This healthier sweet potato casserole with an easy candied pecan topping is simple, delicious, and lower in sugar than traditional versions. It's perfect for your Thanksgiving table! (gluten-free)

gold spoon digging into sweet potato casserole topped with pecans.

Is it really Thanksgiving without sweet potato casserole? The answer, of course, is a resounding NO! The sweet potato casserole of my childhood was covered in toasty, gooey marshmallows (you too?) but these days I much prefer a crunchy pecan topping and a sweet potato filling that's less like dessert and more subtly in the sweetness. That's why this healthy(ish) pecan-topped sweet potato casserole is my go-to for the holidays!

Why You'll Love This Sweet Potato Casserole

If you're into Thanksgiving side dishes that have the same nostalgic touch of traditional recipes you grew up with, but you prefer recipes made with real, simple ingredients, this recipe is for you! The sweet potato base is lightly sweetened with brown sugar and a splash or orange juice, with just enough butter to add a rich, luxurious flavor. A crunchy pecan topping with a hint of butter and maple syrup grace the top and offer just the right contrast. Using the starchy cooking liquid for moisture makes the potatoes creamy without the use of excessive amounts of butter or cream.

How To Make Healthier Sweet Potato Casserole

boiled, drained sweet potato cubes in a white saucepan.

mashed sweet potatoes in a white saucepan with brown sugar, spices and butter on top.

Boil the cubed potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain, reserving some cooking liquid.
Return the potatoes to the pot and mash with a potato masher or hand beaters, adding the orange juice and ⅓ cup of the cooking liquid. Add more cooking liquid as needed to reach the consistency you like.
Stir in the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Then stir in the beaten egg.
Spread the sweet potatoes in a lightly greased baking dish.
Combine the pecans, butter, brown sugar and maple syrup for the topping and sprinkle evenly over the sweet potatoes.
Bake at 350°F until the pecans are browned, about 40 minutes, and broil briefly for crunchy, toasty pecans.

overhead view of sweet potato casserole in a white dish with a gold spoon in it.

Tips For Making The Best Sweet Potato Casserole

If you prefer more whipped, airy, or super-smooth potatoes, you can use hand beaters or a stand mixer to mash the potatoes. You may need to add slightly more liquid.
Adjust the seasoning to taste. I think this is the perfect combination of cinnamon with a slight hint of nutmeg, but if you like other spices like cloves or ginger, feel free to add those, too.
If you're not mashing the potatoes right after cooking, you'll need to melt the butter before stirring it in.
Watch closely if you broil at the end, because pecans go from perfectly toasty to burnt quickly!

Make Ahead Instructions

You can make the sweet potato layer up to 3 days in advance. Just mash it and mix it up to the step of spreading it in the pan, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you're ready to cook, spread it in the pan, top with the pecan topping, and bake.

gold spoon lifting pecan sweet potato casserole out of a white dish.

More Thanksgiving Sides You'll Love

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans

Print Recipe

This healthier sweet potato casserole with an easy candied pecan topping is simple, delicious, and lower in sugar than traditional versions. It's perfect for your Thanksgiving table!

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Category: side dish
Method: baked
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

For the sweet potatoes:

1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 small potatoes or 4 cups cubed)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¼ cup orange juice
⅓ cup reserved cooking liquid
1 egg, beaten

For the topping:

1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
⅔ cup pecans, roughly chopped

Instructions

Wash and peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Boil until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
Heat oven to 350°F.
Return the sweet potatoes to the pan. Add orange juice and reserved cooking liquid and mash with a potato masher until smooth.
Add butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine. Stir in beaten egg.
Spread the mixture into a lightly greased 8 or 9 inch square baking dish.
Make the pecan topping. Stir together melted butter, brown sugar and maple syrup. Stir in pecans until coated well.
Sprinkle the pecan mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes.
Bake 30-40 minutes, or until the pecans are browned. Broil for 1 minute at then end if you'd like, watching carefully.
Remove from the oven and serve.

Notes

If you prefer more whipped, airy, or super-smooth potatoes, you can use hand beaters or a stand mixer to mash the potatoes. You may need to add slightly more liquid.
Adjust the seasoning to taste. I think this is the perfect combination of cinnamon with a slight hint of nutmeg, but if you like other spices like cloves or ginger, feel free to add those, too.
If you're not mashing the potatoes right after cooking, you'll need to melt the butter before stirring it in.
Watch closely if you broil at the end, because pecans go from perfectly toasty to burnt quickly!
For make ahead instructions see post above.

Keywords: healthy sweet potato casserole, sweet potato casserole with pecans, healthy pecan sweet potato casserole