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Can you believe Thanksgiving is already around the corner? I’m on the hook for side dishes this year, and sweet potatoes are an absolute staple at every classic Thanksgiving spread. While the marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole is a classic, it’s completely loaded with sugar at every level, making me less and less of a fan as I’ve gotten older. My husband introduced me to his family’s sweet potato soufflé recipe which had less sugar in it, but I’ve challenged myself to take out any white or brown sugar out of the recipe. The result is this Whole30 Sweet Potato Souffle, which has all of the flavor but without the sugar high.
Sweet Potatoes Don’t Need Any Added Sugar!
Pretty much all of the Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole variations involve sugar of some kind. Sometimes it’s simple white or brown sugar, and other times it’s maple syrup. But I’d argue that this is not necessary at all. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet! It’s in their name! Plus, I find adding all that extra sugar covers up the complex flavors you can coax out of a good sweet potato.
It is likely that the sweet potatoes you’ll see at the farmers market this time of year are not newly harvested. Instead, many sweet potatoes are harvested in the mid to late summer, and then cured. The curing process further develops the natural sugars in sweet potatoes, which means that the sweet potatoes you purchase now are sweeter than those you see at the farmers market in August.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a tuberous vegetable in the morning glory family. Despite their similarity to potatoes, sweet potatoes are not nightshades, and are not closely related to the potato at all!
See if you can find Burgundy sweet potatoes at the farmers market; this variety was bred for its rich sweet flavor, and is perfect in sweeter, or dessert-like recipes. However, you can also use Beauregard sweet potatoes to great effect in this soufflé. Beauregard sweet potatoes are the most common variety at the grocery store; this was the variety I used for developing this recipe, as this was what was available to me in Alaska.
Did you know I have a whole guide on sweet potato varieties at the farmers market? Head over here to read more about which sweet potatoes are best for different recipes.
Coconut Cream
Coconut cream is different from coconut milk; it has a much higher fat content and is more akin to half-and-half than to whole milk. This adds a creaminess and richness to the soufflé that is certainly decadent enough for the holiday season.
I prefer Trader Joe’s Coconut Cream over any other brand I’ve tried. Unlike most other coconut cream products, Trader Joe’s version contains only coconut and water. No sugar, no stabilizers.
This recipe doesn’t use a full can; you’ll have a little bit left over. Coconut cream does naturally separate naturally in the can so you will need to blend the entire can together until smooth before pouring off the excess coconut cream. Add the leftovers to a smoothie or turn it into a dairy-free whipped cream. Keep in mind, if you add sugar to this topping, it won’t be Whole30 compliant, but it will be tasty.
Applesauce
Not only does applesauce add a hint more sweetness to the sweet potato soufflé, it also works with the eggs to bind the dish together. Always look for applesauce without any added sweeteners, whether you’re doing a Whole30 or not. You’d be surprised how many name brands hide sugar, corn syrup, and any number of other crazy ingredients in their applesauce. Why add more sugar? It’s just not needed; apples are sweet enough on their own.
Most years, I’m on top of my homemade applesauce game. This is a perfect thing to make in your slow cooker, and it’ll turn out perfect every time. As an added bonus, your house will be filled with an apple perfume that will get you in the holiday mood.
Tips and Tricks
This recipe starts with cooked sweet potatoes; you have a lot of options on how to get to this point. Sweet potatoes can be roasted, steamed, boiled, or my new personal favorite, pressure cooked in an instant pot.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
If you choose to roast your sweet potatoes, leave the skins on. This will help prevent the sweet potatoes from drying out too much. Simply prick each potato a few times with a fork and roast them in a 350°F oven for 50-55 minutes or until soft.
Roasted sweet potatoes are best made the day before you want to make the sweet potato soufflé. This will help free up oven space (most of us are limited on this front at Thanksgiving, at least) and will speed things up the day of serving. Roasting the sweet potatoes is the longest cooking method, but it will yield a richly flavored sweet potato soufflé.
Steamed or Boiled Sweet Potatoes
I’m combining steaming and boiling into the same section, as the results are fairly similar. After peeling your sweet potatoes and cutting them up into cubes, you’ll either drop them in boiling water or into a steamer basket. They’ll take about 20 or 30 minutes depending on how small your sweet potato cubes are; smaller cubes will cook much faster. These sweet potatoes do not run the risk of drying out, but you will need to ensure they are fully drained before adding them to your blender.
Pressure Cooked Sweet Potatoes (Instant Pot)
This is my new favorite method. It is so fast that I was left wondering, I got out the Instant Pot for all of what, 4 minutes? Was that worth the cleanup? The answer is an emphatic YES. If I have an instant pot available, this will certainly be my method going forward.
To pressure cook your sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot, start by peeling and cubing your sweet potatoes. Add them to your Instant Pot along with a cup of water, and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. Quick release the pressure and drain, and then you are good to go. This took maybe 12 minutes from start to finish, which was just enough time to finish blending my coconut cream together.
Serving Suggestions
This Whole30 Sweet Potato Soufflé is perfect for your upcoming Thanksgiving spread. Whether or not you’re doing a Whole30, it’s good to modulate your sugar consumption when you’re planning such a gigantic feast. Save the sugar for dessert!
Variations
Want to make individual sized portions instead of one big casserole? Simply pour the sweet potato mixture into individual-sized ramekins. The bake time will be slightly decreased from the full sized souffle, about 30-35 minutes instead of 45. Be warned, though, you’ll need a lot of ramekins – at least 8 of the 7oz ones.
What about the leftovers?
Whole30 Sweet Potato Souffle leftovers can be stored in a covered container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven until warmed through. The reheated soufflé won’t nearly be as fluffy as when it is freshly pulled out of the oven, but the flavor will still be there.
Leftovers can be frozen and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. In this case, you won’t need to thaw the soufflé before reheating. Simply place the frozen soufflé in the oven and you are good to go.
Whole30 Sweet Potato Souffle
While the marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole is a classic, it's completely loaded with sugar at every level, making me less and less of a fan as I've gotten older. My husband introduced me to his family's sweet potato soufflé recipe which had less sugar in it, but I've challenged myself to take out any white or brown sugar out of the recipe. The result is this Whole30 Sweet Potato Souffle, which has all of the flavor but without the sugar high.
Ingredients
- Avocado oil, for greasing baking dishes
- 1 ½ cups (12 oz) coconut cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ⅔ cup applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ lb sweet potatoes, cooked (about 4-5 sweet potatoes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F, and grease all baking dishes liberally with avocado oil.
- In a large blender, blend together coconut cream until mixture is smooth and fully incorporated. Pour off any excess coconut cream into a separate container and save for another use.
- Add vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, applesauce, eggs, and sweet potatoes to the blender and combine until smooth. Mixture should be the consistency of pie filling.
- Pour filling into a large baking dish, or individual ramekins, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until mixture has fully set. This can be checked by inserting a toothpick and checking to see that it is pulled out clean.
- Remove soufflé from oven and serve immediately. As the mixture sits, it will fall and become more dense with time.
Notes
Blending in batches is okay; mix batches together in a large mixing bowl before adding to the baking dishes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 198Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 71mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 5gSugar: 13gProtein: 5g
Calculated nutrition values are not always accurate, but can provide a general idea for planning purposes. Please do not rely on this information as it may not be complete. Recipes that include unusual ingredients, especially scrap ingredients, will have the least accurate information with this calculator.
