These Clean Eating Vegan Sweet Potato Pecan Balls are a nice little twist to a traditional sweet potato casserole at your next holiday family gathering.
With only 4 clean, real food ingredients, they are much healthier, super easy to make and are perfect for portion control!
I’ve made them with rolled in chopped pecans, plain and even rolled in a cinnamon + sugar mixture which is really good.
Traditional sweet potato casserole usually contains unhealthy ingredients like the following:
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients:
Typical Ingredients: 3 cups sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup milk and for the topping: 1/3 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, pecans
That’s a lot of dairy (eggs, butter, milk) and refined sugar and white flour.
This healthier version uses just 4 clean, real food ingredients and they’re vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, paleo-friendly and contain no refined sugar.
Want more healthy side dish recipes? Check out Roasted Smashed Potatoes with Smoked Paprika Habanero Sauce, Garlic and Shallot Fingerling Potatoes, Rosemary and Garlic Sweet Potato Medallions or my Clean Eating eCookbook with an entire chapter of 20 healthy, clean eating snack and side dish recipes just like this one that you will love!
5 Fast Facts About Sweet Potatoes:*
- contains anti-inflammatory properties
- contains 2 g of vegan protein
- contains 4 g of fiber
- high in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B5 and vitamin B6
- excellent source of potassium, copper and manganese
5 Fast Facts About Pecans:*
- contains naturally occurring anti-oxidants
- helps to lower cholesterol
- high quality source of protein
- contains more 19 vitamins and minerals
- excellent source of vitamin E
5 Fast Facts About Maple Syrup:*
- contains manganese and zinc
- super high in anti-oxidants
- helps with inflammation
- 1/4 cup contains more calcium than the same amount of milk
- 1/4 cup contains more potassium than a banana
*These statements have not been evaluated by Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Where to Buy: If you have trouble finding any of the ingredients to make this recipe, you can order online from Amazon and have them delivered straight to your door:
Clean Eating Vegan Sweet Potato and Pecan Balls (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Paleo-Friendly, No Refined Sugar)
Print recipe
| www.thehealthyfamilyandhome.com | The Healthy Family and Home |
Ingredients
For the balls
- 1 cup organic sweet potatoes (cooked)
- 1/3 cup organic pecans (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup
- 1 - 2 teaspoon Primal Palate Organic Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
For the topping
- 1/3 cup organic pecans (chopped)
Directions
| Prepare the balls | |
| Step 1 | Prepare the sweet potatoes: bake the sweet potatoes according to your preferred method (I like to place mine on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 - 60 minutes, or until they are soft on the inside. Allow them to cool off before going to the next step). Add the cooked sweet potatoes (cooled off) to a medium sized bowl and mash them with a fork until they are the consistency of "mashed potatoes". Add the maple syrup, pecans and pumpkin spice to the mashed sweet potatoes and stir until well combined. Adjust the sweetener and spices to your preference. Take out a spoonful at a time and gently shape them into a ball shape. They will be somewhat soft, but should be able to form the shape of a ball. |
| Prepare the topping | |
| Step 2 | Option #1: Add the 1/3 cup of chopped pecans (for the topping) to a small bowl and roll each sweet potato ball into the pecans until they are covered. Pat down any loose ones so they don't fall off. Option #2: Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of cinnamon + sugar mixture to a small bowl and roll the sweet potato balls until they are covered. Option #3: Leave them plain. Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes, or just long enough to warm them up. Enjoy! |
Note
This recipe will make approximately 10 - 12 small balls.
The recipe and photographs for "Clean Eating Vegan Sweet Potato and Pecan Balls" by The Healthy Family and Home are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License and cannot be used without my written permission.
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