This sweet potato soufflé has it all. It’s rich, creamy, sweet, and bursting with spices and fall flavors. And best of all? It’s vegan! 

A casserole dish with sweet potato casserole, with the corner piece missing, and a serving spoon in the casserole dish

I’m a big fan of all things sweet potato, especially when the weather starts to turn. Sweet potatoes are a comforting ingredient, and they just smell like fall, winter, and the holidays. This sweet potato soufflé recipe is one of my favorite ways to use sweet potatoes, because it has so many of my favorite ingredients to pair with them. There’s spicy cinnamon, the rich, caramel sweetness of brown sugar and maple syrup, and buttery, nutty pecans. 

Just like my sweet potato casserole recipe, this soufflé satisfy your taste buds while being entirely vegan. And it’s also easy to make gluten free. You can see why it’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes!

Overhead view of the ingredients for sweet potato soufflé: a bowl of sweet potatoes, a bowl of melted butter, a bowl of non-dairy milk, a bowl of vanilla extract, a bowl of aquafaba, a bowl of brown sugar, and a bowl of salt, cinnamon, and baking powder

Notes on Ingredients

Here’s everything you need to make this vegan sweet potato soufflé. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the article for the specific amounts of each ingredient.

For the Soufflé:

  • Sweet potatoes – You can also use frozen or canned sweet potatoes if you prefer. 
  • Aquafaba
  • Maple syrup – Be sure to use pure maple syrup, rather than a syrup with artificial ingredients. 
  • Vegan butter – You’ll want to use melted, unsalted vegan butter for this recipe. 
  • Vanilla – Make sure to use 100% pure vanilla extract.
  • Cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Baking powder
  • Brown sugar
  • Non-dairy milk – You can use whatever type of non-dairy milk you prefer, just make sure that it’s unsweetened and doesn’t have any flavorings. 
Overhead view of the ingredients for sweet potato soufflé: a bowl of brown sugar, flour, pecans and melted vegan butter

For the Topping: 

  • Brown sugar
  • All-purpose flour – You can replace this with a gluten-free flour blend to make this recipe gluten-free.
  • Vegan butter – Just as in the soufflé, make sure that the vegan butter is melted and unsalted.
  • Pecan halves – Pecans and sweet potatoes are a match made in heaven, but you can use other types of nuts if you prefer. 

What is Aquafaba? 

Aquafaba is the liquid found in a can of garbanzo beans. It’s a thick liquid, and is commonly used in vegan baking. When beaten, aquafaba looks and behaves similarly to egg whites.

How to Make Sweet Potato Soufflé 

Here’s how to make this sweet side dish.

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 400F, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. 
  • Prepare the sweet potatoes. Wash the potatoes, then prick them with a fork.
  • Bake. Put the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and bake them for about an hour. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through. The sweet potatoes should be soft, and easy to squeeze. 
Four sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil
Four cooked sweet potatoes on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet
  • Mash the sweet potatoes. Let the sweet potatoes cool for 15 minutes, or until you can safely handle them. Then remove the skins, place the sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl, and mash with a fork or a potato masher. 
Close up of chunks of sweet potato in a mixing bowl with a potato masher
Mashed sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl with a potato masher in it
  • Change the oven temp. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350F, and grease a 2-quart casserole dish. 
  • Beat the aquafaba. Pour the aquafaba into a stand mixer bowl, and beat with whisk attachment on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. This should take about 5-6 minutes. 
  • Add the rest of the soufflé ingredients to the sweet potatoes. Place the vegan butter, non-dairy milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in the bowl with the sweet potatoes. Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture until it is well combined and smooth. This should take about 3 minutes. 
A mixing bowl filled with sweet potatoes, vegan butter, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, cinnamon, and vanilla
A hand mixer whipping together sweet potatoes with maple syrup, vegan butter, non-dairy milk, and seasonings, in a mixing bowl.
  • Add the aquafaba. Fold the beaten aquafaba into the soufflé batter. 
A mixing bowl filled with aquafaba whipped to stiff peaks.
A mixing bowl with whipped aquafaba sitting on top of sweet potato soufflé batter, with a spatula in the bowl
  • Pour into the dish. Pour the soufflé batter into the prepared casserole dish, and spread until it’s even. 
A mixing bowl with sweet potato soufflé batter in it, with a whisk in the bowl
Overhead view of uncooked sweet potato soufflé in a casserole dish
  • Make the topping. Place the flour, brown sugar, pecans, and butter in a mixing bowl, and stir until well combined.
A mixing bowl with flour, brown sugar, vegan butter, and pecan halves in it
A mixing bowl with flour, brown sugar, pecans, and vegan butter mixed in it
  • Add the topping. Sprinkle the topping over the top of the sweet potato soufflé.
  • Bake. Place the soufflé in the oven, and bake until the topping is golden brown and crispy, which should take about 35-40 minutes. 
Overhead view of a sweet potato soufflé in a casserole dish
Overhead view of a casserole dish full of sweet potato soufflé, on top of a cutting board, next to a gold spoon

Tips for the Best Soufflé

Here are a few tricks for making this sweet potato soufflé recipe. 

  • Really beat the aquafaba. If you beat the aquafaba long enough, it will form very stiff peaks. A lot of people make the mistake when working with aquafaba of not beating it long enough, which results in softer peaks. Keep beating the aquafaba until stiff peaks are formed, or else you’ll end up with a sweet potato soufflé that is a little bit dense.
  • Don’t fold the aquafaba too much. When you add the aquafaba to the soufflé batter, make sure you fold it in carefully. As soon as the aquafaba is incorporated, stop folding and mixing. If you fold it in too much, the aquafaba will deflate, making your soufflé heavy instead of airy. 
  • Use the right temperature butter. Both the soufflé and the topping use melted vegan butter. It’s important to use melted butter, and not firm butter, but you don’t want the butter to be hot. Melt the vegan butter, then let it sit until it reaches room temperature. If you use melted butter that is too hot in this recipe, it could make both the soufflé and the topping too wet.
A sweet potato soufflé in a casserole dish, with the corner piece missing

Can This Recipe Be Made Ahead of Time?

Yes! If you’re making this dish for the holidays, you can easily make it the day before. Cook the entire sweet potato soufflé, then cover it with aluminum foil and place it in the fridge. Reheat in the casserole dish, in a 350F oven until heated through. This should take about 10 minutes. 

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Sweet Potato Soufflé

Any leftover sweet potato soufflé can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave on high for 30 seconds.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

You can absolutely freeze this sweet potato soufflé. Just place it in an airtight container, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw or defrost before reheating in the microwave. 

Close up of a casserole dish full of sweet potato soufflé

More Sweet Potato Recipes to Make

I hope you love this sweet potato soufflé recipe as much as I do. If you do, then you might want to try one of my other favorite sweet potato recipes. 

Enjoy friends! If you make this sweet potato soufflé, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!

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A casserole dish with sweet potato casserole, with the corner piece missing, and a serving spoon in the casserole dish

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 32 minutes
This sweet potato soufflé is rich, creamy, and sweet, making it a perfect Thanksgiving side dish. Plus, it's vegan, and easy to make gluten-free.
5 (from 2 ratings)
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Ingredients

For the Soufflé:

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes , (about 2 ¼ pounds)
  • 6 tablespoons aquafaba, from a can of unsalted chickpeas
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ¼ cup vegan butter, melted (you can substitute with coconut oil)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar, (66g)
  • ½ cup non-dairy milk, (120mL)

For the Topping:

  • ⅔ cup brown sugar, (133g)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour, (60g) (you can use a gluten-free flour blend if you prefer)
  • ¼ cup vegan butter, melted
  • 1 cup pecans

Instructions 

To Prepare Potatoes:

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
  • Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  • Wash and dry the potatoes and prick them with a fork.
  • Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and bake for about 60 minutes, rotating them halfway through. Potatoes will be done when you can easily squeeze the sides and they feel soft. You can also bake them in the air fryer for less time.
  • Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and place them in a large bowl.
  • Mash them with a potato masher or fork.

To Prepare the Soufflé:

  • Reduce oven temperature to 350°F/180°C.
  • Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.
  • Add the aquafaba to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-6 minutes.
  • Combine the remaining ingredients (maple syrup, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, brown sugar and milk) with the mashed sweet potatoes. Mix with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes until it is an even consistency.
  • Add the beaten aquafaba to the potato mixture and gently fold them together until no streaks of white remain.
  • Spread the potato mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

To Prepare the Topping:

  • Combine the brown sugar, flour, melted butter and pecans in a medium sized bowl. Stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and no flour is visible.
  • Sprinkle the topping evenly over the potato mixture in the casserole dish.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the topping is golden brown and crispy. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Whip the aquafaba for a long time to ensure the consistency is correct.
  • Don’t spend too much time folding the aquafaba into the batter, or else you’ll deflate it and your soufflé will be dense.
  • Make sure to use melted butter, but let it come up to room temperature before using. 
  • Store the sweet potato soufflé in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 
Calories: 561kcal, Carbohydrates: 82g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 490mg, Potassium: 686mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 47g, Vitamin A: 22182IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 166mg, Iron: 2mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American
Course: Sides
Author: Jessica Hylton