Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole is a decadent Holiday side dish, featuring a bright and creamy almond ricotta-citrus filling, and a crunchy granola topping.
1poundsweet potatoespeeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 medium sweet potatoes)
1 cup blanched slivered almondscovered with boiling water and SOAKED OVERNIGHT
¾ cup plainnon-dairy yogurt (I used cashew yogurt)
¼cupjuice from one orangeZEST RESERVED-about 1 tablespoon
2tablespoonsjuice from one lemonZEST RESERVED-about 1 teaspoon
3 Medjool dates chopped and softened 1 teaspoon vanilla
1teaspoonground cinnamon
½teaspoonground nutmeg
For the Granola ToppingSee notes
1 ½cupsrolled oatscertified gluten-free if desired
¼cupchopped pecans or walnutsomit for nut-free, or sub raw sunflower or pepita seeds
¼cupunsweetened coconut flakesor sub 2 tablespoons shredded.
¼cupmaple syrup or date syrup
½teaspooncinnamonor more to taste
½tablespoonground flax seed + 1 ½ tablespoon warm waterto make a 'flax egg'
¼teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Optional: 1-2 tablespoons of date paste or maple syrupfor a sweeter, moister topping
Optional: Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
To Make the Filling
Boil the peeled and diced sweet potatoes for 8 minutes or until tender, then drain. Rice or mash the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
In a blender, combine the soaked almonds, non-dairy yogurt, orange juice, lemon juice, softened dates, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg. Process until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed.
Add the ingredients from the blender, plus the orange and lemon zest, to the riced/mashed sweet potatoes, and stir to combine. Spread the mixture out evenly in a 9" pie plate or shallow baking dish.
To Make the Topping (See notes)
In a small bowl, add ½ tablespoon of grond flax seed and 1 ½ tablespoon warm water, and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, chopped pecans (if using), coconut flakes, erythritol (or sweetener of choice), and cinnamon. Toss together.
Add the vanilla and flax egg to the dry ingredients, and stir together.
Assemble and Bake
Spread the topping evenly over the sweet potato dish and place on center rack of oven. Bake uncovered at 350 degress for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through. If the topping begins to get too brown, cover with foil for the rest of the cooking time.
Notes
For a simpler, 3-ingredient topping: combine 1 ½ cups of rolled oats + ½+ teaspoon cinnamon + ¼ of maple syrup or date paste. For a creamy filling: make sure to soak the almonds overnight, OR if you have a powerful blender, you can boil for 15 minutes and let soak in the hot water for 1 hour. I highly recommend a potato ricer, but you can use a masher. You might want to use a hand mixer to get the sweet potato filling smooth and creamy.