Sweet potato casserole is a classic Thanksgiving side dish. With its creamy texture and brown sugar-cinnamon topping, it’s sweet, comforting, and downright delicious. However, some find this side a bit too sweet for their tastes. If you love the flavors of sweet potato casserole but want to cut down on the sugariness, there are a few easy tricks you can try.
In this article, we’ll go over some simple methods for reducing the sweetness in sweet potato casserole, including:
- Using less brown sugar or maple syrup in the filling
- Skipping the brown sugar topping entirely
- Adding tart or acidic ingredients like lemon juice or cranberries
- Balancing out sweetness with spices, herbs, and savory flavors
- Opting for a pecan crumb topping instead of brown sugar
With a few small tweaks, you can bring the sweetness level down a notch so the casserole’s other complex flavors can shine through. Let’s look at each tip in more detail.
Use Less Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup in the Filling
The sweet potato filling is often what pushes this side dish into dessert territory. Most recipes call for generous amounts of brown sugar, maple syrup, or both. An easy first step in diluting the sweetness is to simply use less of these sugary ingredients.
For example, if a recipe calls for:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
Try reducing it to:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
Cutting these amounts in half removes a significant amount of added sugar, allowing the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes to come through instead. You can adjust to taste based on your preferences.
When making this substitution, add a bit of extra milk, cream, or egg to the filling if needed to balance out the reduced syrup and maintain a soft, creamy texture.
Skip the Brown Sugar Topping
One of the biggest sources of sweetness in sweet potato casserole comes from the brown sugar-spice topping. This sticky, candied mixture adds tons of sugary flavor. To drastically reduce the dessert-like taste, you can skip the topping entirely.
Without the brown sugar topping, the casserole will be less crunchy on top. But you’ll still get the smooth, nicely spiced sweet potato filling everyone loves. Feel free to add a sprinkle of cinnamon or chopped nuts on top for a little texture.
This simple omission makes a huge impact on lowering overall sweetness. You can always serve some maple pecan praline or candied pecans on the side for those who want a touch of crunch and sweetness.
Add Tart Ingredients Like Lemon Juice or Cranberries
Beyond just decreasing sugar, you can add tart ingredients to help cut through and balance out the sweetness. A squirt of lemon juice or splash of vinegar brightens up any dish and counters sweet flavors.
Stir a tablespoon or two of lemon juice into the sweet potato filling. Taste and add more as needed. The brightness helps offset the richness. Cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar also work well.
You can also mix in some chopped cranberries, which add both tartness and texture. About 1/2 cup is enough to provide a nice contrast without overwhelming the potatoes. You’ll get lovely flecks of red throughout the casserole.
Other options like orange zest, chopped apple, or even a pinch of ground cloves or ginger can also help round out sweetness and add complementary flavors.
Use Savory Flavors Like Garlic, Thyme, and Black Pepper
Don’t be afraid to add some savory seasonings to your sweet potato casserole. A bit of garlic, onion, thyme, sage, and black pepper can make the dish more complex. Going heavier on the spices balances the sweetness and brings out the potatoes’ earthy, starchy notes.
In your filling, saute one minced garlic clove and some chopped onion or shallot before adding the mashed sweet potatoes. Season generously with dried sage, fresh or dried thyme leaves, salt, and pepper.
You can also sprinkle the casserole with black pepper or fresh thyme before baking for a more savory aroma. Stirring in a bit of fresh rosemary works nicely too.
The key is layering in bolder seasonings so the sweetness doesn’t dominate. Let the other flavors come through.
Top with Pecans Instead of Brown Sugar
If you want to keep a crunchy topping but ditch the brown sugar, toasted pecans are a great alternative. Simply cover your filled casserole dish with chopped or halved pecans before baking.
You can toss the pecans with a bit of melted butter and salt or spice them up with cayenne and cumin for a kick. The nuts will toast to a delicious crunch and add nutty richness to balance out the sweet potatoes.
Chopped walnuts, almonds, pepitas, or sunflower seeds would also make tasty toppings in place of the brown sugar mixture. Brushed with butter or oil, they’ll crisp up in the oven for some subtle sweetness and texture.
Add More Spices and Herbs to the Topping
If you don’t want to lose the brown sugar topping altogether, try cutting the amount in half and doubling up on spices. More cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves enhance the filling’s flavor.
For a 1 cup brown sugar topping, try:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
The brown sugar will still caramelize and provide crunch, but the bolder spices shine through. You can also add crushed nuts or oats to the topping for extra texture and dilute the sweetness even further.
Just pay attention to the baking time, as more spices may brown faster. Reduce oven temperature 25 degrees F if needed.
Make It Savory with Bacon, Roasted Garlic, and Chives
Instead of just cutting sweetness, why not take your casserole in a totally savory direction? This unique twist includes bacon, roasted garlic, and chives for an umami-packed flavor.
Start by roasting several unpeeled garlic heads, drizzled with olive oil, until softened and caramelized. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the creamy cloves into the mashed sweet potatoes along with cooking liquid.
In a skillet, cook 8 slices chopped bacon until crispy. Mix half the bacon into the potato mixture, reserving the rest for topping.
Season the filling boldly with smoked paprika, thyme, and pepper. Top with crispy bacon pieces, snipped chives, and extra roasted garlic cloves before baking.
The smoky, salty bacon and aromatic garlic make for an intensely savory casserole with just enough sweetness. Serve it alongside roast turkey or pork for a welcome change of pace.
Conclusion
With a few easy tweaks, you can transform an overly sweet sweet potato casserole into a balanced side dish that highlights the vegetable’s natural flavors. Cutting back on brown sugar in the filling and skipping the topping are simple first steps.
Adding tart lemon juice or cranberries brightens up the casserole and provides contrast. Punching up the savory notes with garlic, herbs, and pepper balances out the sweetness as well. And switching to a pecan or spice topping keeps things interesting.
Trust your tastebuds, and adjust ingredients as needed. Sweet potato casserole offers an amazing canvas to work with. By dialing down the sugar and showing restraint with seasoning, you can let the potato’s subtle complexity shine. Your Thanksgiving guests will be coming back for seconds of your reinvented version.
| Sweetness-Cutting Technique | Result |
|---|---|
| Reduce brown sugar and maple syrup in filling | Allows natural sweet potato flavor to come through |
| Omit brown sugar topping | Removes significant source of sweetness |
| Add tart lemon juice or cranberries | Brightens flavor and balances out sweetness |
| Use more garlic, herbs, pepper, etc. | Adds savory depth to balance sweetness |
| Top with spiced nuts instead of brown sugar | Provides crunch without excess sweetness |
| Ingredient | Standard Amount | Reduced Sweetness Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brown sugar | 1/2 cup | 1/4 cup |
| Maple syrup | 1/3 cup | 2 Tbsp |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp | 1 Tbsp |
| Garlic | 1 clove | 2-3 cloves |
| Herbs like thyme, sage, rosemary | 1/4 tsp | 1 tsp |