Staying away from sweet potatoes due to carbs? Try this fantastic low carb sweet potato casserole with pecan topping. It’s perfect for the holidays.
Are you stressing over what to serve at your holiday meal now that many traditional dishes are off limits? No need to worry because many recipes come in a low carb version.
I’m the youngest of six kids and times were tough growing up. My father was in the Navy while my mother stayed home The Navy pay was barely enough to support such a large family.
Our holiday meals were very modest. In fact, I remember having whole chicken rather than turkey on Thanksgiving. And, there was rarely any leftovers.
We also didn’t get together with other family on the holidays as they lived too far and it was tough to travel with so many kids in tow. So, the big Thanksgiving dinners didn’t start until I was an adult.
During one of our family Thanksgiving meals, I remember my oldest sister bringing a sweet potato casserole. I thought it was strange to add marshmallows to a side dish.
When I got my first taste of this , I thought it belonged on the dessert table. Apparently, a candy company who wanted to market their marshmallows as an everyday ingredient and the recipe went viral.
For my low carb sweet potato casserole, I left out the marshmallow taste as I never liked them on the dish. Instead, I’ve topped the casserole with a sweet pecan topping.
I also don’t use real sweet potatoes because they have about 25 grams of carbs per cup. Instead, I’ve mashed together cauliflower and pumpkin to mimic the sweet potato taste.
The idea for using cauliflower and pumpkin in a low carb sweet potato casserole isn’t new. It likely came from Maria Emmerich who is the best selling author of The Ketogenic Cookbook.
It makes sense to use cauliflower as it’s been the most popular ingredient for low carb potatoes. But, to get the flavor of sweet potatoes, you need to add a bit more.
Pumpkin is very close in taste to sweet potatoes but isn’t as sweet. That’s why you’ll need to add a sweetener to get the true flavor.
I added a half cup of Sukrin:1 to the cauliflower mixture the first time I made the casserole, but thought that was too sweet. So, I’ve lowered the amount to 1/3 cup.
If you’d like to cut back on the erythritol, you can use plain stevia instead of Sukrin:1 which is a stevia blend. I’ve included the amount of SweetLeaf drops needed.
The pecan topping adds more sweetness. I wanted the flavor of brown sugar so I mixed in Sukrin Gold with the chopped pecans.
If you don’t have any low carb brown sugar substitute on hand, you can always add a touch of blackstrap molasses to a granular white sugar substitute.
The traditional pumpkin spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves really enhances the flavor as well. However, you can change up the spice blend to suit your own tastes.
This low carb sweet potato casserole tastes more like a dessert to me, but it does go well with turkey and ham. So, it’s a great dish to make for your holiday meal.
This year, my oldest sister, the one who introduced me to the marshmallow topped holiday side dish, has gone low carb. I plan to bring to introduce her to my low carb version of the casserole at our family Christmas dinner.
Need some more ideas for low carb holiday side dishes? My cauliflower au gratin is always a hit and so is my creamed spinach.
What are your favorite low carb recipes to serve at holiday dinners? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
Low Carb Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping Recipe
Mock Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower about 1.2 pounds florets
- 1 cup mashed pumpkin
- 1/3 cup Sukrin:1 or 3/4 teaspoon SweetLeaf Stevia Drops
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
Pecan Topping
- 3 tablespoons Sukrin Gold packed or other brown sugar substitute
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 3 tablespoons almond flour
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Instructions
- Cut cauliflower into florets and steam until soft. (I steamed them in the Instant Pot for 5 minutes)
- Combine steamed cauliflower, pumpkin, sweetener, eggs, salt, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in food processor or blend. Puree until smooth.
- Spread mashed cauliflower mixture into a 2-quart or 11x17 casserole dish.
Topping
- In medium bowl, mix together Sukrin Gold, coconut flour, and almond flour.
- Cut in butter then stir in pecans.
- Sprinkle pecan mixture over cauliflower mixture.
- Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes or until topping has browned.
Nutrition
Additional Info
- Net Carbs 4g
- % Carbs: 8.1%
- % Protein: 10.1%
- % Fat: 81.8%
Need Support?
Grab my FREE 3-Day Keto Meal Plan. Or join the Low Carb Yum Facebook Group for help with recipes and weight loss support!
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Lisa MarcAurele has been creating low carb recipes for herself and sharing them with others since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. The results are low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!
