Vanilla-Scented Sweet Potato Casserole with Toasted Hazelnut Streusel Topping {Paleo} (2024)

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Yield:1 (1½-quart) casserole dish, about 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Puree:

• 2½ lbs (1.1 kg) sweet potatoes (or yams)
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus more to grease the dish (or clarified butter)
• 2 tablespoons plain, unsweetened almond “milk” (or your milk of choice)
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• ¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

Topping:

• ½ cup (56 g) hazelnut meal
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (see Note)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
• ⅓ cup (50 g) toasted whole hazelnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F; wash the sweet potatoes (or yams) and use a sharp paring knife to poke several holes in each. Place the potatoes into the oven directly on a rack in the center. Bake the potatoes until tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes if you’re using 2 (1¼ lbs each) potatoes. To check for doneness, insert the tines of a fork into the center of the potatoes; the fork should easily slide in and out. Cool the potatoes until they’re not too hot to handle.
2. While the potatoes bake, make the topping. Add the hazelnut meal, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a food processor and pulse a couple times to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the melted coconut oil. Add the whole hazelnuts and pulse a few times until they’re coarsely chopped. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350F; grease a 1½-quart casserole dish with coconut oil.
4. Once the potatoes are cool, peel them and add the flesh to a food processor along with all other ingredients for the sweet potato puree; process until completely smooth.
5. Spread the sweet potato puree into the prepared casserole dish; sprinkle on the hazelnut topping.
6. Cover the dish with foil and bake until warm throughout, about 30 minutes; serve.

Notes