This gf sweet potato casserole with meringue is the ultimate side dish. Slightly sweet fluffy meringue with smooth and creamy sweet potatoes. GF Sweet potato casserole with meringue is the perfect combination of sweet and savory.
Sweet potato casserole is a true southern classic. Although it is enjoyed year round, it is often considered a holiday dish. This is a dish that can be enjoyed for any occasion. I can promise you that all your guests will be asking for this recipe the moment they try it. It’s that good!
This dish is naturally gluten free as well. This sweet potato side dish might look complicated, but it’s honestly easy to make, and uses simple ingredients. I love serving a dish that is impressive to look at and tastes delicious.
My marshmallow meringue is easier to make than you might think, and it’s a big upgrade from the standard mini marshmallows.
Oh, and our version doesn’t have nuts, because sadly, I cannot eat nuts. I really wanted to make something that felt elevated and special. I pour my heart and soul into my cooking, and really try to make all my guests feel at home and welcome. Food and good conversation really go hand in hand.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE AND A SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE?
The main difference is the texture. A sweet potato casserole is made by smashing sweet potatoes along with the other ingredients. A sweet potato soufflé is made by combining the sweet potatoes along with butter, eggs and spices to create a light and smooth texture.
IS THIS CONSIDERED A DESSERT?
This is usually served as a side dish for the holidays. The short answer is that you can choose what is is. You could definitely eat this as a dessert, but do find that it’s better as a side dish. It is sweet, but not sweet enough for a dessert in my opinion.
Sweet potato casserole and Souffle can be considered both a side dish and dessert. It really does come down to your preferences and what ingredients you use, and how sweet you prepare it.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SWEET POTATO AND A YAM?
Sweet potatoes area root vegetable and have a soft reddish skin. The interior tends to be darker. Yams are starchy and have a rough brown exterior.
Both sweet potatoes and yams are tuberous root vegetables that come from a flowering plant. But honestly, they are not related in any way.
Yams taste more like yucca in both taste and texture. The exterior almost looks like tree bark. Yams are not readily available in North America.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS SIDE DISH?
A few of my favorite recipes are my amazing Gluten Free Home-made Mashed Potatoes, my fast and easy Gluten Free Cranberry Sauce, my savory Gluten Free Skillet Stuffing and My Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole.
WHAT IS MERINGUE?
Meringue may look very similar to marshmallow fluff, but it’s actually foam made from egg whites and sugar.
MERINGUE TIPS-
- Older eggs produce fluffier and higher meringues. You can test this out by placing an egg in a glass. If the egg stands up on its end, this is ideal for a perfect meringue. It is considered too old if it floats. If the egg lies on its side on the bottom of glass, it’s too fresh.
- Separate the whites from yolk when they are very cold and just taken out from the fridge. The eggs will separate much easier. Then let come to room temperature for at least a half hour, but an hour is preferred.
- Make sure your mixing bowl is super clean. Washing the bowl and whisk attachment with white vinegar removes and residual grease. Even the smallest amount of oil can cause the egg whites to remain flat.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS?
If you do end up with leftovers, keep it stored in an airtight container. It should be eaten by day 3 the latest.
CAN I FREEZE SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE?
I would not recommend freezing this casserole with the meringue on top. If you do freeze- Prepare the sweet potato part into a greased casserole dish. Let mixture cool completely, then wrap very well with saran wrap and foil. You can store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to bake, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake as the instructions say. Then make the meringue topping on the day you’re ready to serve.
TIPS AND TRICKS
- Let the baked sweet potatoes cool down before making the mixture. It the potatoes are too hot, the heat might turn your eggs into scrambled eggs.
TOOLS NEEDED
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR GF SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH MERINGUE-
- 8 Large Sweet Potatoes
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter
- Salt
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
- 2 Large Eggs
- Salt
Meringue Topping-
- 3 Egg Whites
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Jar Marshmallow Creme
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE GF SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH MERINGUE
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Scrub and wash your sweet potatoes very well. Dry, then poke several holes all over the sweet potatoes with a fork so that steam can escape.
- Bake in the oven for about an hour to and hour and a half or until fork tender and soft.
- Let cool to the touch and peel. This will take at least 30 minutes.
- In the meantime- turn down your oven your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth- about 3 minutes. The cream cheese and butter need to be room temperature.
- Then add the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, eggs, spices, salt with a heavy duty stand mixer until smooth. This will take about 5 minutes at least. Use the paddle attachment.
- Grease a large casserole dish 9 x 13 and add the sweet potato mixture into the dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. You want the temperature to reach at least 165 degrees with the eggs. You can test with a thermometer.
- Clean your stand mixer mixing bowl very well before preparing the meringue. If you make a lot of recipes with eggs whites- I recommend having one mixing bowl for that and another for all your other recipes.
To Make the Meringue Topping-
- Separate 3 Egg whites. Add 1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract and a pinch of salt at high speed with a stand mixer until foamy.
- Gradually add the maple syrup, beating on high until stiff peaks form.
- Add 1/2 container of the marshmallow creme into the egg white mixture. Beat for about 30 seconds, then add the rest of the marshmallow creme. Beat until smooth (about a minute or so)
- You can spread with a spatula or pipe a decorative pattern.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until meringue is slightly browned. You can also use a torch to get some nice brown marks. If you do not have a torch you can always keep this under the broiler for 1 minute.
GF SWEET POTATO WITH MERINGUE
This gf sweet potato casserole with meringue is the ultimate side dish. Slightly sweet fluffy meringue with smooth and creamy sweet potatoes. GF Sweet potato casserole with meringue is the perfect combination of sweet and savory.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 50 Minutes
- Total Time: 70 Minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 8 Large Sweet Potatoes
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese (room temperature)
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- Salt
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
- 2 Large Eggs
- Salt- season to taste
Meringue Topping-
- 3 Egg Whites (room temperature)
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- 7 Ounce– 1 Jar Marshmallow Creme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Scrub and wash your sweet potatoes very well. Dry, then poke several holes all over the sweet potatoes with a fork so that steam can escape.
- Bake in the oven for about an hour to and hour and a half or until fork tender and soft.
- Let cool to the touch and peel. This will take at least 30 minutes.
- In the meantime- turn down your oven your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth- about 3 minutes. The cream cheese and butter need to be room temperature.
- Then add the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, eggs, spices, salt with a heavy duty stand mixer until smooth. This will take about 5 minutes at least. Use the paddle attachment.
- Grease a large casserole dish 9 x 13 and add the sweet potato mixture into the dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. You want the temperature to reach at least 165 degrees with the eggs. You can test with a thermometer.
- Clean your stand mixer mixing bowl very well before preparing the meringue. If you make a lot of recipes with eggs whites- I recommend having one mixing bowl for that and another for all your other recipes.
To Make the Meringue Topping-
- Separate 3 Egg whites. Add 1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract and a pinch of salt at high speed with a stand mixer until foamy.
- Gradually add the maple syrup, beating on high until stiff peaks form.
- Add 1/2 container of the marshmallow creme into the egg white mixture. Beat for about 30 seconds, then add the rest of the marshmallow creme. Beat until smooth (about a minute or so)
- You can spread with a spatula or pipe a decorative pattern.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until meringue is slightly browned. You can also use a torch to get some nice brown marks. If you do not have a torch you can always keep this under the broiler for 1 minute.
Notes
- Make sure butter, cream cheese and eggs are room temperature.
Keywords: GF Sweet Potato and Meringue Casserole, GF Side Dish, Gluten Free Thanksgiving Side Dish, Christmas Side Dish, Savory Side Dish, Gluten Free Sweet Potato Soufflé Casserole, Gluten Free Sweet Potato Reipce
Fran G. says
Sweet potatoes make the perfect holiday side dish. I love how this looks with the meringue rather than the usual marshmallows on top. Definitely takes this dish up several notches from what we always see. This looks absolutely delicious. This is definitely a must try recipe.
★★★★★
Laura says
This would be a great holiday side dish or a dessert, truly! Thanks for the recipe!
Ada says
This looks delicious and easy to make! Thank you for sharing!!
★★★★★
Anja says
I absolutely love sweet potatoes and this meringue looks so intriguing. I guess it’s a no-brainer that I need to make this asap!
★★★★★
Jamie says
I can not wait to try this recipe in our home!! Especially for the holidays coming up!
★★★★★