Nut and Dairy Free Maple Sweet Potatoes

One of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes from childhood was sweet potatoes with lightly toasted marshmallows on top. What other time of year did your parents encourage you to eat your vegetables with marshmallows? However, our family recipe included lots of butter and pecans, which were out of the question now that my son had food allergies to dairy and tree nuts. So, in order to have a traditional recipe we ALL could enjoy, I developed this super easy dairy and nut free version. While the turkey is occupying the oven, the sweet potatoes can cook in the microwave. This quickly steams them in their own moisture resulting in soft, tender potatoes. Using real maple syrup is a bit pricey, but worth the splurge. The maple, cinnamon combination create such a luscious flavor that you’ll never miss the butter or pecans.

Nut and Dairy Free Maple Sweet Potatoes

serves 6

4 pounds sweet potatoes or yams (approximately 3 large potatoes)

1/2 cup of Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread*

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup of real maple syrup

one or two bags of small marshmallows

1. Wash the sweet potatoes well and prick all over with the tines of a fork. This lets the pressure escape while cooking in microwave and prevents the sweet potato from exploding.

2. Place the sweet potatoes on a microwave safe dish (I used a pyrex pie plate) and cook on high for 12 minutes. Turn the sweet potatoes over, so the softer side is up, and cook in the microwave for an additional 9 minutes, or until the sweet potato feels a squishy all over.

3. Set the sweet potatoes aside for about 10 minutes until they’re cool enough to handle.

4. Slice the sweet potato in half, length wise, and scrape the potato from the skin with a spoon into a large mixing bowl.

5. Add Earth Balance, cinnamon and maple syrup.

6. Mash with a potato masher until combined. They don’t need to be whipped smooth like mash potatoes, a lumpy texture is fine.

7. Spread in a 8.5" x 11" baking dish greased with Earth Balance to prevent sticking and ease with cleaning.

8. Top with marshmallows and BROIL on HI for a couple of minutes, or until marshmallows look puffy and toasted. This happens fast so watch it carefully.

* Earth Balance can be substituted with other dairy free spreads like Fleischmann’s Unsalted Margarine.

©2010 tricia barry biagi