Happy Monday! I’ve been observing my life from the outside lately and watching it fly by faster than it ever has. I can’t get to half of the emails in my inbox and barely have time to figure out how we’re decorating our family room. We still don’t have a couch and our bedroom still isn’t all the way complete. My hope is that Thanksgiving will bring some quiet, relaxing time with a cup of tea and good food to fill my belly. (And that I’ll get to respond to some emails from you all, of course!)
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What are you most looking forward to eating this Thanksgiving? One of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes is my sweet potato casserole. I swear it’s so good that you can serve it as a dessert.
Same goes for this version made with a mix of two of my favorite root vegetables: butternut squash (or butternut pumpkin!) and sweet potatoes. It’s wonderful because you can do a lot of the prep work ahead of time. Simply roast your butternut squash and sweet potatoes a day or two before, then once you are ready, you can whip up this casserole. I like using butternut squash because it contains lower carbs and sugar per serving than using ONLY sweet potatoes (like most casseroles do). A combination of the two is just right when it comes to flavor and sweetness.
I call this version healthy because compared to the traditional sweet potato casserole version, it’s a lot caloric and there’s zero butter or refined sweeteners. I also took it a step further and made the crumble both vegan and gluten free thanks to almond meal and coconut oil. This means that all your guests can enjoy this beautiful casserole.
And we must discuss the topping because it is INSANELY delicious. Almond flour adds the perfect amount of sweetness and creates a moist topping without having to use excess butter or oil.
I hope you get a chance to make it for Thanksgiving. Let me know if you do by snapping a photo, uploading it to Instagram and tagging #ambitiouskitchen!
More healthy side dishes to try:
Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing with Cranberries & Walnuts
Brown Butter Cranberry Pumpkin Cornbread Skillet
Maple Glazed Carrots with Goat Cheese & Pistachios
Spicy maple Roasted Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon + video
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Healthy Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Casserole with Almond Oat Crumble
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeds removed
- 2 small sweet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- For the topping:
- 1/2 cup gluten free oats
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (butter or vegan butter also works!)
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place butternut squash halves on baking sheet, flesh side down. Use a fork to poke holes in sweet potatoes and place on baking sheet. Roast for 45-55 minutes or until squash and sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Once squash and sweet potatoes are done roasting, allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, then scoop the flesh out of both and add to a large bowl. Next add in maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla, egg, cinnamon and cloves; use an electric mixer to beat together until smooth. You can also mix by hand if that's easier for you, just make sure everything is well combined. Pour into a greased 9x9 inch pan.
- Next make the topping by combining oats, almond flour, cinnamon, coconut oil and pure maple syrup; stir well to combine. Add in chopped almonds. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the top of the squash mixture.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the topping begins to turn slightly golden. Serves 9 people, about heaping 1/2 cup each.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Sounds great! Any recommendations on when this should be made for a holiday? By which I mean, could it be made the day before and reheated?
Of course! You can do a lot of the prep work ahead of time. Simply roast your butternut squash and sweet potatoes a day or two before, then once you are ready, you can whip up this casserole. Enjoy!
The crunchy almond flour oat topping makes this dish amazing.
Insanely good!!! We ate some for dinner and dessert! This is our new staple!
So great to hear!! This is one of my go-to’s, too 🙂
Could this be made with all sweet potatoes without the squash?
love that this isn’t as sweet sounding as the stereotypical all sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top! and i love having some sort of crunchy element with my sweet potatoes, so that crumble sounds perfect (:
This is just the recipe I am looking for to make for our potluck! Looks delicious!
Oh my gosh, this is literal perfection!! The essence of fall in one dessert! 🙂
Divinity!!!! Sweet tater casserole is one of the ultimate favorite side dishes for the season in my house so I have to try this one!