Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
There is one vegetable in my house that is consumed on the regular – sweet potatoes! (Case in point: I have over 25 Sweet Potato Recipes to share.)
Sometimes I make a Sweet Potato Hash…
Or I bake sweet potatoes, boil sweet potatoes and even air fryer sweet potatoes!
But recently my new obsession has been this mashed sweet potato recipe!
Not only is this recipe easy to make with simple ingredients, but there are a TON of flavor variations to try.
Keep them plain with a bit of butter and salt, or you can up-level the flavor with some crumbled bacon, heavy cream and fresh thyme, or a little brown sugar.
And bonus – they make a wonderful side dish recipe that can be meal prepped ahead for your Thanksgiving menu or holiday table!
If you happen to have any leftover, use them up in this Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie. Extra whole sweet potatoes? Try out this Sweet Potato Pie Recipe and Baked Sweet Potato Fries next!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes. You will need about 2 ½ pounds, or 4-5 medium to large-sized, whole sweet potatoes. Garnets have a red-purple skin and are used in sweet potato pies and mashes. Jewel is another variety that mashes well and tastes great in mashed potatoes and casseroles. Beauregards are the most common type found in grocery stores and can be boiled, mashed, and baked. Avoid yams, as they are too starchy and won’t give you the creamy texture you need. (Learn more about the differences of Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes here.)
- Milk. Between ¼ to ⅓ cup of regular milk is mixed in to reach your desired consistency. Make this recipe vegan and dairy-free with almond, oat, soy, or coconut milk.
- Butter. Regular butter definitely gives this recipe an incredible flavor. However, if you are dairy-free or vegan you can substitute with vegan buttery sticks or oil. You can even mix in sour cream if you don’t have any butter available.
How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Please see the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and more detailed instructions.
1. Cook the Sweet Potatoes
When making mashed sweet potatoes you can cook the potatoes by boiling, baking, or using a pressure cooker.
- To boil sweet potatoes simply fill a large pot with peeled and cubed potatoes and enough water to cover them. Bring it to a boil and reduce to medium-high heat. Boil for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Baking Sweet Potatoes takes a bit longer but gives a wonderful, toasted flavor. Poke holes in whole potatoes before wrapping in foil and baking at 400°F for 40-60 minutes.
- Cooking Instant Pot sweet potatoes will give you tender potatoes in a short amount of time. Pierce whole potatoes and place in the pressure cooker with water and cook on high for 16-22 minutes. (This is my favorite method!)
2. Mash the Potatoes
There are 3 different ways you can mash sweet potatoes, much like with regular potatoes. Each will give you a slightly different level of creaminess.
Food Processor – This is the preferred method since it will give you a super creamy and tender texture. A large, 10-12 cup food processor is recommended.
Electric Mixer (Or Stand Mixer) – Another great method that does not require much arm work. If you like clumps in your mashed potatoes, then this will be the best method for you.
Potato Masher – By far the most labor intensive method, but also the most traditional. Much like if you mixed it in a stand mixer, you will get a slightly clumpier finished product.
Add the Flavor
The sweet potato mash recipe does taste great with just milk, butter, and salt. But you can add in a few more ingredients to really up-level your flavor game.
Garlic & Herb
Another great savory option is simply swapping out the regular butter for homemade garlic butter. Add a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs just before serving!
Cinnamon, Brown Sugar & Pecans
If you prefer them sweet, then adding cinnamon and brown sugar will be your way to go!
Mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon while mashing and garnish with roasted pecans.
Maple Bacon
The combination of cooked bacon with pure maple syrup will give you a perfectly sweet and savory flavor profile.
Simply add the syrup to the food processor before puréeing then top with the bacon to serve.
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: Boil, bake, or cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker up to 3-5 days in advance. Or make the complete recipe and refrigerate until ready to heat and serve.
- To Store: Keep mashed sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: Seal in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 4-6 months.
- To Reheat: Add the mashed potatoes to a pot on the stove over medium to medium-low heat with a touch more milk or water. You can also microwave until warm.
FAQs
Peeling potatoes before boiling is not necessary, however peeling and cubing them will reduce the cooking time.
Sweet and regular white potatoes are quite similar when it comes to nutrition. The biggest difference is that sweet potatoes contain more vitamin A and regular potatoes have more potassium.
If your mashed potatoes are lumpy they were likely not cooked enough. The potatoes should be tender before mashing by hand or in a food processor.
What to Serve with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
These mashed sweet potatoes are so delicious, try them as a side with one of these recipes:
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet potatoes are so versatile! Give one of these recipes a try next time you’re craving them:
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Hashbrowns
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes peeled and cooked
- ⅓ cup milk or almond or cashew milk
- 4 Tbsp. butter or vegan buttery sticks, softened
- ¾ – 1 tsp. salt to taste
- Parsley finely chopped, optional
Cinnamon Sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ cup toasted pecans coarsely chopped
Garlic & Herb
- 4 Tbsp. Homemade Garlic Herb Butter
Maple Bacon
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 4 oz. cooked bacon crumbled
Instructions
- Prepare Potatoes: Peel sweet potatoes with a potato peeler and cut into 1” cubes.2 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes
- Boil Sweet Potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add potatoes, and boil for 12-15 minutes. Drain sweet potatoes in a colander.
- Mash or Puree: Add sweet potatoes to the bowl of a large food processor with milk, butter, and salt. Process until smooth. You can also mash them using a potato masher if you'd like them lumpier. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.⅓ cup milk, 4 Tbsp. butter, ¾ – 1 tsp. salt, Parsley
- Cinnamon Sugar: Add brown sugar and cinnamon to the bowl of the food processor before pureeing. Serve with toasted pecans.¼ cup brown sugar, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ cup toasted pecans
- Garlic & Herb: Replace the 4 tablespoons of butter with the same amount of garlic herb butter.4 Tbsp. Homemade Garlic Herb Butter
- Maple Bacon: Add maple syrup to the bowl of the food processor before pureeing. Serve with cooked bacon crumbles.¼ cup pure maple syrup, 4 oz. cooked bacon
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Notes
- Nutritional information is calculated without any of the additional toppings.
- You can also mash sweet potatoes with a potato masher or in a large stand mixer.
- You can also cook sweet potatoes by baking them in the oven or in the Instant Pot.
- To Store: Keep mashed sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: Seal in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 4-6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
