Mashed Sweet Potatoes
48 Comments
Nov 11, 2023
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Mashed sweet potatoes make for the perfect sweet and savory side dish. They’re rich, creamy, and pair well with any main course, especially during the holidays. Just gather up four simple ingredients to whip up this easy and delicious recipe.
While classic mashed potatoes are a crowd favorite, don’t overlook its counterpart: sweet potatoes.
Not only do sweet potatoes have a rich flavor, but their luscious texture is irresistible. And when I say irresistible, I mean I can devour half a batch of sweet potatoes in one sitting whether they’re roasted sweet potatoes or baked sweet potatoes.
But when sweet potatoes are transformed into mashed potatoes, it takes them to an entirely new level. With this recipe, the buttery, creamy texture just gets better and better with every bite.
How to prep and cook Sweet Potatoes
While there’s a few options on how to prep and cook sweet potatoes, I find that the easiest process is to peel, dice, and boil. Here’s the breakdown.
- Peel the potatoes using a hand peeler (my favorite peeler is linked in the recipe notes).
- Dice the potatoes into large or small cubes.
- Boil the potatoes until tender, and then place it into a large mixing bowl to prepare for mashing.
How To Mash Sweet Potatoes
Now that you have your sweet potatoes warm and tender, it’s time to get mashing. There are a few ways to do it, but it comes down to the preference in texture.
- For a chunky style mash which is a mix of creamy and chunky potatoes, it’s best to use a fork or hand masher.
- For an ultra smooth and creamy consistency, you’ll want to use a hand mixer or food processor. But just remember that there is a fine line between a purée and a perfectly mashed potato. If you purée it too much, then it almost becomes too soft like baby food!
Flavor Variations
You can take your sweet potato mash on a more savory or sweet route, depending on how you want to season it.
- Garlic & herb: Add minced and sauteed garlic along with a few herbs such as chives, parsley, or thyme into the mix.
- Candied bacon: Use my baked bacon recipe and brush maple syrup over each piece to give it a sweet and savory flavor. Then crush the bacon bits on top of your mashed sweet potatoes.
- Smoky and spicy: Add 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder, smoked paprika, ground coriander, and ground chipotle chile pepper into your blend.
Can You Freeze Mashed Sweet Potatoes?
The answer is yes! Just make sure to store them in a freezer safe container or large resealable bag. They can be frozen for up to 5 months.
To reheat them, place the potatoes in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Then add the mashed sweet potatoes to a casserole dish to reheat in the oven. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes until it’s warmed through. If the consistency isn’t creamy enough, you can add a little bit of nut milk into the mixture, and stir thoroughly.
You can also reheat the mashed sweet potatoes in the microwave in 30 second increments.
What To Eat With Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Let’s be honest, mashed sweet potatoes go with just about everything. But here are a few delicious combinations to pair with with them.
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Roasted Balsamic Chicken
- Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
If you’ve got a few more sweet potatoes left, don’t let them go to waste. Whip up a few of my other delicious sweet potato recipes including:
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
- Candid Yams
- Curly Sweet Potato Fries
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes
- ¼ cup melted butter, or ghee
- ¼ cup milk, dairy-free milk also works
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- optional: finely chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes with a hand peeler. Then slice and dice the potatoes into 1-inch to 1 ½-inch chunks.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil on high heat. Place the sweet potatoes into the pot and cook them for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes over a colander.
- Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mash them with a hand masher or electric beater.
- Then, pour the butter and milk into the mixture and continue mixing until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Scoop the mashed sweet potatoes into a bowl, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!
Lisa’s Tips
- To create a more creamier consistency, use a food processor, hand mixer, or stand mixer to blend.
- To make it dairy-free, you can swap butter for ghee as well as use any type of nut milk.
- My favorite peeler is a Y peeler. It’s the best for peeling potatoes!
Nutrition
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Recipe originally published October 2019, but updated to include new information and a video for your benefit!
I make this as a side dish for my dinners. This recipe pairs well with any meal, particularly steak or chicken. Yum! Family favorite here. I always double it!
Hi Jason – Happy to hear you’re loving this mashed sweet potato side dish!
Simple and perfect! I have this recipe on repeat in all seasons.
Hi Luciana – You can never go wrong with a side of mashed sweet potatoes!
How long will they keep in the fridge? great recipe!
Hi Bec – the recipe will stay good in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days. Enjoy!
I made this and it was good I even added cinnamon and I’m rebaking for a lil longer. Thank you!
Hi Frances – Sounds great with a bit of cinnamon!
Please disregard my previous comment! That was for the meatloaf that I paired with this amazing sweet potato mash! It was super easy to put together and sooo delicious I added vegan butter and almond milk and blended with a hand mixer and it was so creamy and yummy 😋
Hi Trisha – The perfect pairing with meatloaf! Glad you enjoyed it.
Absolutely Amazing
Thanks for the tips Lisa
Makes my job easier 🙌
Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving day ✨️ ❤️ 😊
Enjoy the mashed sweet potatoes, Carmen! Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
This sounds great but can I use oat milk?
Yes, no problem!
While I love traditional mashed potatoes, I really really love sweet potato mashed potatoes!! It’s such a simple recipe and perfect every time. Thanks Lisa!
You’re more than welcome, Ned! Happy you love it. :)
Do you have a stuffing recipe
Unfortunately, I don’t. But I’m hoping to add one in the future!
Sounds like a good recipie. Word of note about your substitutions: ghee is just clarified butter. It is not typically dairy free.
About how many cups does one recipe make?
Believe it or not, I’ve been married for 56 years and have never made sweet potatoes from scratch. I’ve made sweet potato casserole using canned but this week will be my first using actual fresh produce. Hated sweet potatoes as a child but love them now. After mashing I will add the always yummy marshmallow and some finely chopped pecans. Saw a recipe where crushed pineapple was added. I always tweak a recipe. Thanks for sharing this one. **
Hope you love this sweet potato recipe Judy!
I love sweet potatoes. I made this yesterday and it was delicious !
Glad you enjoyed this mashed sweet potato dish!
Great recipe! One small point: you say to make it dairy free use ghee. Ghee is clarified butter so still dairy!!
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it’s always great
One of my favorite breakfast options is roasted bell pepper, zucchini, and sweet potato with chicken sausage. I was getting tired of eating the same thing, so today I made mashed sweet potatoes (this recipe), and served it with my bell pepper, zucchini, and chicken sausage. It was delicious! Just that tweak made it taste unique and rich. Thanks! Love the recipe!
Fantastic, works perfectly!!
I am a big fan of sweet potatoes so when I saw this recipe I just had to make it for a Friendsgiving! It was so easy to follow, even with doubling the recipe and was big hit! I absolutely loved it and still have some left over as a great side dish for any meal. Thanks Lisa for always creating quality content and recipes.
Happy to hear this side dish was such a hit for Thanksgiving Jenelle!
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for these recipes – I made the smoky and spicy version with a bit of hot sauce in to boot! They were lovely thanks again :)
That sounds amazing! Glad you enjoyed this mashed sweet potatoes :)
How big is a serving size?
Hi Alyssa- I’d say about 1/4 or 1/3 cup, depending on how big your sweet potatoes are!
Hi Lisa
Does this keep for the whole week in the fridge ? I want to make it but I only cook for 1.
Hi Sanne- It should be able to keep for about a week or right under a week :)
Never made mashed sweet potatoes before but this was great! Made them tonight for work this week and can’t wait to eat them. Might not make it till Monday LOL.
Hi Ben – First time for everything! Glad you enjoyed this recipe so much :)
Mashed sweet potatoes are a year-round side dish that I just LOVE. These look so good with the large pats of butter on the top.
They sure do, don’t they! :) Hope you enjoy Sharon!
Such an easy and delicious side dish for the holidays!
Yes, it’s one of my favorites for the holidays! Hope you enjoy Taylor!
Such a classic – I would take sweet over white potatoes any day – especially if they look as tempting as yours!
You and me both! And thanks so much for your compliment Denisse! :)
I think I might actually like mashed sweet potatoes better than regular mashed potatoes and this recipe is no exception! Simple, easy, delicious and perfect for Thanksgiving!
Thanks Anjali! And I’m with you, I prefer sweet potatoes as well. And can’t beat the extra nutrients. ;)
I love these mashed sweet potatoes! I’m a bit naughty as I like to sprinkle just the tiniest bit of brown sugar on the top.
I’m happy you love the recipe Karen! Feel free to adapt them to your liking. :)