Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbs, fiber and beta-carotene. Usually, during the holidays they grace our tables as more comfort than health food, appearing as a side buried under heaps of toasted marshmallows or in the form of dessert as pie.
This version is part angel, part devil. It’s not quite as decadent as some other recipes out there but the pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and crunchy streusel topping make it a little Fall luxury. By baking the sweet potatoes in the oven, allowing them to cool and then peeling them, you get some hands-off time to do other things in the kitchen. The fact that this can be made ahead if you choose also helps with holiday meal prep.
Sweet potatoes are another one of those things that you can kind of freestyle a bit. If you’re not a pumpkin pie spice fan, try substituting cinnamon or allspice. Don’t like pecans? Chopped walnuts will work just fine. If you need to watch sugar or calorie intake, you can substitute a lower-calorie brown sugar blend for the topping, cut back on the butter, or skip the streusel topping all together.
Taste things as you work in the kitchen and don’t be afraid to tweak them to suit you, that’s how new and wonderful holiday traditions are born.
For the Sweet Potatoes:
3 lbs. Raw Sweet Potatoes
½ Cup Butter, melted
¼ Cup Buttermilk
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
For the Topping:
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Pecans, Chopped
1/3 Cup Butter, Melted
½ Cup Brown Sugar, Packed