Looking for a healthy holiday side dish?  Here’s one!  These fantastic Roasted Sweet Potatoes topped with Pecans, Apples, and Dried Cranberries are beautiful, delicious, vegan (though no one would suspect), and overflowing with flavors and textures.

I do love sweet potato casseroles topped with marshmallows, sweet potatoes topped with streusel, candied yams (from a can in thick syrup), and all sticky sweet sweet potato sides.

But these are also amazing.  I know they’re good cause I just ate the two from the photo you’re looking at.  Both.  Gone.

These could not be more simple and it is okay to prepare the potatoes in advance and reheat before serving.  Pecans can be roasted in advance, and dried cranberries need no prep, but wait to cut the apple until before serving so it doesn’t turn too brown or soft.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans, Apples, and Dried Cranberries
Adapted from The Sweet Life Online (<—– GREAT vegan blog!!)

4 individual sized sweet potatoes or yams

1/4 cup Thai coconut milk (Alternately use Earth Balance or Vegan Cream Cheese)

1/3 cup roasted pecans

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 large crisp apple (I love Honeycrisp), cored and diced

Cinnamon, as garnish

Preheat oven to 400.  Scrub the sweet potatoes until the skins are clean then dry them with a kitchen towel.  Pierce sweet potatoes all over using a fork or paring knife. Place each potato into a square of aluminum foil with a drizzle of grapeseed oil and sprinkle of salt.  Wrap tightly.  Roast potatoes until tender, 45-55 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Remove potatoes from foil and cut a large slit from end to end.  If they are still too hot wait for them to cool slightly so you can handle them.  Use a spoon to carefully scrape out the flesh of the potatoes.  Leave enough of a border that the skins will not completely fall apart, 1/2″ or so.  Use a fork to mash the potatoes together with the coconut milk.  Add salt, pepper, and grated fresh nutmeg to taste.  Fresh orange zest would be good, too.

Evenly scoop the filling back into the potato shells.  At this point they can be stored for 24 hours.  Bring to room temperature then reheat in 350 oven until warm.  Top each potato with the pecans, dried cranberries, apples, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.