This sweet potato casserole without nuts is made with delicious Biscoff cookies! It's a no-nuts version of the classic casserole. With the zing of ginger, brightness of orange juice, and classic fall flavors, this is a must at your family table and will be the new holiday favorite!
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Every year when the holidays roll around, family members decide what they'll bring and whose house will host. Some bring their same old reliable recipe that they bring every year, while others mix it up. But, no matter what folks bring there is guaranteed to be mashed potatoes, turkey or ham, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and sweet potato casserole.
My personal favorites are always mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and sweet potato casserole. And when I tell people this they say “oh, like the one with marshmallow topping or a crunchy nut topping?!”. Absolutely not. I am here to tell you sweet potatoes are sweet enough and do not need marshmallows added nor do they need nuts for crunch.
One of my grandmas makes a sweet potato casserole for a side dish that is next level amazing (without marshmallows, not too sweet, and no nuts!). This casserole is what inspired our Sweet Potato Casserole without nuts. So, let’s get cooking!
Looking for other holiday dishes to try? Try these our Mashed Potato Squash, Stuffing Without Celery, or Scalloped Potatoes Without Cream, and for a small batch dinner, check out These Limited-time Trader Joe's Buys That Make The Perfect Heat & Serve 4-Person Thanksgiving Dinner For Less Than $50.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
Sweet Potatoes: This is probably self explanatory but you do need these. This recipe relies on orange sweet potatoes but there are white sweet potato variations you can use.
Substitutions: Because I like to keep it simple, I prefer to use cubed, frozen or fresh sweet potatoes that are already peeled. But if you use whole ones, be sure to peel and dice them.
Butter: You always need butter for a potato casserole! Some for the potato mixture and some for the topping.
Substitutions: You can try using ghee, but the flavor would be much more intense. Coconut oil would also work. Oil shouldn't be used because it needs to be solid at room temperature to make the topping crumble.
Eggs: These help to stabilize the sweet potato casserole recipe while it bakes. Not all sweet potato bakes use eggs but adding them helps it hold its shape when scooped.
Substitutions: A vegan or vegetarian egg option, including a flax or chia egg can be used but it has not been tested.
Orange Juice: This is one of the secret ingredients! Orange juice helps to brighten up all the butter and enhance the sweetness without adding sugar.
Substitutions: Orange zest from one orange and water can be used or half the amount of ginger juice.
Orange Marmalade: Another secret ingredient of this casserole is marmalade. This can be orange marmalade, apricot, or lemon.
Substitutions: Any thick jam can be used that has a similar citrus and bright flavor profile. I don't recommend grape, strawberry, or raspberry. You can also use brown sugar to sweetened instead of marmalade.
Ginger: Ok the last secret ingredient - ginger is really what makes this dish and makes your taste buds sing. Not only does it pair with other fall flavors great (hello gingerbread!), but it adds a depth of flavor that helps enhance all the other flavors.
Substitutions: I use frozen ginger cubes, but you can use grated ginger or squeezable ginger.
Biscoff Cookies: Biscoff cookies are where the cinnamon, nutmeg, and other fall flavors come from. Plus, they're crunchy and you probably have leftovers from all the holiday parties making this a great way to utilize any extras.
Substitutions: Oatmeal cookies or gingerbread cookies can also be used.
Basics: Salt and oil are needed for this dish. Salt to enhance the natural sweetness of the potatoes and oil to keep them from sticking to the baking dish.
Substitutions: Sorry, no substitute for the salt, but you can use additional butter to coat the baking dish and keep the casserole from sticking.
How to Make this - Step by Step
Step one: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cubed and peeled sweet potato cubes and boil for 15-20 minutes on medium heat, until fork tender. Set ¼ cup of butter out to come to room temperature.
Step two: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk the two eggs together in a small bowl and set aside.
Step three: While the potatoes cook, add the Biscoff cookies to a food processor and quickly pulse to chop them. Then, add the cold butter and pulse until a crumble comes together. You don't want the cookies to be turned into dust, but rather into just small pieces that still have a crunch. Transfer this to a bowl and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Step four: Add the sweet potatoes to the food processor and puree (or use a potato masher). Then add all other ingredients except the eggs and non-stick spray and blend. After combined, and while the food processor is running, add the eggs through the lid opening. This is to ensure the eggs do not scramble with the hot sweet potatoes. You can also do this in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer constantly running.
Step five: Pour this sweet potato mixture into the pan. Then, top with the biscoff crumble and spread out evenly.
Step six: Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Then, enjoy!
Watch How to Make This - Step by Step
Joy Tip!
Don’t want to boil the potatoes? Try roasting them! Sweet potatoes can be peeled, cut, and baked on a baking sheet for 25 minutes at 375 degrees until tender. They may not be as creamy in texture but this method is a little more hands off.
Facts and Common Questions
What’s the difference between yams and sweet potato casserole?
Sweet potatoes are sweeter and creamier than yams and yams are higher in starch meaning their texture is more like a white potato.
What can I substitute for nuts in sweet potato casserole?
Any crunchy food can be used in place of nuts. This can be seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, or cookies (like our tasty Biscoff topping!).
Why do you put eggs in sweet potato casserole?
Eggs are a binder that adds structure to the casserole without weighing it down. This is similar to how eggs act in baked goods and egg whites in a meringue.
Want to Save it for Later? Here’s how!
Storage: To keep leftover sweet potatoes for later, store with plastic wrap, beeswax, or foil on top of the baking dish. Otherwise, transfer dish to a sealed container (for the fridge or freezer) with the crumble on top. This will keep it from getting soggy.
This will keep:
- 5-6 days in the fridge
- 2 months frozen
To Reheat: If reheating from the fridge, simply heat in the microwave or oven until heated through. About 1-2 minutes in the microwave or 5-10 minutes under the broiler in the oven. If reheating from frozen, let thaw the night before and then place the entire casserole dish, with foil on top, in the oven at 350 degrees and let cook for 20-25 minutes until heated through
Fun Fact
Sweet potatoes are a versatile and vitamin packed vegetable. They are high in beta carotene, vitamins E and C, iron, potassium, and vitamin B6 making them a nutritious pantry staple. Sweet potatoes can be harvested 90-120 days after planting and are grown year round, despite their popularity in the fall. (source)
More Joyful Recipes!
Try these other Biscoff filled recipes:
Did you try this and love it? Leave us a review, we would love to hear from you!
Recipe
Sweet Potato Casserole Without Nuts
Ingredients
- 7 sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)
- ¼ cup butter (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup orange marmalade
- 1 tablespoon ginger (grated*)
- ⅛ teaspoon nonstick oil spray
Topping Ingredients
- 3 cups Biscoff Cookie crumbs ((about one sleeve))
- 6 tablespoon butter (cold)
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sweet potato cubes and boil for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender. See notes for alternate cooking methods. Set ¼ cup of butter out to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- While the potatoes cook, add the Biscoff cookies to the food processor and quickly pulse to chop them. Then add the cold butter and pulse until a crumble comes together. Transfer this to a bowl and store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Add the sweet potatoes to the food processor and puree. Then add all other ingredients except the eggs and non-stick spray. And blend. After combined and while the food processor is running, add the eggs through the lid opening. This is to ensure the eggs to not scramble with the hot sweet potatoes.
- Pour this mix into the pan. Then top with the Biscoff crumble.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
I was looking for a crunchy topping without nuts and this recipe is perfect for that, thank you for sharing!
Gosh I love this casserole so much, not too sweet and has a delicious crunch!
This is very good. ,I have been making this for a number of years.
Glad it's a favorite!