Purple Sweet Potato Casserole
Totally vegan purple sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows is a fun twist on the classic side dish for Thanksgiving! Super easy to make, perfect to prep days in advance, and entirely dairy free, egg free, nut free, and gluten free.
If you’ve seen bags of purple sweet potato at the store and have wondered what to do with them, this is the PERFECT recipe to try!
Purple sweet potatoes are very similar to oranges sweet potatoes in taste, however, they have a starchier texture – more like a white potato. When blended up into this casserole, they taste so amazingly sweet and is such a fun twist on the classic Thanksgiving side dish.
Thanksgiving, if you ask me, is all about the side dishes. Everything from a creamy from scratch green bean casserole, soft and fluffy dinner rolls, amazing cornbread stuffing, and even a refreshing Thanksgiving fruit salad. Those are what make up my favorite parts about Thanksgiving!
This recipe is:
- Buttery brown sugar sweet potatoes with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla
- Toasty marshmallows on top
- Super easy to prep days in advance of Thanksgiving
- Totally vegan, dairy free, egg free, nut free, and gluten free recipe!
Ingredients
For the full list of ingredients, complete with recipe amounts, please see the recipe box below.
- Purple Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need 7 to 8 medium/small sweet potatoes for this recipe, or about 2 pounds worth (908g). They are smaller than orange sweet potatoes so don’t be afraid to just use the whole bag of them.
- Vegan Butter and Milk: I prefer to use plain unsweetened soy milk in this recipe, finding that things like vegan cream just make this dish too heavy. If you love coconut cream, go ahead and use it, just be aware that it will lend a strong coconut flavor to the final dish!
- Brown Sugar: My favorite is dark brown sugar in this recipe for the deep, rich molasses taste that just goes so well with sweet potato. However, if you only can find light brown sugar, you’ll still get a great flavor. And if you are wanting to be refined sugar free, coconut sugar also works really well here!
- Cinnamon and Vanilla: The flavors and aromatics of this dish just really make it stand out.
- Vegan Marshmallows
Substitutions & Variations
Can I use regular orange sweet potatoes? Sure thing! I have a recipe for them, right here.
Want to try other toppings? You can!
- Pecans or pumpkin seeds, chopped and mixed with maple syrup and vanilla sprinkled on top
- Cinnamon streussel topping: flour, cinnamon, maple syrup, and melted vegan butter to make a crumble topping
Instructions
Make sure to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe and ingredient list.
- Boil and mash the sweet potatoes. Start by washing and then peeling your sweet potatoes. Give them a rough chop and boil them on the stove until they’re fork tender. Let them cool for about 15 minutes before draining and mashing. You can mash in a large stand mixer with the paddle attachment, with a hand mixer, or with a hand potato masher (which is what I use).
Tip! Wear gloves when peeling these purple potatoes as they can stain hands.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the vegan butter, plant based milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Mix it together well. Transfer it to an 8×10-inch (20×25-cm) baking dish.
- Cover with Marshmallows. Cover the top with marshmallows. If using mini marshmallows, you don’t need to do anything. If you’re using big marshmallows, I find that slicing them in half before placing them on top makes them puff up better.
- Bake and enjoy! Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until the marshmallows get a rich color. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
How to Make Ahead
This is a great dish to make ahead of time!
- 1-2 Days in Advance: Boil the sweet potatoes and mash. Add the remaining ingredients and place in a dish. Don’t cover with marshmallows, keep them separate.
- Day of Serving: Transfer the casserole to a baking dish and top with the marshmallows. Bake as directed.
How to Store
Fridge: Store any leftover casserole in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: After assembling, store the casserole in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before bringing the casserole to room temperature (so your baking dish doesn’t break!) and baking as directed.
Equipment
- 8×10-inch baking dish (20×25-cm)
- Chef’s knife and cutting board
- Large pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls and spoons
- Stand mixer or potato masher
Ingredients
- 6 medium purple sweet potatoes
- 2 cups marshmallows
- 1/4 cup vegan butter melted
- 1/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon half to 1 depending on taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potatoes. Wash, peel, and roughly chop the purple sweet potatoes. Place in a large pot of water on the stove and boil until fork tender, about 60 minutes at a rolling boil. Drain and place into a large mixing bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Make sure the oven rack is in the center of the oven.
- Combine. Mash the purple sweet potatoes using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with your hand masher. Add the vegan butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and optional splash of vanilla. Transfer to the baking dish and smooth the top down. Cover with marshmallows.
- Bake. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes or until the marshmallows are lightly browned on top. If they are browning too quickly, you can make a tent of aluminum foil. Just spray the foil first so the marshmallows don’t stick. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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