You’ll love these paleo and vegan candied pecan loaded sweet potatoes, if you like sweet potato casserole! Deliciously sweet and perfect for the holidays.

Happy Monday! It’s been raining nonstop here. It’s quite annoying but I’ve actually liked that I had an excuse to lounge at home and basically relax and do nothing over the weekend. It was much needed! However, I do miss the sunshine and I’m VERY looking forward to spending Thanksgiving in Hawaii this year. Bring on the beaches!!

Before leaving, I wanted to share a last minute Thanksgiving recipe that’s so simple and easy to make. If you love sweet potato casserole, I think you’ll like this one! This candied pecan loaded sweet potatoes recipe has the same flavors as a sweet potato casserole, but takes out the labor of blending up the sweet potatoes. I’m all about doing less work than I have to (AND creating less dishes) on Thanksgiving with so many things going on if you are hosting. 

I find that sweet potatoes are plenty sweet on their own so I do not like to add more sugar to it, as what usually happens in a traditional sweet potato casserole. There are usually 6 different kinds of pies at the dessert table waiting for you on Thanksgiving, so why load up on excess sugar during your meal? The candied pecans in this recipe adds just enough sweetness to really enhance the flavors of the sweet potatoes, and for me, it honestly felt like I was eating dessert!

If you are looking for a fun and different take on sweet potato casserole on Thanksgiving, I highly recommend this recipe because it’s soooooo delicious. Just try it out and let me know!

Hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Candied Pecan Loaded Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Jean Choi

You'll love these paleo and vegan candied pecan loaded sweet potatoes, if you like sweet potato casserole! Deliciously sweet and perfect for the holidays.

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Ingredients

• 6 sweet potatoes
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup raw pecans
• 2 tbsp butter (Use coconut oil if you have a high sensitivity to dairy)
• 1 tbsp coconut butter
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• Optional: unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Wash the sweet potatoes, then poke holes in them by stabbing them with a fork a few times.
4. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until soft and easily pierced with a knife.
5. While the sweet potatoes are baking, whisk together maple syrup, water, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a bowl.
6. Toss in the pecans and stir to coat well. Set aside until the sweet potatoes are done.
7. Once the sweet potatoes are done cooking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
8. Cut the potatoes down the center lengthwise, then push them down carefully from the top to flatten . and open them a bit.
9. Top each potato with the pecan mixture.
10. Melt together butter, coconut butter, and salt on the stove top or in the microwave. Pour evenly over the sweet potatoes and the pecan topping.
11. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the pecans are browned and toasted. If you have leftover pecans, toast it along side the potatoes and save as a snack!
12. Sprinkle with more cinnamon and unsweetened coconut flakes, if desired. Serve immediately.