What you’re looking at might be my favorite Thanksgiving side.  I can’t even begin to put into words how much I love this sweet potato casserole.  I found the recipe last year on the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen blog and asked my friend Laurel to bring it to our vegan Thanksgiving.  She was nice enough to make it, and it was so good I couldn’t believe it!  Then Ryan and I made it again for his family’s meal last Christmas.  I think I could have eaten the whole thing.

Now, be aware that this is listed as a dessert option on SusanV’s site.  It’s pretty sweet, but I actually love it with dinner since it’s such a nice contrast to the other flavors on the plate.  The great thing is that it’s not just sweet.  I think a lot of sweet potato dishes overdo it – I’m looking at you, marshmallow-covered-burnt-casserole. But somehow the cinnamon and nutmeg in this, not to mention the amazing pecan topping, all just fit together perfectly and taste like more than just sugar.

When I made this to photograph it for the blog, I realized I didn’t have enough maple syrup.  I substituted amber agave and it worked out just fine.  I baked the potatoes this time, whereas I microwaved them last year.  I think that I would recommend peeling and then either boiling or microwaving them, because I found that peeling them was a bit difficult after baking, and there were some parts right under the skin that stayed hard and didn’t mash in with the rest.

This casserole is so easy and SO delicious.  Please make it this year, and I promise you won’t be disappointed!