November is here, which means it’s GO TIME for all of the cozy, holiday-appropriate recipes. This is my favourite time of year for sharing recipes! The season plays to my strengths for celebratory food hehe.

This beauty of a vegan sweet potato casserole will get every type of eater at the table excited, I can almost 100% guarantee it. Just as a reminder, I have all of my best vegan holiday recipes located on one convenient page for your holiday planning. This casserole is topped with some maple-y sautéed apples and crunchy rosemary walnuts. It’s creamy, a little bit rich, slightly sweet and tangy, and perfectly balanced in terms of texture (soft and creamy with sticky bits of apple and crisp bits of walnut throughout). I love all of the contrasts in this one!

Classic sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is an absolute holiday table banger, but if you’re looking to shake things up with a more whole food-forward twist, this casserole is here for you. The sweet potatoes are whipped up with orange juice, warm spices, cashew cream/coconut milk, and vegan butter (Miyoko’s is my brand of choice). I don’t cook with vegan butter often (I prefer baking with it and using oil for cooking instead), but around the holidays you just have to sometimes! The butter really adds to the rich and creamy texture of the sweet potatoes.

We top the whole thing with apples that have been sautéed with maple syrup, and some crunchy crumbles of rosemary-flecked walnuts. This vegan sweet potato casserole has a natural sweetness throughout, but it doesn’t hit you over the head with a sugar-y vibe. I think the balance is just right.

Hope you’re all doing great! Excited to share more holiday goodness with you all in the coming weeks (and some weeknight dinners to hold you over on those busy nights too). Hugs 🙂

VEGAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH APPLES & CRUNCHY ROSEMARY WALNUTS

This one is deeply inspired by Ina Garten’s smashed sweet potatoes recipe.

SERVES: 8-10
NOTES: Make the crunchy rosemary walnuts while your sweet potatoes are baking!
-I use Miyoko’s vegan butter exclusively.
-To make cashew cream on the spot for this recipe, combine ¼ cup raw cashews and ⅓ – ½ cup water in a high speed blender. Blend until totally liquified and smooth.
-You could assemble everything ahead of time with this dish. Top the mashed sweet potatoes with the apples, wrap the casserole tightly and store in the fridge. Store the cooled walnuts separately. When you’re ready to bake, unwrap the casserole and top it with the walnuts. Bake the casserole for 45 minutes (rather than the 30 minutes described in the recipe) if you’re baking it straight from the fridge.

SWEET POTATOES:
3 lbs sweet potatoes, about 3 large
⅓ cup orange juice
⅓ cup full fat coconut milk OR cashew cream OR non-dairy creamer of choice
3 tablespoons vegan butter (or 2 tablespoons avocado oil)
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

CRUNCHY ROSEMARY WALNUTS
1 ½ cup walnut halves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (1-2 sprigs)
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

APPLES:
2 tablespoons vegan butter (or avocado oil)
2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Prick some holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork and place them on the baking sheet. Bake sweet potatoes until very soft, about 1 ½ hours.

While sweet potatoes are baking, in a food processor, combine the orange juice, coconut milk, vegan butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper (I go heavy with the salt and pepper). Once the sweet potatoes are cooked and cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and add it to the food processor as well. Pulse the sweet potato mixture until totally smooth and evenly combined. Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Make the crunchy rosemary walnuts (preferably while the sweet potatoes are baking to save time). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the chopped walnuts out on the baking sheet and toast in the oven (still at 375 degrees F) for about 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant and golden brown. While walnuts are toasting, in a small bowl, stir together the rosemary, avocado oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.

As soon as you remove the walnuts from the oven, pour the rosemary mixture over the top and carefully stir it in to combine with all of the chopped walnuts. Spread the rosemary walnuts out in a single layer and allow them to cool thoroughly.

Sauté the apples. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the vegan butter in the skillet and spread it around. Add the apples and maple syrup to the pan and stir. Cook the apples for 10 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned on the edges, stirring here and there. Set aside.

Assemble the vegan sweet potato casserole! Lightly grease an oven-safe dish (8×8 or 8×11 will both work) with vegan butter or avocado oil. Scrape all of the sweet potato mixture into the dish and spread it out evenly. Top the sweet potatoes with the sautéed apples in an even layer. Then, top the apples with the crunchy rosemary walnuts. Slide the casserole into the oven and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Enjoy the vegan sweet potato casserole hot!