Looking for a perfect side for holiday turkey and cranberry sauce? Or just a vegan side for a vegan paleo Thanksgiving?

This gluten-free holiday recipe is a fusion of maple mashed sweet potatoes and a sweet potato casserole, and its almost like a sweet potato pie as its made with pumpkin spice. I made this dairy free and refined sugar free so it’s a surprisingly healthy Thanksgiving side or Christmas side for turkey. No need for marshmallows or crumble in this sweet potato casserole recipe, because its topped with roasted maple walnuts, pecans and toasted coconut for crunch and delicious flavour.

Multiply this recipe according to family size for the holidays

For the maple mashed sweet potatoes:

2 large yams, baked in their peels (with holes poked in them) for several minutes longer than necessary, until super soft and sweet (use dark orange “sweet potatoes” – to me they are yams, but sweet potatoes seems to be the commonly used name)

1/4 tbsp pumpkin spice, or more to taste ( I make my own)

1/3 tbsp. cinnamon

3 tbsp. melted butter flavor coconut oil by Nutiva, or ghee, or sub 2-3 tbsp coconut oil

sea salt

optional: 1/4 – 3/4 tbsp. maple syrup (omit for keto)

for the topping:

2 tbsp maple syrup

1.5 tsp coconut oil, melted

sea salt

1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

scant 3/4 cup walnut halves and pecan halves

2 handfuls of coconut flakes

Directions:

preheat oven to 325 degrees. you don’t want it too hot for toasting coconut flakes. peel the pre-baked yams. Mash the roasted yams with the (buttery) coconut oil and spices and syrup. place the mashed yams in bakeware.

for the topping: in a bowl mix the maple syrup, oil, salt and pumpkin spice together. toss in nuts and coconut flakes and mix. place the topping over the mashed yams. bake for 5-10 minutes, checking at the 5 minute mark and often afterwards, as coconut flakes can burn fast (especially in powerful ovens). bake until coconut flakes are golden.

serve with honey roasted carrots.