Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite things about fall and one of the first comfort foods I reach for when the temperature drops and leaves start to turn. This year, I’m jumping into fall with a simple but flavorful sweet potato side dish for Eileen of The Joy of Caking and her collaborative Fall Harvest Dinner.
Don’t let the term “simple” fool you – this dish is packed with flavor. It starts with one pound of peeled & cubed sweet potatoes, two cups of fresh pineapple chunks, a simple sauce of pineapple juice, orange juice and vanilla and is topped off with a lovely streusel of almond meal, flour, butter, honey & cinnamon sugar. The result? Sweet potato perfection.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Pineapple with Almond & Honey Streusel:
1 pound fresh sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1″ cubes
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (or 1 can, if needed; juice reserved)
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes and drain the pineapple chunks, reserving the pineapple juice for the sauce.
In a large non-stick skillet over high heat, combine the canola oil and butter, and heat until melted. Toss in the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are nicely browned. Add the pineapple and stir to combine, then turn off the heat. In a small bowl, whisk the orange juice, pineapple juice, agave nectar or honey, vanilla extract and cornstarch until smooth. Pour the sauce over the sweet potatoes and pineapple and place the skillet into the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and fork tender.
While your sweet potatoes and pineapple are roasting, mix up your streusel topping and set out a ceramic serving dish (or individual dishes).
For the streusel:
1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill almond meal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted & cooled slightly
In a bowl, combine the almond meal, flour, cinnamon and sugar; blend with a fork until well blended. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Using your fork, break it up into 1/2″ clumps or crumbles and set it aside.
When the sweet potatoes are fork tender, remove from the oven. Spoon into your ceramic serving dish(es) and evenly spoon the crumbles of streusel mixture across the top. TIP: Place the dishes on a rimmed baking sheet to make them easier to get in and out of the oven. Turn your oven to the “Low Broil” setting, and pop the tray under the broiler just until the streusel turns a light golden brown. (Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.) Serve warm with a drizzle of honey or agave nectar over the top. If there are leftovers, try spooning this over the top of a bowl of oatmeal the next morning. Yum!
Please don’t forget to visit our Fall Harvest Dinner bloggers, who’ve contributed everything from a fall tablescape to cocktails, salads to main dishes, and of course – dessert. You don’t want to miss this!
• Eileen (our hostess) from The Joy of Caking – Invitation & Roasted Chicken
• Sandra from Sweet Sensations – Fall Harvest Tablescape
• Terra from Café Terra – Homemade Apple Pie cocktail
• Monet from Anecdotes and Apple Cores – Harvest Goat Cheese appetizer
• Dionne from Try Anything Once – Eggplant Caviar appetizer
• Amy from Ms. Toody Goo Shoes – Roasted Pear Salad with White Balsamic
• Jeanne from Inside NanaBread’s Head (that’s me!) – side dish
• Denise and Sharon from BeBetsy – Onion Rolls
• Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake – Pumpkin Challah Bread
• Anne of From My Sweet Heart – Cinnamon Applesauce Tart
Inside NanaBread's Head 
What a beautiful dish! The Fall colors are lovely and it must certainly taste as good as it looks! I will make this for Thanksgiving! All the best from both of us ~ Sharon and Denise
Thank you, ladies! As one of five daughters, I love that you and your sister are close and blog together. Can’t wait to go through each dish of our Fall Harvest Dinner and drool over each of them. Your onion rolls look amazing! -jeanne
GREAT Fall Harvest Dinner!!
You’ve been featured this week on BeBetsy at the BRAG ABOUT IT No. 27
Have a fun HALLOWEEN!
Sharon and Denise ♥
How fun! Thanks, ladies! -jeanne
Oh, my gosh, your sweet potato and pineapple dish sounds amazing! And with streusel? Please pass me a BIG serving! It was so nice to meet you through the Fall Harvest Dinner :)
Agreed, Liz! It’s nice to finally collaborate with you, especially since I’ve been stalking you for years on Twitter & Tasty Kitchen. I hope you’ll try the sweet potatoes with pineapple. It’s so simple, but so flavorful and not as gooey sweet as some sweet potato dishes. -j
I’m definitely adding sweet potatoes and fresh pineapple to my grocery list! This is just the perfect side dish in my opinion. And I have to say I absolutely LOVE that dish you baked them in – beautiful! Thanks so much for helping host this meal. It has been so much fun!
Thank YOU for inviting me to participate, Eileen! I loved creating this with your fall dinner in mind, and I loved eating both batches I made in the process. Thank you so much for pulling this together. It will be an annual thing now, right? :)
I can’t say I’d mind eating two batches either. Tough job – huh! Yes to annual!
(Not tough at all, really, but we can keep that a secret.)
Sweet Potatoes are my favorite veggie and I could eat them everyday. I can’t wait to try this and I must may save a serving or two for my family!
Thank you, Sandra!
I love a good gooey sweet potato casserole smothered in marshmallows as much as the next person, but this one is different. It’s just lightly sweet, with the pineapple & sweet potatoes shining through, and I love that. You’ll have to let me know if you try it! (And don’t forget to spoon some over oatmeal for breakfast, too.) -j
Oh Jeanne….how beautiful this dish is! I love simple plain baked sweet potatoes, but every Thanksgiving I look for a new way to jazz things up. I’ll be serving these for the holidays this year. I love that streusel topping with the almond meal…..so creative! Wish we all could have been sharing this dinner in real time. Maybe one day! : )
Agreed, Anne. I really wish we’d been able to potluck all of this onto one table and share it in person. Some day, you and I will sit down for a dinner together. I am convinced. And when we do, you’re making dessert! -jeanne
Jeanne, this could be the best sweet potato recipe I’ve ever seen! My taste buds are doing a happy dance just looking at your pictures. Cannot wait to try this!
Amy! Wow! That’s one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever gotten on a recipe. I’m so happy you like it! Can we swap a bowl of this for a plate full of your roasted pear salad? Because that sucker is spectacular!
I don’t usually end up with sweet potatoes but this streusel makes me very very curious! What a great side dish. This may end up at my table during the holiday season…
Thank you so very much for making this for the Fall Harvest Dinner!
Hooray! If I can get you to try a new sweet potato dish, I’ll count that as a victory! I love the balance of this dish – creamy sweet potatoes, sweet pineapple and that crispy almond streusel topping. I’m so glad I thought to throw them all together. It was a very happy experiment. -jeanne
It was lovely to meet you! One thing I love about blogging is seeing new flavor combos. I love your addition of pineapple, sounds so delicious! This recipe definitely screams Fall, and is a perfect side dish for a holiday dinner! Hugs, Terra
Thank you, Terra!
I really enjoyed being a part of the Fall Harvest Dinner. What a fabulous line-up of treats!
This looks so delicious! Im a new follower to your blog!
Sweet potatoes are my favorite at holiday parties!
Thanks so much – both for the kinds words about the sweet potato dish and for becoming a subscriber! I hope you’ll let me know how they turn out if you make them. I’ve made them twice in the past month, and I’m STILL thinking about whipping up another batch. They’re addictive! -j
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