Whole30 Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans (Paleo)
Posted: 11/03/17
Updated: 02/02/23
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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!
Where Do You Stand on Marshmallows?
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 — a 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.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This year I wanted something different: 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.
More Whole30 and Paleo Holiday Dishes
- Best Paleo Stuffing (Healthy, Gluten-Free, Grain Free)
- Instant Pot Whole30 Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Rosemary (Paleo, No Sugar)
- Paleo Cranberry Apple Chicken Thighs with Rosemary (Whole30)
- Easy Paleo Gravy (Whole30, Grain Free, Vegan Friendly)
- Whole30 Green Bean Casserole (Paleo, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)
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
For the Casserole Filling
- 3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon Whole30-compliant vanilla powder optional
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ripe banana mashed
- coconut spray oil or other Whole30-compliant spray cooking oil, to grease pan
For the Topping
- ¼ cup ghee
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch pumpkin spice
- ¼ cup diced dates
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Equipment
- Oven
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- 9×9 baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Stir together all casserole filling ingredients in large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine all pecan-date topping ingredients until well combined and coated.
- Spray 9×9" pan with cooking spray. Spoon sweet potato casserole into pan and spread topping evenly over surface. Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes or until cooked through and topping is crisp and browned.
Notes
- As an alternative to coconut sugar, you can use maple sugar – but only if you’re NOT on a Whole30.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 355kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 69mg, Potassium: 429mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 9549IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 1mg, Net Carbs: 24g
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Is there a sub for ghee? I am whole 30 but really don’t like the flavor of the ghee.
An equal amount of a compatible neutral-tasting oil (like avocado oil) would likely work!
Hi! I am not able to have eggs right now. Is there a substitute that would work?
You could do flax eggs (ground flax meal + water)! There’s also egg replacers you can buy at the store.
For those that don’t often make mashed potatoes of any kind, can you tell us what method of cooking you used before mashing? Did you boil or bake the sweet potatoes?
You’re in luck – we have a TON of recipes for mashed potatoes here and on our sister site (easyhealthyrecipes.com) that’ll help you here! Any cooking method will work fine, but we typically boil the potatoes first before mashing them.
I am wondering if there is a replacement for the dates? I don’t particularly like them. What purpose do they serve in the topping?
Also, if omitting the banana, could I add a bit of sugar? (I’m not whole 30, just dairy free so I’ll be using vegan butter instead of ghee)
You can omit the dates if you’re not a fan of their flavor. And a little sugar is fine to use in place of the banana. 🙂
Can i use frozen banana for this? Also wondering about the vanilla extract?
I mean previously frozen banana of course… not frozwn at the time of mixing.
Sure! Also, vanilla extract would be delicious!