Sweet Potato Casserole without Nuts - Handheld! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

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3030 Minutes or LessVGVegetarian

4.50

/5

29 minutes mins

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By: Rachel GurkPosted: 11/18/2016

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This sweet potato casserole without nuts is a fun and tasty twist on a classic. Try the handheld version or bake it in a casserole.

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: This is a very versatile recipe:; it can be made in the mini bowls with marshmallows or in a casserole, with or without nuts. The filling can be made ahead.

How long it takes: about 30 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: baking sheet, mixing bowl
Servings: 12

Sweet Potato Casserole without Nuts - Handheld! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (1)

Table of Contents close

  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 More About This Sweet Potato Casserole
  • 3 Ways To Change This Recipe
  • 4 Make Ahead Ideas
  • 6 More Sweet Potato Recipes
  • 7 Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole without Nuts – Handheld!

Sweet potato casserole is a Thanksgiving classic. Who can resist the combination of sweet potatoes topped with fluffy marshmallows? This twist gives you all that flavor in a little handheld package.

There are a million takes on sweet potato casserole but these mini bowls are unlike anything I’ve ever tried. Mashed sweet potatoes are flavored with cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup. That would be great on its own, right?

But put it in a mini soft tortilla taco bowland magic happens. The edges of the tortilla bowls crisp up perfectly and the marshmallows are like icing on the cake. It’s the perfect handheld sweet potato casserole.

I envision these being perfect for a big Friendsgiving celebrating or a Thanksgiving. Mini sweet potato bowls are traditional with a twist; they are super easy to serve. I like to call them mini boats!

If you’re looking for more sweet potato ideas, try twice baked sweet potatoes or sweet potato bread pudding. If you prefer things more on the savory side, these scalloped sweet potatoes with Gruyère and bacon are amazing.

More About This Sweet Potato Casserole

Easy! After combining the sweet potatoes with brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, and cinnamon, spread the mixture into mini bowls and pop these delectable treats into the oven. Let them get hot and crispy, pull the bowls out, and top with marshmallows. Back into the oven for a couple minutes and you’re good to go!

Sweet Potato Casserole without Nuts - Handheld! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2)

Nut-Free! I made this handheld sweet potato casserole without nuts so my kids could eat them. Even if you’re not worried about nut allergies, I know that many children don’t care for nuts in their food and often sweet potato casserole recipes contain nuts. I wanted to give you an alternative recipe. However, feel free to substitute a nutty streusel topping instead of the marshmallows if you want.

Sweet Potato Casserole without Nuts - Handheld! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (3)

Handheld! My kids thought these were the coolest things ever. What kid wouldn’t love something that they can eat with their hands — and something that is COVERED IN MARSHMALLOWS. E and N were thrilled when these showed up on their plate for dinner. The mini boats are small enough for kids to easily handle, too.

Sweet Potato Casserole without Nuts - Handheld! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (4)

Ways To Change This Recipe

  • Make a casserole instead. If you don’t want to mess with the little bowls, bake the sweet potato mixture in a small casserole dish.
  • Add a nutty topping. If you’d rather have nuts than marshmallows, add a streusel topping. Add it right away and let it bake the entire time.
  • Pumpkin pie! Use pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon.
  • Make it vanilla. Fill the bowls with vanilla bean mashed sweet potatoes instead.

Make Ahead Ideas

  • Bake the sweet potatoes the day before so that they are ready to be combined with all the sugar and butter and cinnamon. You can also use your Instant Pot to cook them. The filling mixture can be made a day ahead.
  • Use leftover sweet potatoes. You could even make this the day AFTER Thanksgiving and use leftover sweet potatoes. What a yummy and creative way to use leftovers!

Storage & Reheating Tips

Store baked sweet potato casseroles in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For best results, reheat in a toaster oven or oven so the tortilla boats crisp up.

More Sweet Potato Recipes

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole (gluten-free, dairy-free)Air Fryer Sweet Potato Hash – with candied bacon!Twice Baked Sweet PotatoesAir Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

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Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Sweet Potato Casserole without Nuts - Handheld! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (9)

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole without Nuts – Handheld!

4.50 from 4 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 14 minutes mins

Total Time: 29 minutes mins

12 servings

Print Rate Recipe

This sweet potato casserole without nuts is a fun and tasty twist on a classic. Try the handheld version or bake it in a casserole.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 3 large potatoes)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 12 Old El Paso Mini Soft Tortilla Taco Boats (5.1 oz. package)
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed sweet potatoes, cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup.

  • Place Old El Paso Mini Soft Tortilla Taco Boats on a baking sheet. Divide sweet potato mixture evenly into each taco boat (see note).

  • Bake for 12 minutes. Carefully add mini marshmallows and bake for 2 more minutes or until marshmallows are puffy.

  • Turn on broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to brown if desired (watch carefully!!!).

Notes

  • To fill the mini boats easily, place sweet potato filling in a large zip-top bag. Snip off corner and pipe filling into mini boats. Press down with a spoon gently to get filling to edges.
  • Substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, if desired.
  • Make a casserole: Instead of dividing the mixture into the taco boats, place in a small greased casserole dish. Bake as directed, adding 15 minutes to baking time. Top with marshmallows, if desired.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1boat, Calories: 150kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 144mg, Potassium: 123mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 4048IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

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Reader Interactions

Leave a Review

  1. Amber says

    I have made this for Thanksgiving every year for the last few years. Everyone loves them! I can’t usually find the tortilla boats, so I make them in muffin pans with crescent rolls cut to fit and filled with the filling.

    Reply

    • Rachel Gurk says

      That’s a perfect adaptation! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot to me!

      Reply

  2. Ally says

    Can you make the filling the night before??

    Reply

    • Rachel Gurk says

      Yes! That will work great!

      Reply

  3. Anna says

    Woooww, looks absolutely awesome. I really need to try this recipe as soon as possible. Looks very authentic and perfect for Thanksgiving!

    Reply

  4. Erin @ Texanerin Baking says

    I think these are the coolest thing ever, too! Such a fun treat.

    Reply

    • Rachel Gurk says

      Thanks Gina!

      Reply

  5. Cookin Canuck says

    What a fun idea for the holidays! I have a feeling my boys would be tempted to eat sweet potatoes if I served them like this.

    Reply

  6. Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says

    SO thrilled to see a recipe for sweet potato casserole that is nut free! Making it in individual servings with marshmallows will send my boys over the edge of happiness. Who doesn’t like finger food?

    Reply

Sweet Potato Casserole without Nuts - Handheld! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

FAQs

Why add eggs to sweet potato casserole? ›

The egg is the all-important binder in a sweet potato casserole: it enriches and stiffens the mixture without making it heavy. Make sure to cool the mash slightly before adding the egg so it doesn't scramble, and to stir well so there are no streaks of cooked egg white in the finished dish.

How do you keep sweet potato casserole from being runny? ›

Eggs and cream help stabilize the dish and prevent it from becoming too runny (a common complaint with many sweet potato casserole recipes). Make it as smooth or chunky as you like!

Are candied yams and sweet potato casserole the same thing? ›

You may not want to substitute true yams in your Candied Yams recipe since their flavor isn't the same as the sweet potatoes in the dish. They can be substituted for sweet potatoes in more savory dishes.

How to thicken up sweet potato casserole? ›

However, if you prefer a really thick sweet potato casserole, you can add about 2-3 tablespoons of flour to your sweet potato batter and this will help the mixture to thicken. This is an especially good idea if using fresh sweet potatoes.

Why do Americans put marshmallows on sweet potato casserole? ›

According to an article from Saveur Magazine documented by the Library of Congress, the first recipe of mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows dates to 1917, when "marketers of Angelus Marshmallows hired Janet McKenzie Hill, founder of the Boston Cooking School Magazine, to develop recipes for a booklet designed to ...

What is the liquid coming out of my baked sweet potato? ›

The ooze is actually referred to as "sap." It is made up of sugar and starch combined with the moisture found in the vegetable, and it escapes out of the damage made from the knife. The sap really equals the sweetness. If it's pouring out of your potato, that means it's a sweet and delicious vegetable.

How do you know when your sweet potato casserole is done? ›

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture, then pop it into the oven and let it bake for 40 to 45 minutes. You will know it's done when the topping is lightly browned and the center of your casserole is set and firm.

Why is boiling not good for sweet potatoes? ›

Despite their sweet taste, these potatoes have an intermediate glycemic index (GI) level, meaning they are digested and absorbed fairly slowly, leading to a more gradual increase in blood sugar levels. But, a lot of these benefits, including nutrients and taste, can be lost by boiling sweet potatoes.

Why add egg to casserole? ›

If you add more eggs, it will result in a casserole that is more firm and less likely to deflate.

What is the purpose of adding eggs in baking? ›

What Eggs Do in Baking Recipes. Eggs play an important role in everything from cakes and cookies to meringues and pastry cream — they create structure and stability within a batter, they help thicken and emulsify sauces and custards, they add moisture to cakes and other baked goods, and can even act as glue or glaze.

Does egg thicken casserole? ›

Thicken with Eggs

First you need to drizzle a small amount of the hot liquid onto the egg, whisking vigorously as you pour. Then stir the egg back into the pan and heat gently until it starts to thicken. This is a similar method to the one we use in our Carbonara recipe!

Why do people put an egg in their mashed potatoes? ›

Adding egg yolks to a pot of mashed potatoes is an easy, dairy-free texture and taste upgrade that doesn't require any special techniques. The yolks harbor all the flavorful fats and emulsifying components and will thus effectively unify the fat and water in potatoes, translating to a smoother, uniformly creamy pot.

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