Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole is lightly sweetened with maple syrup and topped with toasted pecans, making it a delicious and effortless addition to Thanksgiving dinner, while freeing up the oven at the same time!
4poundsweet potatoeswashed, peeled, & cut into 2-inch chunks
1 ½cupswater
1cupwhole milkwarm
4tablespoonsbutterat room temperature
½cuppure maple syrup
1tablespoonfresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 ½teaspoonspure vanilla extract
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonground cinnamon
¼teaspoonground nutmeg
¼teaspoonground ginger
1 ½cupschopped pecanstoasted
Instructions
Place sweet potato chunks in the bottom of a large (5 ½- to 7-quart) slow cooker; pour in water. Cover and cook for 6 to 7 hours on LOW (or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH) or until tender. Drain water from slow cooker.
Using a potato masher, mash the sweet potatoes right in the slow cooker. Stir in milk, butter, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Smooth surface of sweet potatoes and evenly sprinkle with toasted pecans. Cover and cook for 15 to 30 more minutes until heated through.
Notes
Crockpot Sweet Potatoes may be served straight out of the slow cooker (set to WARM) or transferred to a serving dish. If using a serving dish, sprinkle the pecans on top after transferring the mashed sweet potatoes.
To toast pecans, preheat oven to 350°. Spread chopped pecans on sheet pan and bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted, watching carefully to prevent burning.
Candied pecans may be used in lieu of toasted pecans. Alternatively, you may sprinkle the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and then toast them using a kitchen torch.
To make this recipe DAIRY-FREE, use unsweetened almond milk in place of whole milk and a dairy-free "buttery spread" (such as Earth's Balance Olive Oil) in place of butter.