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A square white casserole dish with sweet potato souffle. Serving plates, utensils, fall leaves, and cinnamon sticks are in the background.
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4.75 from 4 votes

Sweet Potato Soufflé

A lighter version of a Thanksgiving favorite
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Lower Carb, Heart Healthy, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 250kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ lbs sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • cup maple syrup more or less to taste
  • 1 tsp salt divided
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 large eggs Separate the whites from the yolks. Reserve 2 yolks for another use.
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 3 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
  • ½ cup toasted pecans chopped, divided (plus extra pecan halves for garnish if desired)

Instructions

  • Boil sweet potatoes with ½ teaspoon salt, for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well in a colander. Set the sweet potatoes aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 2-quart casserole dish.
  • While the sweet potatoes cool, whip the egg whites for about 8 minutes or until they form stiff peaks. Set them in the refrigerator. They'll hold for at least 30 minutes if needed.
  • Transfer the sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl and whip them with a mixer for about 30 seconds or until they are completely smooth.
  • Add the olive oil, maple syrup, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, egg yolks, orange zest and juice, and half the pecans to the potatoes and mix for another 30 seconds with the mixer.
  • Gently fold in beaten egg whites until no white streaks are visible but don't over-mix.
  • Place mixture in the casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans.
  • Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

If desired, reserve a few whole pecans for the top of the casserole. 
The souffle will deflate once it cools, so serve it soon after you remove it from the oven.
To prepare this a day ahead, make the whipped sweet potato mixture, but don't add any eggs. Remove it from the refrigerator the next day, let it come to room temperature, and add the beaten egg yolks to the sweet potato mixture, whip and fold in the egg whites, and bake.
Store leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 439mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 14232IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg