This Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole has a super creamy and flavorful filling with a sweet, crunchy topping. It's sweetened with either a keto or paleo-friendly sweetener and is Dairy-Free, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Low(er)-Carb, and totally delicious!
Even though we follow more of a low-carb keto lifestyle, we still indulge in healthy carbs occasionally.
It's also perfect if you follow a Paleo diet, are dairy-free, or just want a healthier, lighter version of the original.
It's surprisingly easy to make, has a super creamy filling, a sweet-crunchy topping, and no one will ever guess it's healthy!
This paleo sweet potato casserole is definitely on the sweeter dessert side. So feel free to reduce the sweetener if you prefer more natural sweetness.
Or if candied sweet potatoes with a marshmallow topping are more your thing, my blogger friend Megan at Allergy Free Alaska recently posted an amazing-looking Paleo Marshmallow Recipe that's corn-free and made with coconut sugar!
Simply replace the pecan-streusel topping with her homemade marshmallows and bake as directed.
And if you're looking for more low-carb recipes, I think you'll love this green bean casserole with bacon, pecan pie, apple pie, and almond flour drop biscuit recipe!
Sweetener
For a low-carb sweetener in the filling, I prefer a monk fruit/allulose blend or pure allulose because it dissolves well and leaves zero aftertaste! However, any sweetener will work.
💭Tip: If using an erythritol blend, it doesn't dissolve like other sweeteners, so you should use the powdered variety.
For the low-carb sweetener in the topping, you need to use an erythritol-based sweetener for the topping to crisp up! I like to use the Swerve or Lakanto brown varieties.
If you use a white variety of sugar, you can add one teaspoon of molasses to give it a caramel-like, deep, rich flavor.
If you’re worried about adding molasses to a Keto, low-carb recipe, remember that molasses is considered a low glycemic sugar. One teaspoon only adds five carbs to the entire batch! It’s also rich in vitamins and minerals such as iron, chromium, magnesium, calcium, vitamin b6, and more!
For Paleo, use coconut palm sugar as the sweetener in filling and topping.
Easy filling instructions
Step #1: Bake the sweet potatoes and scoop out the flesh.
Start by placing 4 or 5 medium/large sweet potatoes on a lined baking sheet and pierce each sweet potato with a knife. Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour or until a knife is easily inserted.
Then, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh.
This is my favorite way to cook sweet potatoes because I find it super easy, and this method brings out their sweet caramel flavor. However, any process of cooking them will work. You can even use canned if you're in a pinch!
Step #2: Process the filling until smooth.
Place the cooked sweet potatoes, butter (can use non-dairy or coconut oil), coconut milk (or non-dairy milk of choice), sweetener, vanilla, sea salt, orange zest, and eggs in the bowl of a food processor.
💭Tip: While the orange zest is optional, it adds a lot of brightness to the dish, so I highly recommend it!
For the butter, I prefer to use grass-fed butter because it tastes so much better than regular butter.
If you are dairy-free, you can use non-dairy butter or coconut oil.
Process until smooth. Then, pour into a medium-sized, shallow baking dish.
The pecan-streusel topping
Step #1: Process the topping ingredients.
Rinse the bowl of your food processor and add chopped pecans, blanched almond flour, cinnamon, sweetener, vanilla, salt, and butter.
Step #2: Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potato filling.
Step #3: Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Step #4: Allow it to cool a bit before serving, and enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers: Store leftover paleo sweet potato casserole in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Make-Ahead: The sweet potatoes can be cooked and stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered for 1 to 2 days before making the casserole. Alternatively, you can prepare and spread the sweet potato mixture into the casserole dish. Then, wrap it tightly and store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Prepare the streusel topping and store it in a zip-top baggie in the fridge separately.
- Freeze: Completely prepare the casserole, but don't bake it. Then, cover it with a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking.
Top tips and substitutions
- While the orange zest is optional, it adds a lot of brightness to the dish, so I highly recommend it!
- For the low-carb sweetener in the filling, I prefer to use a monk fruit/allulose blend or allulose because it dissolves well and leaves zero aftertaste! However, any sweetener will work. If using an erythritol blend, it doesn't dissolve like other sweeteners, so you should use the powdered variety. For Paleo, use coconut palm sugar.
- For the low-carb sweetener in the topping, you need to use an erythritol-based sweetener for the top to crisp up! I like to use the Swerve or Lakanto brown varieties or coconut palm sugar for Paleo. If you use a white variety of sugar, you can add one teaspoon of molasses to give it a caramel-like, deep, rich flavor.
- For the coconut milk, I recommend full-fat canned coconut milk to make it extra rich and creamy. I prefer Sprouts, Native Forest, or Thai Kitchen brands because other brands may leave an aftertaste. For this recipe, I recommend storing the coconut cream at room temperature. Otherwise, it will separate and be hard to stir.
- If you aren't dairy-free, replace the coconut milk with any milk of choice or heavy cream to make it extra creamy!
If you’ve tried this Low-Carb Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole or any other recipe on the blog, please let me know in the comments below!
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๐ Recipe
Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole With Low-Carb Option
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Mashed Sweet Potatoes - About 4 or 5 medium/large sweet potatoes
- ⅓ Cup Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk - well shaken
- ⅓ Cup Butter (can use non-dairy) - or coconut oil, melted
- ¾ Cup Coconut Palm Sugar - or keto sweetener of choice (or preferred granulated sugar)
- 1 tsp. Pure Vanilla
- ¼ tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 ½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. Orange Zest - optional
- 2 Large Eggs
Streusel Topping:
- 1 ½ Cups Whole Raw Pecans
- ½ Cup Blanched Almond Flour
- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- ⅓ - ⅔ Cup Coconut Palm Sugar - to taste, or keto brown sweetener + 1 tsp. molasses (for most keto palate โ will be enough. Use โ if you prefer sweeter foods)
- ½ tsp. Pure Vanilla
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- ¼ Cup Butter (can use non-dairy) - or coconut oil, softened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a medium-sized, shallow baking dish with oil of choice.
- Wash and pierce each potato several times with a sharp knife about 1 inch deep.
- Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until you can easily insert a knife into the center of the sweet potato. Allow to cool enough to handle.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Then, scoop out the flesh of sweet potatoes and place them into the bowl of a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can beat with an electric mixer.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
- Transfer to prepared baking dish and evenly sprinkle on the pecan streusel topping (directions below).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
For the Pecan Streusel Topping:
- Add the almond flour and pecans to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the "S" blade. Process until the mixture resembles sand.
- Add the remaining ingredients and process until well combined.
Add Your Own Notes
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- While the orange zest is optional, it adds a lot of brightness to the dish so I highly recommend it!
- For the low-carb sweetener in the filling, I prefer to use a monk fruit/allulose blend because it dissolves really well and leaves zero aftertaste! However, any sweetener will work. If using an erythritol blend, it doesn't dissolve as well as other sweeteners so I recommend the powdered variety. For Paleo, use coconut palm sugar.
- For the low-carb sweetener in the topping, you need to use an erythritol-based sweetener for the top to crisp up! I like to use the Swerve or Lakanto brown varieties or coconut palm sugar for Paleo. If you use a white variety of sugar, though, I found that you can just add 1 tsp. of molasses to give it a caramel-like, deep, rich flavor.
- If you’re worried about the added carbs in molasses, keep in mind that molasses is considered a low glycemic sugar. One teaspoon only adds 5 carbs to the entire batch! It’s also rich in vitamins and minerals such as iron, chromium, magnesium, calcium, vitamin b6 and more!
- For the coconut milk, I recommend full-fat canned coconut milk to make it extra rich and creamy. I prefer Sprouts, Native Forest, or Thai Kitchen brands because other brands may leave an aftertaste. For this recipe, I recommend storing the coconut cream at room temperature. Otherwise, it will separate and be hard to stir.
- If you aren't dairy-free, feel free to replace the coconut milk with any milk of choice or heavy cream to make it extra creamy!
- For the low-carb version the nutritional info is as follows: Calories: 398 Protein: 9 Carbs: 43 Fiber: 32
Nutrition
NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber - Allulose - Xylitol
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols, xylitol, and allulose are included in the total carbs and fiber.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my
Colleen says
I made this sweet potato casserole for thanksgiving and it was a hit! There were barely any leftovers. Iโm not generally a sweet potato fan but this was outstanding, Iโll be adding this recipe to our yearly feast!
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Cassidy says
Oh YAY, thank you!!! I'm so happy you liked it ๐
XO,
Cassidy
Tracey says
This WAS SO GOOD!!!!
Could NOT tell the difference between regular and this!!! Thank you so much!! I have subscribed! Yum
Cassidy Stauffer says
Oh YAY!!! I'm so happy you liked it, thank you!!!
XO,
Cassidy
Julia @ Swirls and Spice says
Thanks for answering my question about the paleo marshmallows. This casserole looks mighty good!