Featured Comment
From Carol: “One of my favorite recipes ever! Seriously I could just eat this for dinner and be happy! ★★★★★”
From Kala: “My “normal” sweet potato casserole recipe was a copycat recipe from a large chain steakhouse. I decided to give Erin’s a spin this year instead; this will be my new casserole recipe! This was delicious, and I loved the spices added to the potatoes; the nutmeg gave them extra depth! ★★★★★”
From Tina: “I have been making this for the last several years. Everyone loves it and looks forward to it every year. Love it!! ★★★★★”
Why Try This Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole
It isn’t Thanksgiving without sweet potato casserole! Years ago, I took a treasured Southern family recipe and made this gluten-free version. Of all my gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes, it has easily become my all-time favorite holiday side dish.
- The perfect crumble topping. I prefer this buttery, brown sugar pecan topping over the traditional marshmallow-topped recipe. The crunchy pecan topping paired with the smooth, creamy filling creates the perfect texture in every bite!
- Everyone loves it! I’ve found that if I don’t tell people it’s made with gluten-free flour, no one notices. This is always one of the most popular dishes at any holiday or Thanksgiving I’ve made it for.
- Make-ahead friendly. I love having dishes ready to go as much as possible before Thanksgiving Day! The filling and topping can be prepared up to 3 days ahead.
- Make it dairy-free or egg-free. I’ve made this recipe with both coconut oil and dairy-free butter, and both work well! It even works without the egg (just expect it to be a little softer since the egg isn’t there to help the filling bind together).
What You Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free sweet potato casserole. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Sweet potatoes. Fresh sweet potatoes are a must for the best flavor and creamiest filling! I don’t recommend using canned sweet potatoes or yams. They tend to make the filling too soft.
- Milk. I use canned full-fat coconut milk for a richer, creamier filling. Definitely use the canned kind, not the carton variety! It also makes it easier to make the dish dairy-free. Whole milk works well, too, if you prefer to use dairy!
- Sugar. I tend to use regular sugar in recipes, but this is one where replacing the sugar with maple syrup works just as well! The syrup will add a slightly different flavor, while sugar will keep the taste closer to my family’s traditional recipe.
- Pecans. I love pecans in the brown sugar crumble topping. They add a nice crunch and mild nutty flavor that balances the sweetness of the side dish. Other nuts can work, but keep in mind some may add a stronger nutty flavor and change the texture a bit.
- Gluten-free flour. Any gluten-free measure-for-measure flour will work. I tend to use King Arthur. I don’t recommend almond flour, coconut flour, or other single-ingredient gluten-free flours because they’ll change the texture of the topping.
- Butter. I use butter because that’s how my family’s recipe was made, but I’ve also tested this with coconut oil and dairy-free butter. Both work well! For the topping, make sure the butter is softened, not melted, so you get that crumbly texture.
How to Make Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Cook the sweet potatoes. I like to use my Instant Pot to steam the sweet potatoes. It’s so easy and I feel like I get the most reliable results every time. You can also boil them on the stovetop!
Make the topping. Throw all of the topping ingredients in a bowl. You can either cut the butter in using a pastry cutter or work it in with your hands. I look for the mixture to become sandy, with pea-sized pieces of butter.
Erin’s Tip
How you steam the sweet potatoes is so important for creating a smooth filling that isn’t watery. Whether you use the instant pot or stovetop, I recommend keeping them whole and unpeeled. I’ve found if they’re cut into small pieces, the potatoes absorb too much water and make the filling runny.
Make the filling. I peel the sweet potatoes and add them to a mixing bowl with the remaining filling ingredients. You can use a stand or hand mixer to whip the filling until smooth and creamy.
Assemble and bake. Add the layers to the greased 9×13 and bake. I go by look and pull it from the oven when the topping turns golden brown and the filling starts bubbling. This usually takes 25-30 minutes.
Erin’s Tip
When making the sweet potato filling, I like to adjust it to taste. Depending on the size of the sweet potatoes, it may need a little more of something. I’ll add a little more salt, sugar, or even milk until I get the filling just right!
More Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole (Pecan Praline Topping!)
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 3-4 large sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup coconut milk or whole milk
- 1/3-1/2 cup granulated sugar or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 large egg
For the Topping:
- 1 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup softened butter or coconut oil in solid form
Instructions
STEAM THE SWEET POTATOES
- In the INSTANT POT (preferred method): Place a rack in the instant pot and add 1 cup of water. Place the washed sweet potatoes on top of the rack. Cook on MANUAL (high pressure) for 15 minutes. Allow the sweet potatoes to natural release, until the valve drops on its own.
- On the STOVE TOP: Place the sweet potatoes (whole and unpeeled) in a large pot and covering with water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. then puncture each sweet potatoes 3 times. Boil for another 20-30 minutes until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. In a bowl, combine the pecans, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or mix with your hands until the mixture is sandy, with pea-sized chunks of butter. Set aside.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and add them to a bowl with with the other filling ingredients. Use a hand mixer to whip the sweet potatoes until smooth. Taste and add more salt, sugar or milk as needed. (You may need to adjust the consistency/flavor based on how big your sweet potatoes are.) Whip the sweet potatoes until they are creamy and completely smooth.
- Smooth the sweet potato filling into the prepared dish. Top with the pecan mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden and the sweet potatoes are bubbling. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
This sounds amazing! How many does it serve?
Hi. I am making this tomorrow for Easter & only have a 2 qt sized glass dish. Do I need to adjust the baking time? My friend made this months ago & I loved it so I can’t wait to eat it again! Thanks.
Thanks for the recipe! I use almond milk…. To make it MUCH easier you can boil the sweet potatoes WHOLE, let them cool (or to make it faster, dump out the hot water and put cold water with ice to cool faster). Drain the potatoes, or be very gentle if you can’t wait. The peeling will tear off easily. I do this with white potatoes also.
While this dish is very flavourful, mine was soupy—that is, the sweet potato part. It wasn’t at all like the photos here. That’s how I would like it to be, but it was extremely soupy. I don’t know what I would’ve done wrong. I went completely non-dairy, so used coconut oil solid form (the only way I can find it anyway in the stores). Can someone advise?
Is this soy free?
Loved, loved, loved this! It was absolutely delicious! We used walnuts (the store was out of pecans). This will be a favorite for many years!
So glad you liked it! Walnuts would be delicious too!
Only using 3 cups of the Sweet Potatoes looks too watery to me. Does it thicken when baked?
The consistency can depend on how watery your sweet potatoes are when they are mashed. I make sure to leave my sweet potatoes in larger chunks (3-4 inches) when steaming them so they don’t get too watery. Smaller chunks absorb more water and create a more watery mash. You can always add more sweet potatoes or less coconut milk to the consistency you like too. The mash won’t thicken much in the oven!
This is my very first sweet potato casserole and it was a hit! I am allergic to gluten so most store bought Thanksgiving sides are out of the picture. I prepared this as a trial several days prior to Thanksgiving to see how it comes out. It was delicious!!! My 4 y.o. twins loved it, one of them even asked for seconds! Thank you! Fantastic recipe!
So glad you like it! 🙂
I loved this dish! But I really hoped the mash bit would be more like ‘mash’, thicker and less liquidy. Could be because I used coconut oil… any advice would be much appreciated!!!
It probably has to do with how you steamed your potatoes and how much water the sweet potatoes naturally contained. When I’ve used smaller sweet potatoes and steamed then they have more water. I would try using large sweet potatoes and just add less coconut milk so you get the consistency you like. I hope that helps!
We love the praline topping of the unmodified recipe. I keep hoping to find a gluten free that replicates the same crunchiness. I made this version anticipating that it would be just what I was looking for. While it was good, I am looking for perfect. 🙂 Wondering if results are better with coconut oil than butter? Or one flour better than another? The topping was drier than normal so it didnt melt and crystalize.
Could I use a rice flour or sorghum?
You could try it – the topping might be a little more grainy though!
Hi there!
Could I use a butter substitute made from coconut oil in this recipe instead of the butter? If so would I measure it out the same?
Definitely! That should work great!
This got rave reviews last night at our dinner – thank you!
i can’t have gluten, rice, or corn. Do you think almond flour or coconut four would work?
Hi Lynsie! Have you tried my grain-free flour blend? It would work perfectly here. That would be best, but you could try half almond flour and half starch (like arrowroot or potato) for the flour as well.
So using grain free will be just as good ?
Would have any tips on how to make this in the crock pot??? I don’t think my oven is big enough for this and a turkey lol
I think this might work in the slow-cooker, but the topping won’t get as crispy. You could spread the filling on the bottom, then top it with the pecan topping. I would try cooking it on low for 4 hours. I hope this helps! Let me know if it works out.