As their name suggests, these root vegetables have a natural sweetness to them, which is enhanced when they’re cooked and blended with coconut milk and maple syrup then topped with a cinnamon pecan crunch. Creamy and comforting, this sweet casserole will make you forget the sugar-laden side dish of the past.

This recipe yields 6 servings

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove the skins of the sweet potatoes and roughly chop. Add a small amount of water to the bottom of a pot and bring to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes to a steamer basket above the boiling water and allow them to soften until they can be easily pierced with a fork.  

2. Pour soft sweet potatoes into a Vitamix or other high-powered food processor.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients for the base and pulse until fully combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Smooth into a glass baking dish and set aside.

5. Mix all the pecan topping ingredients into a bowl until well incorporated.

6. Layer pecan topping mixture over top of the sweet potatoes. 

7. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit / 190 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.

8. Serve while hot.

TIPS

**If you do not have a high-powered blender or a food processor, a hand mixer works just as well to mix the sweet potato mixture. 

**I prefer the pecans to stay whole, but you can rough chop if desired.