This recipe has been updated from it’s original version (Oct. 2015)!
Starchy sweet potatoes.
Natural coconut sugar.
Soft pecans.
All of these delicious ingredients are wrapped up in this delightful and healthy side dish aptly named Skinny Sweet Potato Casserole. It tastes so indulgent you will wonder how it is so “skinny”!
Can you believe that I grew up not liking sweet potatoes, much less a casserole made out of them. I often mourn the years I wasted not loving them. Okay, I may be exaggerating. Ha!
I was inspired to make this Skinny Sweet Potato Casserole on a very special Thanksgiving a few years ago.
My family and I traveled 3 hours to spend the holiday with my sister and brother-in-law, aunt, cousins, and friends. It was a blessed time full of treasured memories…and amazing food.
Always the food, right? 🙂
Soon after we arrived at my aunt’s home to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, I spied a tiny crock-pot near the stove. You see I had been wondering for months if I too needed a tiny crock-pot. I always managed to talk myself out of it though, reasoning that I already had so many kitchen appliances. Surely it would not be used often.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
One taste of that delicious and healthy sweet potato crock pot recipe prepared by my sweet aunt and I knew I NEEDED this tiny cooking device too.
After returning home and using all the Kohl’s coupons I had (thanks Kohl’s, you rock!), I inexpensively purchased my favorite new kitchen appliance.
And guess what? I use it almost weekly! Obviously, I don’t make this casserole weekly. However, I do cook a lot of chicken breasts and small roasts to then shred for salads or to use in main dishes.
Shortly after my purchase, I started “healthifying” the sweet potato recipe my aunt shared with me right away in my beloved little slow cooker and haven’t looked back since.
The skinny aspect of this recipe comes in the fact that it contains very little sugar and all whole food ingredients. Your guests will never guess this dish has been “lightened” up though.
It is every bit as indulgent as the original version even though it is dairy free, gluten free, and vegan.
This healthy version will surely be on our table this Thanksgiving!
What holiday dish are you most looking forward to?
Skinny Sweet Potato Casserole {Crock Pot}
Equipment
- small crock pot
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped into 1" pieces (3 medium-large sweet potatoes)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
Topping
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted dairy free plant based (I use Earth Balance)
- 3 Tbsp Flour (I used our GLUTEN-FREE blend)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Lightly grease your 1.5qt crock-pot. Place peeled and chopped sweet potatoes along with the water in crock-pot and cover. Cook on high 3 hours.
- Then mash the potatoes well or use an immersion blender to make it smooth. Mix in vanilla and sugar until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix together topping. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes and replace the lid. Cook on high another 2 hours.
- Serve warm from the crock-pot or remove from base, cool, and put in fridge. Enjoy!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a home run! Thanks for being such a trustworthy source for recipes.
Yum, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! We had it on our Thanksgiving table too. Thanks for the kind words 🙂 Happy cooking!
I’m going to double the recipe in the larger Crock-Pot. It should be just as delicious!
Great idea, Alicia! The more the merrier 😉 I can’t wait for you to try it 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Sammi – Thanks for sharing this with Let’s Get Real. It will be my featured post at this week’s party.
This looks delicious! I am featuring it tonight on Allergy-Free Thursdays. Can’t wait to see what you share this week.
Oh wow!! I am so honored! Thank you so much 🙂 I am absolutely craving these flavors today…Thanksgiving can’t come soon enough! 😉
What a deliciously healthy recipe! I love how you have made this classic better for you, Sammi. Thank you so much for sharing it with us at Hearth and Soul. And what a great crock pot too!
The great thing is no one will ever guess it is “healthified”! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, April. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
The best part about this recipe is the crockpot part. This would be a hit as a dessert for a party, and bonus points for not slaving away in the oven to serve it! Thanks so much for sharing this with us on #shinebloghop! Always a pleasure to have you join us, Sammi!
Well thank you for hosting such a fun party each week, Maria! Yes, no slaving away in the kitchen for this recipe which is so nice on busy holidays. I appreciate your kind words. Happy Fall!
This is another awesome recipe of yours Sammi! The pecan topping looks outrageously good! I really need to give this recipe a try for the upcoming holiday season! Pinning and stumbling!
I really hope you do, Ilka! Like I wrote, I can’t wait to make it for Thanksgiving dinner this year 🙂 Thanks as always for your encouragement and kind words with each recipe!
Hi Sammi, Here’s the URL for the Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole I use at Thanksgiving. I also like it because it doesn’t contain soy sauce like the traditional green bean casserole. Hope you enjoy it! http://www.silverfoodie.com/2015/10/28/two-traditional-thanksgiving-side-dishes
Oh, I was hoping you would give me the recipe link! THANK YOU!! I have never added Parmesan cheese to my Green Bean Casserole…YUM!
Hi Sammi, What a wonderful recipe & I really like that you’ve made it in the slow cooker! I make a Green Bean Casserole in the slow cooker on Thanksgiving to free up the oven for other food. This is another great way to free up the oven! Thanks for sharing this recipe & I look forward to trying it! Blessings, Janet
Janet, I am LOVING the idea of making Green Bean Casserole in a slow cooker. Genius! Thanks for sharing and stopping by 🙂 Blessings to you!