Lightened up sweet potato casserole is a healthier alternative to a Thanksgiving classic. Lightly sweetened, it will quickly become a family favorite.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Nellie’s Free Range Eggs. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal views. 

This Lightened Up Sweet Potato Casserole is My Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish

Everyone has a favorite Thanksgiving dish, and it usually isn’t the turkey.

Yes, turkey is the centerpiece of the table, but it’s the side dishes that most of us look forward to the most. While some people are all about the mashed potatoes and gravy, I’ve always been a sweet potato casserole fan.

My family recipe for this casserole, while delicious, is loaded with sugar, butter, and evaporated milk.

But because roasted sweet potatoes are perfectly sweet on their own, I decided to start playing around with the recipe to find a lighter version of my Thanksgiving favorite.

How to make sweet potato casserole healthier

Just a few simple changes make this lightened up sweet potato casserole a healthier option:

• Regular milk instead of evaporated
• Replaced brown sugar with pure maple syrup
• Decreased the amount of sugar
• Less butter

One ingredient that I didn’t change was including a beaten egg.

A Large Egg is the Secret to the Texture of this Lightened Up Sweet Potato Casserole

The key to a fluffy sweet potato casserole is a large beaten egg, as eggs provide structure and moisture.

One of the most common nutrition questions I get is about what kind of eggs to buy. And I don’t blame people – there are so many different labels and it can get confusing.

Which Kind of Eggs to Use

Personally, I choose Nellie’s Free Range Eggs as all their eggs come from healthy free range hens raised on certified humane farms.

Unlike some brands where the hens just spend less time in cages, these hens are actually cage free – they don’t spend any time in a cage and have clean, well-ventilated barns to live in as well as ample space to roam around outside.

I also like that the hens are fed nutritious, high-quality feed free of antibiotics and added hormones, as a healthy diet for the hens means higher quality eggs.

A Good Sweet Potato Casserole Needs the Perfect Topping

In addition to an egg, the other key to this recipe is the oat streusel topping.

I know, this is a sweet potato casserole without a marshmallow topping, but I promise that the oat topping more than makes up for it!

We aren’t big pecan fans, but if your family is, feel free to add a couple tablespoons of chopped pecans (or walnuts) to the streusel topping.

More Lightened Up Thanksgiving Recipes

• Healthy Cranberry Sauce from Joy Food Sunshine
• Healthy Green Bean Casserole from Well Plated
• Light and Creamy Mashed Potatoes from The Whole Cook
• Simple Vegan Stuffing from Minimalist Baker

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear! Drop me a comment below or tag @TheHealthyToast_RD on Instagram!

Print Recipe

Lightened Up Sweet Potato Casserole

A lightened up version of a Thanksgiving classic, this sweet potato casserole will quickly become a family favorite!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Holiday, Sweet Potato

Servings: 8

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Kelli

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes washed and
• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk or milk alternative
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping:

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter melted
• 2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup whole rolled oats
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Optional 2-3 Tablespoons pecans or walnuts

Instructions

• Cook sweet potatoes either in the oven or microwave. To roast in the oven, preheat oven to 450-degrees F. Once preheated, bake for 1 hour, or until soft and easily pierced with a fork. To cook in the microwave, prick outside of sweet potatoes with a fork, then microwave on high for 10 minutes or until soft.
• Preheat oven to 400-degrees F (or lower temperature if oven was already preheated for sweet potatoes) and set out an 8×8 baking dish.
• Carefully peal cooked sweet potatoes and place flesh in mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until sweet potatoes are starting to get fluffy. Add in beaten egg, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Continue to beat until well-combined. Pour mixture into baking pan.
• In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture.
• Place baking pan in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
• Serve immediately and enjoy! This casserole can be prepped a day ahead of time and baked just before eating. Store leftovers in fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Nutrition for 1/8 of recipe: 200 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 42 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 15 g sugar, 4 g protein