This easy Sweet Potato Crumble recipe features a sweet gooey sweet potato filling and a crisp streusel topping for a delicious crumble-style dessert. Includes gluten-free and dairy-free options!
If you’ve been a frequenter of The Roasted Root for quite some time, you already know my easy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Undisputed, undefeated, and with no contest.
Let’s be transparent. I have always secretly considered this sweet potato casserole to be a dessert in the disguise of a vegetable side dish.
With this in mind, I wanted to create a holiday dessert recipe that emulated the deliciousness and overall vibe of classic sweet potato casserole, but in the form of a dessert crumble.
So here we are, turning creamy sweet potatoes into a cobbler-esque dessert. We have a perfectly sweet filling with a buttery crispy topping that is full of warm cinnamony flavors!
It’s as though we have taken the best sweet potato casserole recipe and made it topping-forward for a decadent dessert. We all know we’re here for some nutty streusel!
I love the combination of texture and warm, perfectly sweet flavors this cozy treat brings to the table.
When I made it for my family’s Thanksgiving celebration, we powered through the whole recipe in spite of the availability of other desserts.
My sister professed there should be a candle embodying the essence of the dessert, and I can’t say I disagree. It’s a family favorite for us!
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for sweet potato crisp! The great news is the full ingredient list can be found at any grocery store.
Sweet Potato Crumble Ingredients:
Sweet Potato Filling Ingredients:
Sweet Potatoes: The reason we’re all here! We need two large sweet potatoes to turn into 2 cups of mashed sweet potato.
The mashed sweet potatoes get mixed with delicious ingredients for a fluffy, sweet, warmly-spiced layer.
I haven’t tested this recipe using canned sweet potatoes, but I suspect it would work. I use orange flesh sweet potatoes (often used interchangeably for true yams), but purple sweet potatoes work too.
Eggs: Eggs help fluff up the sweet potatoes to give them a light texture.
Heavy Cream or Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: Adding richness to the potatoes, we need either heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk for a dairy-free option.
This creamy ingredient adds a silky smooth texture to the sweet potato mixture.
Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar: Pick your favorite kind of granulated sweetener to sweeten this easy sweet potato crisp recipe.
I like using coconut sugar, but brown sugar, white sugar, and sugar-free sweetener all work.
The way the recipe is written, this sweet potato crisp isn’t overly sweet, so if you prefer sweeter desserts, use 1 cup of sugar in the filling instead of ½ cup.
Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla extract adds warm flavor to the pumpkin layer. If you don’t have any on hand, you can skip it.
Cinnamon: For that warmly-spiced essence, we need some ground cinnamon.
Sea Salt: Add a sprinkle of sea salt to enhance the flavors of the crisp. The natural sweetness shines through in the presence of salt, which makes the dessert taste sweeter without the need for excess sugar.
Streusel Topping Ingredients:
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (or Regular All Purpose Flour): We need some form of flour for the streusel topping, and I assign this task to gluten-free all-purpose flour.
If you don’t follow a gluten-free diet, use regular all-purpose flour.
Quick Oats: Tossing in some oats brings an added flavor and texture that makes you feel like you’re enjoying an old-fashioned dessert.
I like using quick oats or instant oats because they blend into the crisp topping easily. Rolled oats work, but they require more chewing.
If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, use gluten-free oats. I use gluten-free sprouted oats.
Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar: Used to sweeten the crumble topping, we need some form of granulated sweetener.
Similar to the sweet potato layer, I use coconut sugar. Regular cane sugar, brown sugar, and sugar-free sweetener like monk fruit sweetener work just fine too.
Unsalted Butter: Bringing classic buttery flavor to the sweet potato crisp recipe, we need some unsalted melted butter. Melted coconut oil works as a replacement too for a dairy-free option.
Ground Cinnamon: A dash of cinnamon perks up the flavor of the crisp topping.
Sea Salt: A pinch of salt makes all of the flavors taste richer.
Looking for ways you can customize this
Recipe Adaptations:
- If you prefer a lot of sweet potato filling, use up to 3 cups of mashed sweet potato.
- Make it dairy-free by using full-fat coconut milk in the filling and vegan butter in the topping.
- Use 1 large can of pureed pumpkin instead of sweet potato if you prefer pumpkin.
- Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the topping if you enjoy a nutty crunch. Walnut or pecan topping is often my personal favorite!
- For a sweeter dessert, use 1 cup of sugar in the sweet potato filling and 1 cup of sugar in the topping.
- Add 2 to 4 ounces of cream cheese to the sweet potato filling for an added cheesecake flavor.
- You can use pure maple syrup in the sweet potato mixture instead of granulated sweetener. I don’t recommend making this replacement in the topping unless you add more flour.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for sweet potato crisp, let’s make it!
How to Make Sweet Potato Crumble:
Cook the sweet potatoes using any method you prefer. I like to wrap each potato in a wet paper towel and place them on a plate. Microwave for 5 minutes per side, or until the potatoes are very tender when gently squeezed, about 10-15 minutes total.
Note: You can also roast the potatoes for over an hour, or boil potato slices for 20-25 minutes in a large pot of water
Allow the potatoes to cool until they are cool enough to handle. To speed up this process, refrigerate the potatoes until they have at least cooled to room temperature.
Remove and discard the skin and mash the sweet potato flesh using a fork or a potato masher. You need 2 cups of sweet potato puree, so if you have extra, you can save it for another future culinary adventure.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 10-inch or a 12-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray or grease the pan with cooking oil like olive oil, avocado oil, or butter.
Note: if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use a 9-inch square or round cake pan or baking dish.
Transfer the mashed sweet potato to a large mixing bowl along with the eggs, heavy cream (or canned coconut milk) and vanilla extract.
Beat the wet ingredients together using a fork or a hand mixer until they are well-combined. Add in the coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt and mix well.
Transfer the buttery sweet potato mash to the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
Mix together all of the ingredients for the crisp topping in a large bowl. There is no need to separate the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients so feel free to mix everything in one bowl.
The mixture should be fairly crumbly. This is normal.
Sprinkle all of the crisp mixture over the sweet potato layer evenly.
Cover the skillet with aluminum foil and bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and crispy.
Serve sweet potato crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Serve as dessert at your Thanksgiving dinner or any occasion throughout the holiday season!
Storage Options:
Cover the pan in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. To reheat the casserole, cover it with foil and bake it in the oven at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through.
If you have a small amount of leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for a week or freeze in a large zip lock bag for up to 3 months.
Include this delightful cinnamon streusel sweet potato crisp at your holiday feasts for a delicious dessert!
Ideal for those who love all things sweet potato and enjoy a great crumble topping, this magnificent holiday dessert is here to entertain the taste buds.
Make it for everyday enjoyment or for special occasions like your family’s holiday table!
The best part about sweet potato recipes is that they can be made well in advance of when you need them to get a head start on holiday cooking. Plus, they often taste even better the next day and the 2-3 days following preparation!
Looking for more holiday dessert inspiration? Here are some reader favorites.
More Holiday Desserts:
- Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Sweet Potato Crumb Bars
- Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Silky Sweet Potato Pie
- Gluten-Free Cranberry Crumble
- Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake
Enjoy this easy sweet potato crumble for a perfect Thanksgiving dessert!
This sweet potato crumble pie might just be your new favorite holiday dessert!
Sweet Potato Crumble
Equipment
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Filling:
- 2 cups mashed sweet potato about 2 large potatoes
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup heavy cream or full-fat canned coconut milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar*
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp sea salt
Streusel Topping:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cups quick oats
- ⅔ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar*
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 12 Tbsp (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potatoes using any method you prefer. I like to wrap each potato in a wet paper towel and place them on a place. Microwave for 5 minutes per side, or until the potatoes are very tender when gently squeezed, about 10-15 minutes total.
- Note: You can also roast the potatoes for over an hour, or boil potato slices for 20-25 minutes in a large pot of water
- Allow the potatoes to cool until they are cool enough to handle. To speed up this process, refrigerate the potatoes until they have at least cooled to room temperature. Remove and discard the skin and mash the sweet potato flesh using a fork or a potato masher. You need 2 cups of sweet potato puree, so if you have extra, you can save it for another future culinary adventure.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 10-inch or a 12-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray or grease the pan with cooking oil like olive oil, avocado oil, or butter. Note: if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use a 9-inch square or round cake pan or baking dish.
- Transfer the mashed sweet potato to a large mixing bowl along with the eggs, heavy cream (or canned coconut milk) and vanilla extract. Beat the wet ingredients together using a fork or a hand mixer until they are well-combined. Add in the coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt and mix well.
- Transfer the buttery sweet potato mash to the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the crisp topping in a large bowl. There is no need to separate the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients so feel free to mix everything in one bowl. The mixture should be fairly crumbly. This is normal.
- Sprinkle all of the crisp mixture over the sweet potato layer evenly.
- Cover the skillet with aluminum foil and bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and crispy.
- Serve sweet potato crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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I can’t wait to make this! Any options for using maple syrup or other non-sugar sweetener in the filling? Could almond flour or oat flour be substituted in the streusel?
Hi Sarah! I’m thrilled to hear you’re interested in making the crumble! You can definitely use pure maple syrup in the filling instead of a granulated sweetener. For an almond flour option, combine all of these ingredients in a bowl:
1 1/3 cups Almond Flour
2 Tbsp tapioca flour
1 cup raw pecans chopped
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted (or 4 Tbsp melted butter)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
The almond flour version will likely require less time, so I would keep an eye on it to be sure it doesn’t brown up too much. To be safe, you can keep it covered with foil up until the last 10 minutes of baking.
I believe oat flour would work as a 1:1 replacement in this recipe too (for the GF flour), although I haven’t tried it myself. Let me know if you try either option!