Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Pecans
Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Pecans
Sweet Potato Casserole flavored with chili powder, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper, then mixed with coconut milk to make the perfect, creamy texture. Filled with spicy candied pecans, then baked to sweet, salty, spicy perfection. Gluten-free, oil-free, whole-foods plant-based, and vegan, this casserole is the perfect addition to your holiday dinner table.
Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Pecans
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- freshly cracked black pepper, generous amount
- 4 large sweet potatoes
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut milk, full-fat
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- salt, to taste
Instructions:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the raw pecans, maple syrup, chili powder, cayenne, 2 tsp brown sugar, salt, and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper (taste as you go to determine the amount). Stir to combine.
- On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a non-stick silicone baking mat, evenly spread out the pecans.
- Bake for 10 min, then set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In an Instant Pot with one cup of water, steam the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes (if you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can steam the potatoes in the microwave or on the stove top- just ensure they are cooked all the way through before removing them from the steam).
- Once the Instant Pot has finished steaming, use a manual release to release the steam. Then carefully remove the sweet potatoes and place them in a mixing bowl.
- The sweet potato skins should easily fall off. At this point, you can either remove the skins for a creamier casserole, or leave them in for extra nutrients and texture. It’s up to you!
- To the mixing bowl, add chili powder, cayenne, maple syrup, and ½ cup coconut milk. Stir/mash to combine. Add salt to taste (½-1 tsp).
- Mix in ¾ of the pecans, then transfer to a 9x9 casserole dish or a large pie pan.
- Decorate the top of the casserole with the remaining pecans, then drizzle with the remaining coconut milk and sprinkle the brown sugar.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes:
Calories
196.95Fat (grams)
13.78Sat. Fat (grams)
2.07Carbs (grams)
18.87Fiber (grams)
3.14Net carbs
15.73Sugar (grams)
11.49Protein (grams)
2.50Sodium (milligrams)
330.27Cholesterol (grams)
0.00
About the Casserole:
In my family, the sweet potato casserole is always neglected. A few obligatory scoops are removed, then it sits, forgotten, until it the table is cleared and it continues its lonely existence in the fridge. This has been the case at every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner I’ve ever attended. It’s not that the sweet potatoes are bad, it’s that there are far tastier things to eat on the table and our stomachs have limited space. In spite of the fact that the sweet potatoes always turn into leftovers (which turn into trash a week later), my husband insists that a sweet potato casserole is part of every holiday feast. It has a nostalgic hold over him.
This recipe is an attempt to address this issue. First, the casserole needs to be small enough that every bite can be eaten. This recipe could comfortably feed a crowd of 8 a serving of ½ cup, or provide a family of four with “just a taste” plus a reasonable amount of leftovers.
Second, the casserole needs to be tasty enough to compete with other Thanksgiving/Christmas heavyweights, like mashed potatoes and stuffing.
If you, too, have thrown out leftover sweet potato casserole with a heavy heart, give this recipe a try! After all, sweet potatoes lend themselves to a variety of flavors; why stick to just sweet when they could be sweet, savory, AND a little spicy. Let’s make sweet potatoes interesting again!
Have I sold you on it yet? Okay, cool. Let’s talk recipe notes:
RECIPE NOTES:
As stated in the recipe, you should start steaming your sweet potatoes first, as they will take the longest to cook. An instant pot makes this easy work, but you could also microwave them in a covered glass container with some water. However you steam them, make sure to check them with a fork to ensure they’re completely cooked before trying to mash them.
While the potatoes steam, make the candied pecans. Once you take them out of the oven, try not to eat them all (I may have done this…).
After the sweet potatoes have steamed, carefully transfer them to a mixing bowl. I prefer them without skins in this recipe, so I opt to remove the skins before seasoning and mashing. No hate if you leave them in! Mash up those steamed sweet potato puppies with the coconut milk, seasonings, and sweeteners. If you’re sensitive to spice, add the cayenne slowly, tasting as you go, and stop when it’s spicy enough. Do the same with salt. Then add most of the pecans, stir a final time, and transfer to a small baking dish.
Finally, decorate with the remaining pecans and drizzle the top with coconut milk and brown sugar. Bake for 20 minutes (we’re just heating it up and giving the coconut milk and brown sugar a chance to caramelize a bit).
That’s it! I hope that this recipe, unlike so many sweet potato casseroles of old, will actually stand a chance on your holiday dinner table.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Tag me on Instagram @notlikemama. I love to see your versions of my recipes!
Happy Holidays and Happy Cooking,
✌️Courtney