Whipped Sweet Potato Souffle With Walnuts

I can't remember a Thanksgiving that we didn't have this whipped sweet potato souffle. In fact, it's a silent understanding that somehow someway this dish will be present at any family special occasion. This whipped sweet potato dessert has a light and fluffy base with a crunchy butter, nut, and shredded coconut topping.

I've been living in Abu Dhabi now for a little over a year, and randomly I get these food cravings for something that reminds me of home. My last food craving was fajitas about a week ago. This week it's my Granny's southern whipped sweet potato casserole.

I sent a text message to my mom for the recipe, and I learned something new in the process. This recipe has been in the family since my mom was a kid. In fact, my mom remembers the year that my Granny first made this recipe because it was such a hit. Every year after that, this was made for Thanksgiving without fail. That means this recipe has been made year after year for 50 years. Holy cow!

Fast forward to today. It's Ramadan, and I wanted to make something special for dessert. Not only was this so easy to make, but it was so delicious. It reminds me of my childhood. Even the smell, while it's baking in the oven, is heavenly.

I've tried a similar sweet potato dish that had marshmallows on the top during a work celebration, and I can tell you it's not in the same league. You will not be disappointed if you try this, and you might find, that this will be a staple recipe for you and your family.

Ingredients You'll Need:

• Sweet Potatoes: This recipe needs orange sweet potatoes as opposed to white sweet potatoes (those exist). I tried making this recipe with white sweet potatoes and it didn't turn out well.
• Sweetened Shredded Coconut: This is a typical baking item, that can be found at the grocery store. If you are outside the US, you might find it in an international grocery store. I've run into issues getting this ingredient in Abu Dhabi at the regular grocery stores.
• Butter: My favorite butter is Kerrygold, and I recommend you use salted butter.
• Walnuts: I use walnuts for this recipe because it's hard to find pecans in Abu Dhabi, but pecans can be used interchangeably.
• Brown Sugar: I highly recommend using brown sugar as opposed to regular sugar, because it gives more depth to the dish. The brown sugar mixed with the butter makes a really nice flavor.
• Milk: I recommend using whole milk, however, skim milk can be used as well to lighten it up.
• Eggs: This dish calls for eggs in order to hold things together, however it's not the end of the world if you want to omit the eggs. The texture of the dish will be affected without eggs, but it will still taste delicious.
• Vanilla: Vanilla is used to counteract the egg taste, so if not using eggs, you can omit this ingredient as well.

You will also need:

• Hand mixer
• 9" x 13" baking dish (or 2 smaller baking dishes)
• Spatula
• Stovetop pot

Tips and Tricks

1. Make sure the sweet potatoes are fully cooked. If a fork can easily pierce the sweet potatoes, then they are done. I recommend chopping the sweet potatoes into smaller chunks so they can cook faster.
2. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool off before mixing in the eggs. After the sweet potatoes are fully cooked, immediately drain and allow the sweet potatoes to cool off a bit prior to adding the eggs. If the sweet potatoes are too hot, they will cook the eggs and you will end up with lumpy egg bits in your sweet potato casserole- yuck!
3. Whip the sweet potatoes mixture. There is no way around using a hand mixer for this recipe. The sweet potato souffle base is light and fluffy with the eggs, butter, and brown sugar all whipped together. I whip the sweet potatoes in the same stovetop pot used to cook the sweet potatoes in order to save me some time cleaning another bowl.
4. Melt the butter. The walnut topping and the whipped sweet potato base call for melted butter. This makes sure that the butter gets evenly distributed throughout the dish.
5. Mix the walnut topping in a separate bowl. Prior to adding the topping on top of the whipped sweet potato base, make sure the topping is mixed really well in a separate bowl.
6. Bake in a 9" x 13" pan (23 cm x 33 cm). This dish can get split into two smaller baking dishes if needed as well, but the ideal baking pan is the 9" x 13" dish.

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How to Assemble

Layer the whipped sweet potato base first. Add the nut topping on top of the whipped sweet potatoes and spread evenly. Cut the sweet potato casserole after its done baking in the oven.

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Variations and Substitutions

• If you are short on time, this whipped sweet potato casserole with walnuts can be made the night before. I recommend waiting to bake the sweet potato casserole with pecans until you are ready to eat it. However, this also heats up really well. It can be served warm or cold, but my preference is warm.
• If you would like to use yams instead of sweet potatoes, that can be substituted.
• You can add some nutmeg and cinnamon if you want to give it a little extra kick. Personally, I stick to the original recipe.
• The sweet potatoes can be cooked in the microwave with the skins on.

Storage

This easy sweet potato dessert needs to be stored in the fridge because of using milk and eggs. It will last for about 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Souffle?

Yes, this can be frozen after it has cooked and cooled to room temperature. Put the sweet potato souffle in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Thaw in the fridge the night before. Once completely thawed, reheat in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 ℉ (177 ℃).

Is Sweet Potato Souffle Gluten-Free?

This sweet potato dessert is gluten-free because it does not use any flour or grain in the recipe. The nut topping is made from walnuts, shredded coconut, brown sugar, and butter.

This is an excellent sweet potato dessert for family gatherings with someone who has a gluten intolerance.

Other Thanksgiving Ideas:

• Yassmine's Roasted Lamb Shanks
• Tender Bone-In Ribeye Roast
• Cajun Fried Turkey

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