Paleo Pumpkin Sweet Potato Casserole with Macadamia Nut Crumble! A healthier version of the southern classic side dish. This Pumpkin Sweet Potato Casserole has a lightly sweet buttery taste with a crunchy nut topping. Grain free and paleo friendly! Simple to make in 30 minutes .
Happy October! Today I’ve partnered with Simple Mills. to bring you this Pumpkin Macadamia Nut Sweet Potato Casserole. We are thankful for their wonderful Paleo friendly products and allowing me to create and share a healthier holiday inspired recipe.
Ohhhhh so thankful! Yes, it’s October and I can finally post about Pumpkin, thank goodness! You see, that’s my rule, I don’t focus on the pumpkin palooza until October shines it’s bright orange smile. AND…. IT….. IS….. HERE! ?. But also, Canadian Thanksgiving is October 9th ? , so we better bring on the thanksgiving dishes as well, right? Hence this Paleo Pumpkin Macadamia Nut Sweet Potato Casserole. All things October-ish, Thanksgiving-ish, and Fall-ish!
You see, this Sweet potato casserole recipe is originally adapted from an original family holiday recipe, passed down from generations. Similar to my family’s hot fruit bake, it’s a recipe that requires just simple ingredients, yet is sooooo tasty. Albeit, not necessarily healthy. We will get to that solution in a minute though.
My mom’s been making her famous sweet potato casserole for years. The original casserole recipe is loaded with sugar, margarine or crisco (gasp!), candied nuts, and of course marshmallows. I’m not really sure why it’s even called a side dish. It’s definitely more dessert, like sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie combined! Every kid’s dream “vegetable” side dish, right? Ha ha!
But you see, over the years, our family has developed certain dietary preferences. We, of course, eat gluten free and mostly grain free recipes. My niece tries to stay clear of dairy and/or lactose. My Uncle feels better on a lower carb/sugar diet. And, well, my parents just try to eat healthier when they can.
You can see where I’m going with this, right? So many dietary preferences to accommodate to, or at least try to!
It was time to revamp that original sweet potato casserole recipe. Give it a little healthy boost, maybe even an extra dose of beta-carotene, and in someway somehow make it grain free, dairy free, and paleo-ish! Or in another words, make it more health conscious friendly for all.
And that’s exactly what I did with this paleo pumpkin mac nut sweet potato casserole. A buttery, sweet, perfectly delicious sweet potato casserole made with simple ingredients and unrefined sugar. Totally crowd pleaser for your holiday table. I may be bias.
So, let’s dig a little deeper here. How is this paleo-ish holiday casserole possible??. SIMPLY because of Simple Mills. See what I did there? Yup, Simple Mills Almond Flour mixes is a true holiday recipe LIFESAVER ya’ll! Their mix is made with almond flour, holiday spices, pumpkin, and a little bit of coconut palm sugar. What I also love about this Simple Mills products and Almond Flour mixes is that there are no additives. Just real ingredients.
For this “healthified” holiday recipe, I swapped out the original white flour and excess white sugar needed and replaced it with Simple mills Paleo pumpkin bread mix. It added the perfect spice and sweetness to the base of the casserole, not to mention the macadamia nut crumble topping. Like whoa, magical!
Speaking of that macadamia nut crumble topping…. you can thank my trip to Hawaii for that. I fell in love with macadamia nuts all over again! Gah, they truly are buttery and delicious, especially on desserts. Now you know how this whole Recipe development came together.
But I digress.
What I really meant to say is that this paleo pumpkin macadamia nut casserole is made with so much love! My corny holiday emotions are wrapped up inside each ingredient. And my hearts desire is for you to be able to share and enjoy a healthier holiday dish with your family too.
There are just 10 simple ingredients you need for this dish. You ready?
- Sweet potatoes
- Pumpkin purée
- Clarified butter or coconut oil (naturally refined)
- Almond milk or coconut milk
- Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg
- Eggs
- Paleo Pumpkin muffin/bread mix
- Maple syrup and/or Coconut sugar
- Macadamia nuts
- Coconut flakes
Pumpkin Macadamia Nut Sweet Potato Casserole {Paleo}
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 7 servings 1x
Description
Pumpkin Sweet Potato Casserole with Macadamia Nut Crumble! A healthier twist on a classic holiday side dish. Paleo friendly with a buttery light taste!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups cooked, peeled, mashed sweet potatoes (2 large sweet potatoes)
- 1 1/3 cup (close to 14 ounce can) pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup paleo pumpkin bread mix. By Simple Mills
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or coconut sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked or beaten
- 1/4 c melted butter, non dairy butter, or refined coconut oil
- 2/3 cup coconut or almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of pumpkin spice
- 3–4 tbsp coconut flakes or crushed mac nuts (optional)
Topping:
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2/3 to 3/4 cup whole macadamia nuts – raw
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar sugar
- 1/4 cup paleo pumpkin bread/muffin mix (almond flour baking mix) by Simple Mills
- 5 tbsp melted clarified butter or non dairy butter/ghee (see notes if using coconut oil)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (minus the toppings) in a large bowl. Mix until batter in consistent and smooth. Pour into greased 8×11 or 9×13 casserole pan. Bake 20 min. at 400 degrees
- Remove from oven, then make topping.
- Combine mac nuts, flour mix, coconut sugar, and coconut in food processor. Pulse until a crumble topping is formed.
- Pour into a bowl and add melted butter or non dairy butter. Mix together. If you want to use coconut oil, see notes.
- Spread topping on baked casserole. Return to oven for 8-10 min or until golden brown. If edges start to brown quicker than the center, simply cover with foil and until center is pieces of the crumble are browned as well.
Notes
We use Simple Mills Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread mix. If you don’t have that available, I suggest checking out their other almond flour baking or cake mixes. Just add in a touch of pumpkin spice and 2 tbsp or so of coconut sugar.
If you are using coconut oil in the crumble, add a 1 tbsp at a time so the crumble keeps it’s texture. Only 1 or 2 tbsp should be sufficient. Too much oil can turn the crumble into a thick batter. I suggest using ghee or non dairy butter if possible for dairy free option.
Estimated Nutrition will vary depending on if using coconut oil or clarified butter. Nutrition shown based on using coconut oil.
- Category: side dish
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 385
- Sugar: 22g
- Fat: 23g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: holiday side dish, sweet potato casserole, paleo, gluten free, dairy free, Thanksgiving
And lastly, I could not leave you without a NERDY NUTRITION TIP!
Did you know that nuts are high in zinc? Like the almonds found in almond flour and the macadamia nuts found in that buttery crumble.
And obviously pumpkin and sweet potato are high in Vitamin A. Together they create SYNERGY. Why? Because Zinc carries a protein that helps transport Vitamin A to make retinal. A molecule that is necessary for color-vision. So basically, this pumpkin sweet potato casserole will make you SEE all the COLOR in life. Ha! You’re welcome.
Now grab a spoon and keep your eyes on the prize.
Keep up with the healthy baking loving Simple Mills on social media. They are full of recipe inspiration! Facebook, Twitter , Instagram , Pinterest
Cheers!
MORE WHOLE HEALTHY SWEET POTATOES RECIPES
This recipe is part of our 8 Healthy Ways to Cook Sweet Potatoes collection. Check it out!
