whipped sweet potatoes, topped with a layer of perfectly golden, gooey, toasted marshmallows. And the best part? It’s totally vegan! Whip up a batch for your next get-together, and watch as everyone goes back for seconds – no one can resist the tantalizing flavors and textures of this classic comfort food!
Need Holiday Meal Plan Ideas?
Elevate your holiday with a vegetarian menu that dances on your taste buds! This lineup harmonizes flawlessly with the vegan sweet potato casserole:
- Main Course: Zucchini Lasagna – layers of zesty marinara, velvety ricotta, and melted mozzarella.
- Soup: Vegan Curry Butternut Squash Soup – a symphony of rich spices and creamy squash.
- Side: Vegan Candied Brussels Sprouts – a sweet-savory melody with a touch of caramelization.
- Side: Vegetarian Southern Greens – a soulful blend of earthy flavors and comforting warmth.
Ok let’s clear the air. Am I vegan? No! I identify more as a flexitarian and a people pleaser. I occasionally I like to kickstart my healthy eating habits by going vegan or gluten-free for a bit. Also love to throw dinner parties and want to make sure that I’m making dishes that all of my guests can enjoy.
I don’t make drastic changes, I just make healthier versions of the dishes I already love and across this blog you will see tons of vegan and gluten free variations to your favorite recipes. That’s where this sweet potato casserole comes in – it’s so delicious, you won’t even realize it’s vegan.
Should you want a classic variation of the recipe be sure to check out my Candied Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar Streusel.
Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
I’ve been making traditional sweet potato casserole for my family since college. It was always important to me to create dishes that everyone loved.
Once my sister went vegan, I had to learn how to change up serval of the holiday favorites for everyone to enjoy. Luckily my sweet potato casserole recipe was already vegetarian; I just had to make a few dairy swap-outs to make it vegan.
I also added toasted vegan marshmallows on top (had no idea these existed). And I can’t lie; it’s absolutely delicious. It immediately became the new family favorite. I love making dishes everyone can enjoy, no matter their diet.
What You’ll Need For This Recipe
Sweet potatoes: I like to use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes for this recipe.
Brown sugar: I like brown sugar for the toffee-like flavor but you can use any vegan-friendly sweetener you like. A few others that will work are turbinado sugar or coconut sugar.
Dairy Alternatives: Swapping out butter and milk for vegan butter & nondairy milk help to make this dish vegan. Butters I like are Earth’s Balance and Miyokonos. For milk, you can use almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
Citrus: sweet potatoes pair exceptionally well with citrus some I’m using both fresh juice and zest from oranges and lemons.
Warm Spices: vanilla extract, fresh ginger grated, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg help give the casserole warmth and depth.
Kosher salt: helps enhance all the flavors.
Vegan marshmallows: My favorite vegan brand is Dandies, and I use the regular size, but you could use the mini ones if you like. You can pick up some Dandies marshmallows at Whole Foods or order them on Amazon.
Pecan Topping: Gives the casserole the perfect amount of crunch in every bite. You can use regular flour or a gluten free flour. I’d omit any nuts from the recipe if you have a nut allergy. And
Pro Tip – Cut Your Marshmallows
Most store-bought marshmallows are covered in cornstarch. This helps to prevent them from sticking together, but it also makes them harder to melt.
I like to cut my marshmallows in half, so there’s less cornstarch on the surface, which helps them melt and toast more evenly.
How To Make Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
For the full recipe and detailed baking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.
Roast Sweet Potatoes
Cut sweet potatoes in half and roast them for 40-45 minutes or until fork tender in preheated 425°F oven. Peel off the skin and mash the potatoes.
Prepare Sweet Potato Mix
Mix together mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, vegan butter, orange zest & juice, lemon zest & juice, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and non-dairy milk until smooth. Spread evenly into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Prepare Pecan Topping:
Mix the pecan topping ingredients together and sprinkle them evenly over the potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes.
Prepare Marshmallows
Cut the marshmallows in half (kitchen sheers work best), then place the marshmallows cut side down, over the pecan topping. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden brown.
Alternative Cooking Methods/Customizations
- Make it nut-free: The casserole is still incredible if you just keep the marshmallow and remove the nut crumble.
- Swap out the pecans with another nut: if you don’t like pecans, you can substitute them with any chopped nut you want.
- Make it savory: looking for an unsweetened version? Just season your sweet potatoes with pepper, paprika, chives, and garlic, and you’re good to go.
- Change the sweetener: use maple syrup or agave in place of brown sugar.
- Smooth it out: if you want an extra velvety filling, add it to a food processor or blender to eliminate all the lumps.
Make Ahead, Storing & Reheating Instructions
The great thing about this vegan sweet potato casserole is that it can be made ahead of time. Simply follow the steps as instructed and stop at making the sweet potato filling. Only make the pecan topping and bake once you’re ready to eat. Instead, tightly cover your sweet potato casserole before putting it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Before you want to serve the sweet potato casserole, remove it from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Then prepare the pecan toppings and marshmallows and bake as instructed.
You can store this casserole in the fridge covered for up to a week. To reheat single servings, you can warm it up in the microwave. Reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 350°F degrees until heated (about 15 minutes).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
For sure! Simply swap out the all-purpose flour for gluten-free 1:1 baking flour, and you’re good to go.
Do I have to use fresh ginger?
No, you can use ground ginger instead. If you do, I would start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more as needed.
Are marshmallows vegan?!
Not all marshmallows are created equal, but a few brands make vegan marshmallows. I like Dandies and Sweet & Sara, and you can find these at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s & Amazon.
How Do You Keep Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole from Being Runny?
If potato mash is slightly off in weight, you can end up with runny filling. To avoid this, make sure you measure your mashed sweet potatoes. I like to use a food scale for accuracy, and I also recommend that you add the milk last. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
More Sweet Potato Goodness (can you tell I love sweet potatoes?)
Before You Begin
Essential Tools
- Sheet pan
- Chefs Knife
- Kitchen Shears
- Potato Masher
- Electric Mixer
- Stand Mixer
Whisk
Recipe Prep
Read through the recipe. This is the first time making a particular recipe; take a couple of minutes to read it through from start to finish. I promise it will help you move through the recipe quicker when you understand what’s coming next.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Measure out ingredients.
- Make sweet potato mash.
- Cut marshmallows.
Now It’s Your Turn!
If you are ready for the best sweet potato casserole (that just happens to be vegan), look no further and make this recipe immediately. Whether preparing it as part of a festive holiday meal or just because you had a craving for comfort food, this casserole with perfectly mashed sweet potatoes and addictively crunchy-yet-melty topping will have you coming back for seconds… or thirds. And nobody will care that it’s vegan because it’s just that good.
And hey, if you could spare a minute to rate this recipe and leave a comment down below, I’d be over the moon. Try it at home, snap a picture, and don’t forget to tag @meikoandthedish on social media, ’cause there’s nothing I love more than seeing your kitchen creations.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes Casserole
- 4 lbs medium sweet potatoes cleaned and cut in half
- ½ cup brown sugar turbinado sugar, or coconut sugar
- ¼ cup melted vegan butter or melted coconut oil
- 1 large orange juice & zest (1/2 cup juice)
- 1 large lemon juice & zest (2 tablespoons juice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
Marshmallow & Pecan Topping:
- ½ cup pecans coarsely chopped
- 2 1/2 tablespoons almond flour
- ½ tablespoons melted vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
- 4 cups large vegan marshmallows about 12 ounces, cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Clean sweet potatoes and slice them in half lengthwise.
Roast Sweet Potatoes (see notes)
- Line a sheet pan with parchment and spray it with vegetable oil spray.
- Place sweet potatoes cut side down, on the sheet pan. Prick all over the exposed side of each potato with a fork and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until soft. Remove and let rest until potatoes are cool enough to handle.
Prepare Sweet Potato Mix
- Once cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and discard. Transfer the flesh to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.
- Mix in the brown sugar, butter, orange zest & juice, lemon zest & juice, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt with an electric mixer or wooden spoon. Mix in non-dairy milk until smooth. Transfer sweet potato mixture to a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish and spread it over the pan evenly.
Prepare Pecan Topping:
- In a separate large bowl, mix together the pecans, flour, butter, and maple syrup. Spread the pecan topping evenly over the potatoes and transfer to the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
Prepare Marshmallows
- Cut the marshmallows in half long ways (kitchen shears work best) and set aside.
- After 15 minutes remove the casserole from the oven. Place the marshmallows close together and cut side down, over the pecan topping. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the marshmallows are golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving warm.
Notes
- I used Dandies brand for my vegan marshmallow.
- Sweet potato casserole is best 2 days after baking but will be fresh for 7 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I wouldn’t recommend freezing but you can freeze it by placing it in a freezer safe container for 3 months.
- Reheat casserole in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes or until hot.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
**The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use and love. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
