We turned this popular Thanksgiving side dish into a blood sugar-friendly, Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole that even the most discerning purists will love. The secret ingredients? Almond flour and allulose sweetener.
Everything else about this traditional Thanksgiving side dish is the same as the original, from the creamy sweet potato mash to the sweet and crunchy pecan topping. We feel so strongly about this that we challenge anyone at the Thanksgiving table to tell the difference between our delicious Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole and the classic version.
Why We Love this Gluten-Free Potato Casserole
- As mentioned, it's gluten-free and sugar-free, which means when you pair it with protein, you can enjoy this nostalgic Thanksgiving side dish without worrying about blood sugar spikes.
- Rich Flavor - By browning the butter and combining it with the allulose sweetener, we achieve a brown sugar flavor, without the sugar.
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes - Instead of boiling the sweet potatoes, like most recipes do, we roast them, preserving the nutrients and intensifying their flavor and sweetness.
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Casserole
For the Mash
- Sweet Potatoes - roasted to preserve the nutritional value and intensify the flavor.
- Egg to bind everything together.
- Milk for extra creaminess. We used whole dairy milk, but any milk alternative would work.
- Butter for richness. We recommend using grass-fed butter because pasture-feeding can improve the nutritional characteristics of butter, as shown in a 2024 study.
- Pure Vanilla Extract (affiliate link) to enhance the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
- Salt - just a pinch to balance the sweetness.
- Cinnamon for that familiar, cozy Fall flavor.
- Allulose for added sweetness, which tastes like sugar, without the sugar blood sugar spikes. Find it at your local grocery store or here (affiliate link). To learn more about allulose, read Jen's article.
For the Pecan Topping
- Allulose (affiliate link) for added sweetness, which tastes like sugar, without the sugar blood sugar spikes. Learn more about allulose in Jen's article, here.
- Almond Flour, (affiliate link), which is a gluten-free, low-carb alternative to wheat flour. You can also use almond meal, which is coarser and contains almond skins. Either works fine here.
- Browned Butter for a rich, nutty, earthy flavor.
- Pure Vanilla Extract (affiliate link)
- Pecan pieces or whole pecans broken into smaller bits.
- Cinnamon for that cozy Fall flavor that combines beautifully with the pecans.
- Salt - just a pinch, to balance the sweetness.
How to Make Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole
Make the Mash
- Bake the sweet potatoes a few days before making the casserole to get a head start (if you prefer). Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash and dry the potatoes and poke all over with a fork. Spray or rub olive oil all over the skin and wrap in foil. Bake until a knife inserted into the flesh easily slides in — 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the sweet potatoes. Mash the sweet potato and refrigerate.
- Make the mash by combining all of the ingredients for the mash in one bowl. Whisk or use an electric mixer to combine.
- Transfer the sweet potato mash to a lightly greased 9x9, oven-safe casserole dish. Spread the mixture evenly.
Prepare the Pecan Crumble
- Brown the butter.
- Combine the browned butter with the allulose. Set aside.
- Combine the rest of the crumble ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the brown butter mixture to the pecan mixture and mix with a fork to combine.
Assemble the Casserole and Bake
- Crumble the pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Rest 10 minutes and serve.
Common Questions
Yes, and you can save time on Thanksgiving day! Start by pre-baking and mashing the sweet potatoes the day before so that they're ready to use. Prepare the sweet potato mash mixture, place it in the casserole dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to three days. Make the pecan mixture and store it in the refrigerator. When you're ready to bake, bring the sweet potato mixture to room temperature, assemble the casserole, and bake according to directions.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
We prefer baking the potatoes because it intensifies the flavor and sweetness, and retains more of the nutrients. Boiling the potatoes also adds moisture to the sweet potatoes which can make the casserole watery.
You can reheat individual portions in the microwave in one-minute increments until heated through. To reheat the casserole, cover the casserole dish with foil, and heat in 350°F preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
Recipe
Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole: No Sugar
Equipment
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mash
- 2.5 cups sweet potatoes baked and mashed (about 2 potatoes)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 T allulose
Pecan Topping
- 3 T butter browned
- 3 T allulose
- ¼ cup almond flour or almond meal
- ¾ cup pecans pieces
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- salt pinch
Instructions
Sweet Potato Mash
1. Bake the Sweet Potatoes
- Up to 3 days ahead: Begin by baking the sweet potatoes at 350℉. Wash the sweet potatoes and poke the skin all over with a fork. Rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil and wrap each in aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes to an hour, or until fully cooked. Remove the sweet potato flesh, discard the skin, mash the flesh, and refrigerate until ready to use.2.5 cups sweet potatoes
2. Prepare the Mash
- In a large bowl, place the baked, mashed sweet potatoes and the rest of the ingredients for the mash.1 egg, ¼ cup milk, 2 tbsp butter, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, ¾ tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, ½ tsp cinnamon, 3 T allulose
- Combine all of the ingredients by whisking with a fork or a handmixer (just until combined).
- Transfer the sweet potato mash to a lightly oiled 9x9 inch, oven safe casserole dish. Set aside.
Prepare the Pecan Topping
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat until it starts to bubble. Continue cooking the butter until it begins to brown and gives off a nutty aroma.3 T butter
- Remove from heat, add the allulose and whisk to thoroughly combine. Set aside.3 T allulose
- In a bowl, combine all the almond flour, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.¼ cup almond flour, ¾ cup pecans, ¼ tsp cinnamon, salt
- Pour the butter and allulose mixture over the pecan mixture and stir with a fork until everything is thoroughly coated.
Assemble the Casserole and Bake
- Using your fingers, crumble the pecan topping evenly over the sweet potato mash.
- Bake in a preheated 350℉ oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the casserole to set.
Notes
Note: allulose adds carbohydrates to this dish (10 grams per serving) but these carbs are not absorbed by the body and do not add to the calorie amount.
Nutrition
Share Your Feedback
We hope you and your guests enjoy this sweet potato casserole at your Thanksgiving gathering, or anytime you're craving a sweet, blood sugar- and insulin-friendly Fall side dish. As always, we love hearing from you, so please leave us a comment and rating if you make our Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole.
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