Shop
My
Custom
The 2 Secret Ingredients That Made My Keto Sweet Potato Casserole
This keto sweet potato casserole might be one of the most unique keto recipes I’ve created for the holidays. I brought it to Thanksgiving with my extended family one year, and after me telling them there were no potatoes involved, everyone was asking how I made it. If you’re low carb or just trying to make lighter Thanksgiving recipes this year, here’s why this one is worth including:
- 2 secret veggies make a sweet, creamy texture – I tested a few combos, and roasted squash with cauliflower blended into the smoothest base. It turned out creamy, sweet, and buttery — it reminds me of mashed sweet potatoes, but not quite as thick and with much less starch.
- Sweet, crunchy pecan topping – The topping is all mouthwatering cinnamon-pecan crunch, a lot like the one I use for my real sweet potato casserole. It bakes up crisp and golden, with a candied brown sugar flavor… and no actual sugar.
- Family approved – After everyone loved this dish at Thanksgiving, I did a repeat test run on my husband, mom, and daughter. Even my then-toddler went back for seconds.
- Keto friendly and gluten free – At just 5 grams net carbs per serving, you can easily fit this low carb sweet potato casserole into your macro goals. It’s also got only 146 calories and lots of veggies.
If you’re looking for a cozy holiday side dish that will leave you feeling great and tastes a lot like the classic everyone loves, this keto sweet potato casserole checks all the boxes. Make it with me!
“Family members who are off of sugar loved this recipe at Thanksgiving, then again for Christmas. It is definitely a favorite that I will make throughout the year.”
-Rose
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my keto sweet potato casserole recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Veggies – I used a combination of butternut squash and cauliflower to get that sweet, creamy texture, and (yes) that very orange color. I opted for about 50/50 to keep the carbs low, but some readers have told me they preferred a little less cauliflower and more squash. Just keep in mind it’ll raise the carbs a bit. You can also add other root vegetables or winter squash, such as rutabaga, turnips, pumpkin, or delicata squash, but they can affect the color and carb count.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This is my go-to for a silky smooth texture in this keto sweet potato casserole, with no aftertaste. Many other keto sweeteners can crystallize and make it gritty. Plain allulose will work, though, I just recommend using a little more. Or if you want more of a brown sugar vibe, use the same Besti Brown sweetener I put in the topping (below).
- Unsalted Butter – If you need a dairy-free option, my top recommendation is butter-flavored coconut oil so you don’t miss out on the flavor. However, avocado oil or regular coconut oil also works.
- Olive Oil, Sea Salt, and Black Pepper – For roasting. Avocado oil works fine, too.
- Cinnamon – Just enough to bring out the sweetness in the squash. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg or cloves, or a splash of vanilla, but I usually keep it simple.
- Pecans – I use a mix of finely ground and chopped pecans to get that classic crumble texture. You could even swap in walnuts, but I love the flavor pecans add here. You’ll also need more cinnamon, salt, and pepper for the topping.
- Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This gives the topping that sweet brown sugar flavor, without any sugar or carbs. It melts beautifully and helps the crumble get golden and crisp. Regular Besti works, but the brown one really takes it up a notch.
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It Now
How To Make Keto Sweet Potato Casserole
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Roast the vegetables. Toss the butternut squash and cauliflower with olive oil, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Spread the veggies on baking sheets and roast until they’re soft and golden.
- Make the crumble. Pulse some of the pecans into a powder and chop the rest. Stir them together with Besti brown sweetener, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter, until crumbly.
- Puree the vegetables. Once they’re done roasting, blend them with Besti and butter, until smooth and creamy. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Assemble the casserole. Spread the puree into a baking dish. (I use the larger one from this set and it’s the perfect size.) Smooth out the top and sprinkle the crumble evenly over it.
- Bake until golden. Pop the keto sweet potato casserole in the oven, until the dish is hot and the topping is golden.
My Tips For Flavor & Texture
- Try to keep the squash and cauliflower pieces close in size. I cut them into 1-inch cubes for the squash and cauliflower florets a bit larger than that, since the cauliflower cooks a little faster.
- Roast the vegetables to a very soft texture. If they are crisp-tender, your low carb sweet potato casserole won’t taste as much like sweet potatoes. Getting the veggies super soft is key to make the base nice and creamy.
- For a nice caramelized flavor, give the vegetables plenty of space. I use two pans like this for this reason, and love that they fit in the oven side by side. But if you’d rather keep it all on one pan, an extra-large baking sheet like this works, too.
- Once pureed, taste to check the salt and sweetness. Ideal salt can vary depending on your preference and how sweet your squash was to begin with. And if it leans too much toward a cauliflower taste, I add a little more Besti and/or cinnamon.
- I don’t recommend a full-size baking dish, unless you scale up the recipe. As written, the ideal size is the larger dish from this set. I also love that it’s pretty enough for serving. If you have a bigger crowd or just want to use a bigger 9×13 dish, 1.5X or even double the recipe.
- Don’t have a food processor? I have and love this one for grinding half the nuts to a powder quickly (plus dozens of other kitchen tasks — I’ve used it multiple times a week for the past 10 years), but you can chop by hand if needed.
- Want a more authentic flavor and texture in exchange for a few extra carbs? Add a small sweet potato to the base. You can roast it together with the vegetables.
Keto Sweet Potato Casserole
By
My keto sweet potato casserole has a sweet, creamy base with 2 secret ingredients, topped with a crunchy pecan crumble. Just 5g net carbs!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
Roasting:
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with foil (greased lightly) or parchment paper.
-
In a large bowl, toss together the cubed butternut squash, cauliflower florets, olive oil, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
-
Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the lined baking sheets. Roast in the oven for about 30-35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until both are very soft and golden. (If your pans don't fit in the oven side by side, you can try a single larger pan or roast them in batches, but either way make sure veggies are in a single layer.)
Topping:
-
Meanwhile, pulse 1/2 cup (64 g) pecans in a food processor until a powder forms. (Don't overmix or you'll make nut butter. If there are a few larger pieces left, that's fine.) Chop the remaining 1 1/2 cups (192 g) pecans. Place both in a small bowl.
-
Add Besti brown sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Assembly:
-
When the vegetables are done roasting, remove them from the oven, but don't turn it off. While they're still hot, transfer the vegetables to a food processor or high-power blender. Add Besti and butter. Puree until smooth. (If the veggies don't fit at once, you may need to puree in batches and just stir at the end.) Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
-
Transfer the puree into a medium casserole dish (the larger one from this set is the perfect size). Smooth the top with a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle the pecan crumble topping over the casserole.
-
Bake the keto sweet potato casserole in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/2 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best texture and flavor in your keto sweet potato casserole.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. I prefer to leave them in the same baking dish and just cover, because it’s difficult to transfer to another container without mixing up the topping.
- Meal prep: You can assemble this dish entirely 1-2 days in advance, and just bake the day-of. It’ll still taste fresh!
- Reheat: Warm it up in the oven at 350 degrees F. You can also microwave individual portions.
- Freeze: This casserole freezes pretty well for up to 3 months. The pecans soften a bit, but I think it’s still delicious.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Low Carb Holiday Cookbook and Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Keto Sweet Potato Casserole
Serving Ideas
Now that your keto sweet potato casserole is ready, here are some of my favorite ways to serve it:
- Centerpieces – I usually serve this casserole alongside my Thanksgiving turkey or spatchcock turkey. You can also serve it for Christmas with pineapple glazed ham or roasted pork tenderloin.
- More Sides – Some of our favorites are keto green bean casserole, mashed cauliflower with keto gravy, warm keto biscuits, and sugar free cranberry sauce.
- Fall Salads – Round out your meal with my Thanksgiving salad or brussels sprout salad. Or choose from my other keto salad recipes!
152 Comments
Brian H
0Hello Maya! Could this be prepared and even cooked the day before and reheated the next day with equal deliciousness?! Thanks in advance!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Brian, It will be best made fresh but you can also make it ahead of time and reheat it.
Barbara
0Do you think it’d be alright to leave the cauliflower out and just use the squash?
Karen Atkinson
0Haven’t tried it yet , but should all pecans be finely chopped and some more course?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Karen, You’ll want to pulse 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor until a powder forms. (Don’t overmix or you’ll make nut butter. If there are a few larger pieces left, that’s fine.) Chop the remaining 1 1/2 cups pecans.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Barbara, It would work, but the carbs would be higher.
Johnny Jones
0The title says “sweet potato” but the main ingredient is squash??????????
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Johnny, Sweet potatoes are very high in carbs, so this is an alternative that tastes just like sweet potatoes.
Michael
0I made this as a pie (using the Almond Flour Pie Dough recipe and leaving out the garlic) and learned a few things. First, it fits a 9” pie perfectly. Second, regardless of whether you make it as a pie or casserole, definitely purée the squash and cauliflower well. I didn’t have a food processor handy and I thought I wanted it chunkier anyway, so I used a potato masher and blended it well. The problem is the chunks of cauliflower give too much of a distinct taste of cauliflower, so the result was less like sweet potatoes and more like what it was…butternut squash and cauliflower. Maybe increase the proportion of squash to cauliflower too. Third, as a pie, it needed a bit more sweetness and cinnamon. Fourth, the topping may seem like a lot for a 9” pie, but use it all. It really brings the necessary sweetness and texture, and the pecans are great with the filling. All in all, a good recipe that just needs a few tweaks to make it into a sweet pie.
Sandra
0Everyone really liked this at Thanksgiving dinner.
Nancy
0Loved this recipe today for our first keto Thanksgiving. I did not add the cauliflower because my hubs very much doesn’t like it, and I couldn’t figure out how to sneak it in without him knowing, LOL! It was delicious with just the squash. I will be making this again! Thanks for the recipe!
Gail
0Leaving out the cauliflower will change the calorie and carb count. It is a delicious dish with cauliflower!
Sharon
0….??? it says to ckick on the image below.. and I’ve been up and down a few times and can’t seem to see where/how to view the video for the sweet potato casserole.. help!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sharon, Check your browser settings to make sure you are not viewing the website in ‘Reader Mode’ or in an RSS feed. The videos are not viewable with these functions turned on.
AndyJ
0So I thought this was delicious as I made it for Thanksgiving this year. So much that I want to make it again just for normal meals. I followed the recipe exactly. Why people omit the cauliflower I don’t know . That helps lowering the carb count in the same size serving. But I see some inconsistencies that I’m hoping you can help clear up. You mention using two tablespoons of butter divided and only mixing in one tablespoon with the veggies? What do you do with the other tablespoon? The topping also says to use two tablespoons of butter and to stir the melted butter in. Is it supposed to be two tablespoons of butter for the whole recipe split between the veggies and the topping? Also, the metric measurements say to use 198g of pecans for the topping, but the instructions say to pulse 64g of pecans into a powder and chop the remaining 192g of pecans. That is 256g of pecans. So should it be 198g divided or 256g divided? If you can clear that up I would appreciate it.
Wholesome Yum M
1Hi Andy, Thanks for your questions! The two divided tablespoons of butter listed in the “Veggies” section are used in Roasting Step 2 and Assembly Step 3. The 2 tablespoons of butter in the topping are used in Topping Step 2. Also, the total amount of pecans needed is 256 grams, divided. I have updated this in the recipe card, thank you!
DEIDRE STEPHENSON
0I made this recipe without the cauliflower and it was wonderful. I used allulose, sugar free maple syrup and a splash of Bourbon to mimic the family SPC. I topped with keto candied pecans. YUM! Thanks for the inspiration.! It’s a keeper.
Doris
0What a waste of expensive ingredients. I didn’t expect it to be like real sweet potatoes but I did think it would be edible. I have liked all the recipes I have tried from this site but this one is just bad. Thank goodness I halved the recipe only had to throw away half of my money.
Linda Sanders
0I just made this for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I left out the cauliflower. It is fabulous! So easy! Can’t wait to eat it tomorrow!
Shawna
0Hello! What is your suggestion for making this and then freezing/refrigerating? I would need to make it Sunday yet wouldn’t be able to eat until Thursday 🙁
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shawna, You can prep the steps on Sunday and then assemble on Thursday. Try roasting the veggies, and pureeing with the spices. Once the puree cools, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and store until Wednesday. Wednesday it will need to be moved to the fridge overnight to thaw. The topping can be prepped the day before and kept in an airtight container overnight. On Thursday, assemble the sweet potatoes in a casserole dish, top with the nut mixture, and bake for 20 minutes. I hope this helps!
Mich
0This recipe is AMAZING! I made it last year for Christmas, and NO ONE knew it was not sweet potato soufflé! I will say, however, I do NOT add the cauliflower to it…. just personal preference, but I do not like the cauliflower in it. I use everything, as to recipe, just without the cauliflower and it is delicious.
Barbara
0Thank you!! I was hoping to just omit the cauliflower but wasn’t sure how it would turn out.
Jen M.
0What happened to the original recipe? I’ve made it several times and always loved it. I know it had garlic salt in it and did not you Allulose. I never use allulose because it and my stomach are not friends. Lol
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jen, Sometimes recipes get updated overtime based on reviews or great new additions that make the dish better. If you cannot tolerate allulose, please substitute with your preferred sweetener.
Arianne
0I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. My daughter preferred it over our “sweet” potato casserole that I had always made. My grandchildren and my husband liked it too and wanted more. I couldn’t believe it. I’ll definitely make it again
Michelle Chapman
0I’m so confused. I cannot find any reference as to why you have the pecans divided into two separate bowls?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Michelle, The nuts are seperated for textural variances. The 1/2 c is processed into a powder while the 1 1/2 cups are roughly processed.
Cindy
0I don’t have a food processor, can I use a mixer or blender???
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Cindy, Yes, a blender will do the job just fine.
Melody
0Hi, I want to make this for dinner tonight but don’t have cauliflower – if I use butternut squash and sweet potatoes (I realize it won’t be as low carb), would that work?
Also, I’m nervous about adding the garlic salt – can you explain how it changes the flavor?
And finally, I have Swerve’s brown sugar replacement that I was thinking of using in the topping – would that still be 1/3 cup?
I just discovered your website and am loving it. Thanks so much!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Melody, The recipe should still work with butternut squash in place of the cauliflower. This recipe has a bit of a sweet and savory element to it. The garlic salt helps play into the savory element. Swerve Brown is fine in the same amounts.
Judy C.
0My plan this year is to make these in ramekins and serve as a replacement to pumpkin pie for the Keto followers in my family! So the plan is to leave out the garlic and up the pumpkin pie flavorings. In my family my sister brings the “regular” recipes and I make the low-carb recipes so everyone’s happy at my house! P.S. I’m using a ton of your recipes…love your site!