This Whole30 sweet potato casserole with pecans is a must for any Whole30 Thanksgiving table! With no sweeteners and a cinnamon pecan-date topping, you might end up eating the leftovers for breakfast (we did!). This Whole30 sweet potato casserole is naturally sweetened and just so delicious. A new Whole30 Thanksgiving classic!
Alright, serious question. One that defines who you are at your core, what matters to you, what makes your life worth living.
Burnt marshmallows on your sweet potato casserole or nah?
This might surprise you, but I’m totally anti-burnt marshmallows. I dig them, sure! But bagged puffs of corn syrup and tetrasodium don’t really sing to me. Fresh marshmallow cream brûléed? Now we’re talking. Hell yes.
But the marshmallows-or-nah debate has proved divisive in my family. First, we had vegans, so that was a no. Then we had a few too many “extra burnt” occasions. My mom ends up making half with, half without. So when I started hosting Thanksgiving years back, I came up with an idea to please everyone.
Sweet potato casserole bar.
Genius, right? Here’s my vision: plain sweet potato casserole, fortified with quality butter and a tiny bit of sweetener and salt, ready to be topped with homemade marshmallows, candied pecans, compound butter (with parsley, garlic, and shallots!), real maple syrup, fresh thyme, dried cranberries – you dream it up, and I’ll put it on the bar, my friend.
Now I just need to get around to doing it.
This year I wanted something different, though: a Whole30 sweet potato casserole with absolutely no sweeteners, finished off with a pretend praline topping. Pecans, ghee, cinnamon, and a bit of chopped dates for good Whole30-indulgence measure. It’s magical.
In fact, I made this Whole30 sweet potato casserole for my very-non-Whole30 best friend and mom for a little early Thanksgiving (life of the food blogger), and it was their favorite dish out of everything! Not sure how they could even top the magic that is my Whole30 green bean casserole, but hey! That just really says something about this Whole30 sweet potato casserole.
The banana and the eggs fortify the sweet potatoes and their texture, adding a bit of sweetness and firmness to the dish. You can leave out the dates in the praline topping if you wish, but I highly recommend putting them in there. Just be careful not to eat the whole bag while you’re cooking. That just might turn everything into a Whole30 disaster!
Because of the bananas, this dish is best made fresh; chilled overnight, it can get a little bit brown. Still tastes great, but the oxidation of the bananas kinda blocks the visual appeal.
To make this Whole30 sweet potato casserole, I used…
Whole30 Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan-Date Topping (Paleo)
This Whole30 sweet potato casserole with pecans is a must for any Whole30 Thanksgiving table! With no sweeteners and a cinnamon pecan-date topping, you might end up eating the leftovers for breakfast (we did!). This Whole30 sweet potato casserole is naturally sweetened and just so delicious. A new Whole30 Thanksgiving classic!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 pieces eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon Whole30-compliant vanilla powder optional
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 piece ripe banana mashed
- 1 spray spray coconut oil or other Whole30-compliant spray cooking oil
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch pumpkin spice
- 1/4 cup dates diced
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Instructions
- Stir together all sweet potato casserole ingredients. In a small bowl, combine all pecan-date topping ingredients until well combined and coated.
- Spray 9x9" pan with cooking spray. Spoon sweet potato casserole into pan and spread topping evenly over surface. Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
As an alternarnative to coconut sugar, you can use or maple sugar if *NOT* on a Whole30.
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If I omit using the eggs and banana in this recipe, would it still turn out similar in taste and texture?
It will be similar but not quite the same. It won’t be as sweet and the texture will be less firm but it should work!
Can you double this recipe? I have a big family!
Absolutely!
Would it be okay to make this on Friday and re-heat on Sunday for Easter dinner? I will be traveling so Friday is the latest I will be able to make it
Yes!
Hi! we made this last year and it was a hit so I’m making it again this year. I was hoping to make it ahead (maybe the day before) and heat it the day of. Do you think this could work? Any suggestions? Thanks!
I just went to go make this and realize I don’t have vanilla powder. I have vanilla extract- will that work even if it’s not necessarily whole 30? (I don’t mind if it’s not). If so, how much would you say? Thanks!
Are you able to leave out the banana? I sometimes have a sensitivity to bananas, but this seems to be the best recipe I found for this casserole.
Yes! You absolutely could. The banana gives it a bit of sweetness that you’ll otherwise miss, but I think it would be fine 🙂
Okay, YUM! Whole 30 or not, this casserole looks phenomenal. Such a great, healthy addition to the holiday spread!
Thanks, Karly!! It definitely belongs on any Thanksgiving table in my opinion 🙂