
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is a comforting and satisfying dish! Make it for the holidays, Sunday dinner, or just because.
This recipe was originally published November 20, 2019. It was updated on September 20, 2021.
Article summary:
In today's post, we will be making healthy sweet potato casserole. This comforting side dish is rich, satisfying, sweet, and so much better for you than classic recipes. Read on to learn how to make this recipe, recipe pro-tips and more!
Table of contents
- Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and low in sugar, this Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is a comforting and satisfying dish! Make it for the holidays, Sunday dinner, or just because.
- This recipe was originally published November 20, 2019. It was updated on September 20, 2021.
- Article summary:
- This baked soufflé is...
- Recipe ingredients:
- Ingredient substitutions:
- How to make low sugar sweet potato casserole:
- Recipe pro-tips:
- How to roast whole sweet potatoes:
- Recipe FAQs:
- Serving suggestions:
- Doubling or tripling this recipe:
- Storage directions:
- More Holiday Side Dish Recipes:
Are you a traditional Thanksgiving person, are you more into changing it up every year, or would you say you're a hybrid of the two?
As I've been planning and creating recipes lately, I've been thinking about this a lot. How many people like to stick with their traditional thanksgiving menu and how many others like to switch it up each year?
Personally, I'm a hybrid of the two. Though I like to change things up each year, I still like to keep the general type of dishes the same: a nice hearty fall salad, turkey in some fashion, some variety of stuffing, an interpretation on sweet potatoes, etc...
Maybe it's that it's hard for me to do anything the exact same way twice. Or maybe it's because growing up I got hooked on the excitement of discovering each year's new dishes in Cooking Light or Bon Appetit magazines.
(Yes, we're making a brief trip back to Chelsea's nerdy childhood, but I promise we aren't staying here long. ;)).
So maybe I'm actually just into the tradition of the lack of tradition. I look forward to the feeling of trying something new each year. This healthy sweet potato soufflé is a new rendition on an old tradition. I hope you and your family enjoy changing things up just enough, too.
Also, please tell me in the comments below-- what kind of Thanksgiving person are you. Do you like or dislike switching up your dishes each year? I'm really curious to hear how other people approach their holiday menus. 🙂
This baked soufflé is...
- Light & fluffy
- Rich
- Buttery
- Naturally sweet
It's a healthy and easy sweet potato dish that is low on fuss (just throw the ingredients in a mixer, blend, and bake) and high on homey & comforting flavor while keeping the traditional Thanksgiving or Holiday dinner sweet potato presence alive and well.
Recipe ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes - we will bake them before adding to the soufflé, caramelizing the flavors
- Coconut oil
- Baking powder - makes the dish nice and light and fluffy
- Salt
- Maple syrup - sweetens the dish without adding any processed sugar
- Coconut milk - adds richness and creaminess without adding dairy
- Orange juice
- Orange zest - adds dimension and flavor to the sweet potatoes without excess moisture
- Gluten-free flour blend
- Large eggs - holds the dish together, making it impressive yet easy to scoop and serve
- Pure vanilla extract
Ingredient substitutions:
- Coconut oil - if you are not dairy-free, you can substitute butter
- Coconut milk -- heavy creamy or half & half will work in place of the coconut milk, but it will add dairy fat to the recipe
- Maple syrup - honey (preferably raw) can switch in for the maple syrup, though it will change the flavor a bit. I recommend using maple syrup over honey if you can for this recipe
- Flour - if you are not gluten-free you can also use the same amount of all-purpose flour
How to make low sugar sweet potato casserole:
- Preheat the oven and wrap the sweet potatoes in aluminum foil.
- Bake the sweet potatoes until cooked through and tender when pierced with a knife.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and carefully peel the skins off.
- Lower the oven temperature and spray the baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Add the potatoes and the rest of the soufflé ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whip on medium speed with a wire whisk attachment or hand mixer, or until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the sweet potatoes into the prepared baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until the soufflé is golden brown around the edges and no longer jiggly in the center.
- Serve hot!
Recipe pro-tips:
- Bake the sweet potatoes completely. Or, until they are tender, cooked throughout, and caramelized. This will give the dish the best texture and flavor. See my notes below on how to bake sweet potatoes.
- Whip up the sweet potatoes thoroughly. We need the mixture nice and creamy to have the best final texture.
- Don't zest your oranges down to the pith. To zest an orange, just zest the outer layer of the skin. Zesting down to the white part makes the zest bitter.
- Bake the soufflé until it's cooked through - the soufflé is done when it's golden brown on the edges and firm in the center (i.e. no longer jiggly). Undercooking the dish will negatively affect the texture of the dish and potentially make it unsafe to eat (because of undercooked eggs).
How to roast whole sweet potatoes:
To roast these sweet tubers, just...
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Scrub your sweet potatoes under warm water until the grit and sand are washed off.
- Blot the potatoes with a towel or paper towel.
- Pierce the sweet potatoes with a sharp knife 2-3 times each, piercing in about 1-2 inches.
- Wrap the sweet potatoes in squares of aluminum foil, making sure they are sealed tight.
- Place your sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack and close the oven door.
- Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes give easily when pressed with your fingers (wrapped in a towel or potholder, of course!).
Recipe FAQs:
The two names are often used as different ways to refer to the same general dish of baked potatoes, spices, sweetener, and other seasonings or add-ins (nuts, butter, marshmallows, etc.). So, this recipe can be referred to as either a sweet potato casserole or soufflé. The official name is soufflé, however, since it rises and gets fluffy while baking as would a traditional soufflé recipe.
Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, peel back the foil from the potatoes, and let them cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
Next, run a sharp knife lightly along the length of the sweet potato, just cutting through the skin but not puncturing the inside flesh.
Pull the skin back from the cut line and it will release easily.
Repeat with the rest of your sweet potatoes and enjoy!
Serving suggestions:
This recipe is perfect served for the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) as well as for Sunday dinners and dinner parties. I love serving it with:
- Pork tenderloin
- Roasted or air fryer salmon
- Roast turkey breast
- Brussels sprouts
- Ham
- Prime rib
Doubling or tripling this recipe:
To double or triple this recipe, just multiply the ingredients by the desired amount as listed, dividing the sweet potato mixture between the number of baking dishes that you multiplied the recipe by and baking according to the recipe directions.
Storage directions:
Recipe leftovers last covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. They can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months but are best consumed fresh or within 5 days of baking.
More Holiday Side Dish Recipes:
- Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
- Candied Whipped Sweet Potatoes
- Caramelized Dutch Oven Sweet Potatoes
- Mashed Butternut Squash
- Cranberry & Edamame Brown Rice Salad
- Healthy Corn Soufflé
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Honey Glazed Turmeric Carrots
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes Without Butter
- Sour Cream & Chive Mashed Potato Casserole
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
If you make and like this recipe, please review and rate it 5 Stars at the top of the recipe card. This helps other people to find the recipes and helps this reader-supported publication, too!
Thank you so much for your feedback and support of Mae's Menu!
Healthy Sweet Potato Souffle
A healthy sweet potato casserole with maple syrup, orange zest, coconut milk, and vanilla.
This Healthy Sweet Potato Souffle is straightforward to make, gluten-free, dairy-free, and has no processed sugar! It's the perfect surprisingly healthier Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut milk, well shaken
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ½ large orange, zested (or about 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest)
- 3 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pierce the sweet potatoes 2-3 times each with a sharp knife. Roll each tightly in about a 12x12" piece of aluminum foil then bake for 50-65 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pushed and cooked through.
- Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Un-wrap the potatoes and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Decrease the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 2.5-quart baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Once the potatoes have cooled enough, carefully peel the skin of the potatoes.
- Add the potatoes and the rest of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and no lumps of sweet potatoes remain.
- Pour the sweet potato mixture into the greased baking pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until the souffle is browned around the edges, just starting to turn golden brown on top, and the center doesn't jiggle when moved.
- Serve warm with (optional) powdered sugar sprinkled on top and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 184Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 62mgSodium 279mgCarbohydrates 31gFiber 4gSugar 12gProtein 5g
This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Or, check out my best thanksgiving recipes all in one place!
Gia says
Hi, Steps are missing between
6 &7 of this recipe. When, how & in what order do you add the other ingredients to the sweet potatoes?
Chelsea | Mae's Menu says
Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention! I added it into step number 6 so you should be all set now.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Jess says
Canned coconut milk? Does it matter?
Mae's Menu says
That is totally fine!
Mae's Menu says
Whatever kind of coconut milk you have is great-- as long as it isn't reduced fat!
Charles Burks says
Hello! I’m wondering if this soufflé can be made a day ahead and rewarmed before serving?
Mae's Menu says
Hi, Charles!
Great question. Though you technically can bake the souffle the day ahead, I wouldn't recommend it. The souffle won't have the same lift when you reheat it.
You can, however, put the souffle together a day ahead of time and just bake it the day of.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Chelsea
Charles says
Perfect! That’s what I’m planning to do. I’ll bring it to room temperature before placing in the oven. Thanks again!
Mae's Menu says
Of course!! Enjoy!
betty crawford says
I have an instant pot and these egg bite molds for instant pot. Can this recipe be adapted? I have company coming next month and I think this would be a great way to serve this recipe.
Mae's Menu says
Hi Betty,
Thanks so much for your note! I have not used egg bite molds but they appear to be best suited for cooking cracked open eggs in the Instant Pot. So, they're probably not the best for this recipe.
You can, however, cook the eggs directly in the Instant Pot (no molds or racks needed) -- just make sure you use enough water.
Hope you enjoy!
Chelsea