Instant Pot Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble

FREE EMAIL BONUS
5 Expert Instant Pot Tricks
HOW TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH THE INSTANT POT

Sweet, buttery tasting Sweet Potato Casserole that is healthy and satisfying enough to eat for breakfast, dinner, dessert, and everything in between  

Back in the day, I was all about the traditional holiday sweet potato casserole.  A pound of butter, a bag of sugar, and hmm….what else does this need . . . right!  Marshmallows!

No judgment whatsoever, if this is still how you like your sweet potato casserole.  I have 20 or so family members who probably wish I’d break out the classic again.

Fortunately, I discovered a way to maintain all the rich tasting, buttery sweet flavor we all know and love in this easy, healthy Sweet Potato Casserole!   I’m saying goodbye to the sugar buzz headache and palpitations!

We're taking sweet potatoes back to their nutrient-rich, healthy roots, and they are about to steal the holiday spread show.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS HEALTHY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

• Creamy, sweet, vanilla-y sweet potatoes plus Crispy, Buttery, Pecan Crumble, sigh
• Two tablespoons of maple syrup in the entire 9×13 dish.  TWO!!! My traditional version had that much in a spoonful
• Three make-ahead options below to make life blissful and stress-free

NATURAL WAYS TO SWEETEN FOOD

Let me take a second and tell you how I cracked this casserole code

While I think that natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey are somewhat better alternatives to processed sugars, I prefer to take it one step further and use cheap, naturally sweet fruit, cream, and spices as my sweeteners of choice.  That is the secret to the success in this casserole. I’ll show you what I mean

• Sweet Potatoes: Naturally sweet and creamy
• Coconut Oil and Almond Milk:  Ultra creamy and enhance the sweetness of whole foods
• Cinnamon:  Especially Vietnamese Cinnamon, is naturally sweet and the fragrance enhances the sweet sensation
• Bananas:  Ripe bananas are the ultimate secret weapon for my sweet potato casserole.  They get cooked up in a foil packet above the sweet potatoes and the result is a packet of sweet banana syrup.  It’s both shocking and delicious, this trick, and I promise you, it does not scream bananas.  It's likely no one will even guess your secret ingredient. 

This is how the bananas look after they cook.  The skin will be black and there will be lots or banana juice inside the tinfoil packet.  Make sure and save the juice for the rest of the recipe!

THE ULTIMATE PECAN CRUMBLE

I think you will all agree with me that even a healthy sweet potato casserole needs a crunchy topping.  It’s a must, right?!

Crazy enough, my daughter actually invented this crumble in her – I’ll just add a bit of this and that and throw it in the blender – kind of way.  

I made a few adjustments here and there (I left out the sprinkles), but her idea of fine chopping the oats and pecans together created a perfect texture.  Combined with a solid pinch of salt and a swirl of coconut oil and maple syrup, she created magic.

I stole it and put it on my sweet potatoes.

HOW TO MAKE EASY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE IN THE INSTANT POT

1. Trim ends off of bananas, make a slit just through the skin
2. Create a foil packet with the bananas and place them on top of the sweet potatoes to cook
3. While the pressure cooker does its magic, make the pecan crumble – pulse pecans, oats, and salt in a food processor, then combine with coconut oil, syrup, and vanilla
4. Mix together cooked sweet potatoes, bananas and juices and remaining ingredients til smooth
5. Transfer to a baking dish
6. Top with crumble and bake until beautifully browned

Naturally sweetened, good for you, orange gold.  I’ll eat this for my entire meal, thank you very much.

I would like to take this moment to humbly announce that I successfully converted my “don’t mess with the classics” sister Cami and my “I hate sweet potato anything, every time” husband.   Both have been seen going for seconds and hoarding leftovers. My work here is done.

MORE INSTANT POT HOLIDAY DISHES

• Instant Pot Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
• Instant Pot No Prep Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Naturally Caramel Sweetened Apple Pie
• Instant Pot Turkey Breast
• Instant Pot “Smoked” Ham
• Instant Pot Dijon Maple Glazed Ham

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH PECAN CRUMBLE

• Instant Pot
• High Speed Blender
• Hand Mixer
• Vietnamese Cinnamon

Adapted from Well Plated 

Instant Pot Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.7 from 3 reviews

This is my Sweet Potato Casserole dream come true!  Creamy, crunchy, buttery, and perfectly sweet.  It's heaven in a bowl!

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 75 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Pressure cooker
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Sweet Potato Mixture

• 3 pounds medium size sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 medium size bananas, ripe with a few brown spots – too ripe and the flavor isn't as good
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (preferably Vietnamese cinnamon)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For Pecan Crumble

• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker pot.  Place trivet or strainer inside, add sweet potatoes.
2. Trim off the ends of the bananas.  Make a long slit from one end to the next.  Don't cut all the way through, just barely through the skin.
3. Make a foil packet for the bananas.  Be sure they are wrapped well enough that they will keep the juices inside while they cook.  Place the packet on top of the sweet potatoes.
4. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure 25 minutes.
5. For the Pecan Crumble: Meanwhile, place pecans, oats, and salt in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times to coarsely chop the ingredients.
6. In a medium size bowl, whisk together coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.  Add oat/pecan mixture and toss to coat the ingredients well.  Set aside.
7. Preheat oven to 375° F and lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
8. When pressure cooking is complete, use a quick release.
9. Remove the packet of bananas and carefully open to release the steam.  Add the juice from the packet and the bananas into a large bowl.  Discard the banana peel.
10. Allow sweet potatoes to cool slightly.  Pull the skin away from the sweet potatoes and add them to the large bowl.
11. Top with the coconut oil and allow it to melt.  Add 1/2 cup almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.  Use a hand mixer or a potato masher to combine the ingredients until very smooth.  To get it extra smooth, I like to use an immersion blender.  Add another 1/4 cup of milk if the mixture is too dry.
12. Transfer mixture to the prepared casserole dish and use a spoon to create a smooth, flat surface.
13. Scatter the pecan crumble over the top of the sweet potato mixture.  Bake until crumble is crispy and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.  Serve warm.

Notes

• Leftovers are amazing!  You will lose some of the crunch of the crumble, but it still tastes really good.  Perfect for breakfast.
• To make ahead, prepare the sweet potato mixture and refrigerate until ready to bake.  The day of baking, bake sweet potato mixture at 375° F until it's slightly warmed through (about 15-20 minutes).  Prepare the crumble as potatoes cook and then top with the crumble and bake until browned (about another 20 minutes).
• Sweet potato mixture freezes well.  Thaw before baking.
• Another option: Bake the sweet potato mixture and crumble separately, then top individual bowls of sweet potatoes with some of the crumble.  This works well if you know there will be leftovers.

Keywords: instant pot meal, healthy dinner, meal prep

I love to see what you're cooking from my blog! Show me your creations on Instagram using hashtag #INSTAFRESHMEALSFor more Insta Fresh food talk, join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube