Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole (Pecan Praline Topping!)

A spoonful of sweet potato casserole topped with a pecan crumble.

Meaningful Eats

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole (Pecan Praline Topping!)

8 -servings

This gluten-free sweet potato casserole with pecan praline topping is a long-time reader and family favorite recipe. It always steals the show!

Hundreds of reviewers agree this sweet potato casserole is a keeper! This tried-and-true recipe was originally published in 2013 and is one of my #1 holiday recipes today!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 5

Author Erin Collins

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 9x13 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!

Notes

Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. I like King Arthur.

Dairy-Free: I've found coconut oil and dairy-free butter are both great options to make this dairy-free!

Egg-Free: While the egg does help the structure, I've also made it without the egg and it's still delicious!

To Make-Ahead: I love prepping this one ahead of time! The filling and topping can both be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Smooth the filling into the baking dish and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Store the topping mixture in a separate airtight container. When ready to bake, top the sweet potatoes with the pecan mixture and bake according to the recipe.

To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or by wrapping the 9x13 tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. I warm individual portions in the microwave, but use the oven if reheating larger portions.

To Freeze: I don't recommend freezing the sweet potato casserole since the texture of the filling and topping may change after thawing.

Nutrition