• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Eat Well.
Live Well.
Be Well.
Display Search Bar
  • Dinners Made Simple
  • Work with Us
  • Let’s Chat!
  • Blog
Follow us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram! Follow us on Pinterest! Follow us on Twitter! Follow us on YouTube!

The Real Food Dietitians

Eat well. Live well. Be well.

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Specialty Diets
      • Whole30
      • Paleo
      • Egg-Free
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten-free
      • Grain-Free
    • Meal Prep Recipes
    • Whole30
    • Freezer-Friendly
    • Appetizers
    • Main Entree
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks & Smoothies
    • One-Dish Meals
    • Slow-Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Salads & Sides
    • Sauces & Dressings
    • Soups & Stews
    • Snacks
    • Sweets & Treats
  • Real Plans
  • Meal Prep

Nov 9, 2020 By Stacie Hassing

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

Dairy-Free
Gluten-free
Grain-Free
Paleo
Whole30
Jump to Recipe

This Thanksgiving side dish is sure to please! This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is made with no added sugar, is Whole30-friendly and topped with a sweet-and-savory combo of toasted nuts and crisp bacon.

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

Take your Thanksgiving (or any dinner) menu to the next level with this Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans.

You’re probably familiar with the traditional sweet potato side dish that’s covered in a thick layer of marshmallows and all the brown sugar. And while that’s totally tasty, if you’re looking to lighten up your menu and offer a lower-sugar option without sacrificing taste, you’ve come to the right place.

This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans is one of my favorite side dish recipes. It’s creamy, naturally sweet and the topping made of toasted pecans, spices and crisp bacon, adds the perfect crunch and savoriness to this recipe. It’s definitely a crowd-pleaser that you’ll want to make again and again, Thanksgiving or not.

This post was originally published on October 30th, 2019. Updated on November 8th, 2020.  

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients for this Healthy Sweet Potato Recipe

For the Sweet Potato filling:

  • Sweet potatoes – about 4 garnet or jewel medium sweet potatoes (the orange ones)
  • Maple syrup – omit for Whole30 or add dates.
  • Milk of choice – use unsweetened almond milk for Whole30
  • Butter – use ghee or coconut oil for Whole30
  • Sea salt
  • Spiced – cinnamon, nutmeg and chili powder 
  • Whole eggs – omit for egg-free

For the Topping:

  • Pecans – ½ cup chopped + ½ cup halves
  • Bacon – cooked and chopped. For Whole30 use a no-sugar bacon. We like the bacon from Butcher Box. 
  • Butter – use ghee or coconut oil for Whole30
  • Spices – cinnamon and nutmeg
  • Sea salt

Note: for Dairy-free use unsweetened almond milk and coconut oil.

Shop Thrive Market to get the best prices on natural, organic, and specialty foods. PLUS get a free gift when you sign-up! Thrive Market is our go-to for spices and seasonings.

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

How to make this Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe

For the full instructions, scroll down.

  • Step 1: Bake the sweet potatoes however you wish. Instructions below or go here.
  • Step 2: Make the topping while the sweet potato bake, except for the bacon.
  • Step 3: Combine the filling ingredients. I like to use a hand mixer to mix it all together.
  • Step 4: Transfer sweet potato mixture to a 9×9 and top with the topping mixture.
  • Step 5: Bake at 375ºF covered with foil for 40 minutes, uncover, add the bacon and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

How to Make Perfect Baked Sweet Potatoes

We LOVE baked sweet potatoes around here. A longer roasting time brings out some of the natural sweetness in these spuds!

I like to remove the skin after roasting when I’m going to be mashing the sweet potatoes, but I leave it on if I’m eating them as part of other recipes! If I am planning on leaving the skin on, I’ll add 1/4 tsp of coconut oil and a sprinkle of sea salt to the potatoes before baking them. This results in the most delicious end result: a baked potato that’s soft and tender on the inside, with a crispy skin!

Our favorite method of roasting looks like this:

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Wash potatoes and pat dry.
  • Place on a baking sheet and bake 45-60 minutes or until fork-tender.
  • Remove from oven, let cool 5-10 minutes, then remove potato peels.
  • Use a potato masher, food processor, or hand mixer to throughly mash the potatoes.

Baked Sweet Potato Casserole is meal-prep friendly, to0!

While this Healthy Baked Sweet Potato Casserole makes for a delicious addition to a Thanksgiving menu, it also makes for an easy side dish to add to any meal. In fact, I love prepping it on the weekend along with some roasted Brussels and some sort of protein and portioning it out in these 3 compartment, glass meal prep containers. It makes for the most delicious reheat-and-eat kind of meal to enjoy throughout the week!

Can Sweet Potato Casserole be made without eggs?

Yes, it sure can. The eggs really help hold the casserole together and give it light and fluffy texture but if you follow an egg-free diet, you can simply omit the eggs. The casserole will still be incredibly tasty!

Baked Sweet Potato Casserole overhead shot with pecan topping

Other sweet potato side dish recipes you’ll want to try:

  • Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bacon
  • Warm Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Salad
  • Maple Mashed Sweet Potato

Hungry for More? Subscribe to get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Let's Get Cookin'

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

  • Author: Stacie Hassing
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: 9 servings 1x
  • Category: Side-Dish, Whole30
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Sweet Potato filling:

  • 2½–2¾ lbs. sweet potatoes (about 4 garnet or jewel medium sweet potatoes)*
  • ¼ cup maple syrup (omit for Whole30 or substitute 3 dates soaked in hot water for 5 minutes)
  • ⅓ cup milk of choice (unsweetened almond milk for Whole30)
  • 1½ Tbsp. butter, melted (ghee or coconut oil for Whole30)
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. chili powder 
  • 2 whole eggs (omit for egg-free)

For the Topping:

  • 1 cup pecans (½ cup chopped + ½ cup pecan halves) 
  • 3 strips bacon, cooked and chopped (no-sugar bacon for Whole3o)
  • 1 Tbsp. butter, melted (ghee or coconut oil for Whole30)
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon 
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9-10 inch (square, round or oval) or 1.5 quart baking dish and set aside. 
  2. Bake sweet potatoes in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until soft and cooked through. Baking time will depend on the size of sweet potatoes. *Note: feel free to bake/cook the sweet potatoes however you wish. This can be done a day or two ahead of time.
  3. While sweet potatoes are baking, in a small bowl add the topping ingredients (except for the bacon) and mix to combine. Set aside. 
  4. When sweet potatoes are done, remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes. 
  5. After the 5 minutes, remove the peels of the sweet potatoes and add the peeled sweet potatoes to a food processor or large bowl. Process or use a hand mixer or standup mixer to mix well. 
  6. Add the rest of the filling ingredients, except for the eggs, and process or mix until smooth. Next, add the eggs and process or mix again just until smooth. 
  7. Transfer the sweet potato filling to the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly. Top with the pecan and bacon mixture. 
  8. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, add the bacon and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. If pecans begin to get too brown, cover again with foil.
  9. Serve warm.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/9 of recipe (without dates)
  • Calories: 245 calories
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Sodium: 285 mg
  • Fat: 13 g
  • Carbohydrates: 28 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 6 g

Pin now, make later!

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole Pin for Pinterest


Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

This post contains affiliate links, which means we receive a percentage of the sale if you use the link to make your purchase. This does not change the price of the product. This income directly offsets the cost of web hosting and maintenance so we greatly appreciate your support.

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

 

 

  • Facebook227
  • Pinterest1.3K
  • Yummly6
  • Email

About Stacie Hassing

Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she, her husband and daughter reside with their two pups. She’s a co-founder of The Real Food RDs and content creator of simple and wholesome recipes. She loves all kinds of fitness and has a passion to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life both in and out of the kitchen - the driving force behind the co-development of the The Real Food RDs brand.

< Previous Post
Next Post >

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

The Real Food Dietitians is the passion-driven product of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Stacie Hassing and Jessica Beacom. They’ve combined their love of nutrition, health and real food with the concepts of ease and convenience to bring you recipes that are big on flavor but short on ingredients.

Free eBook

Sign up to get your FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

Favorite Recipes

Sheet Pan Baked Salmon with Vegetables

Shepherd's pie topped with sweet potatoes plated and ready to serve

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

A plate full of baked chicken nuggets with a side of honey mustard sauce

Baked Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Shredded easy salsa verde chicken over cauliflower rice, topped with radishes, avocado, cilantro, and cracked black pepper

Salsa Verde Chicken (Instant Pot or Crockpot)

A parchment covered serving platter piled high with chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal energy bites

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls with Chocolate Chips

Overhead view of easy skillet lasagna in a bowl with a side salad and garlic bread

Easy Skillet Lasagna

Free Recipe eBook

Sign up to get your FREE recipe ebook + weekly newsletter!

Follow us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram! Follow us on Pinterest! Follow us on Twitter! Follow us on YouTube!
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Let’s Chat!
Copyright © 2021 The Real Food Dietitians Site Credits. Designed by Melissa Rose Design. Developed by Once Coupled.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

How about a free recipe ebook?

Sign up for our newsletter and get your FREE recipe ebook delivered right to your inbox!

We respect your privacy! Your information will *never* be shared, traded or sold to a 3rd party.
  • 227
  • 1.3K
  • 6