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Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

Last Updated: Dec 4, 2022 by Angela Latimer · Leave a Comment

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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Pin image collage with text of mashed sweet potatoes in a white bowl.

These mashed sweet potatoes are the perfect sweet side dish to accompany all of your favorite holiday meals! They are creamy, rich, and have just the right amount of added sweetness to make them completely irresistible! This is going to become your new favorite sweet potato side dish!

Simple Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

These mashed sweet potatoes are a fantastic side dish alternative (or addition) to the classic sweet potato casserole! If you're not a fan of all the extras (like marshmallows), but still love the creamy sweetness of sweet potatoes, this recipe is for you!

It is incredibly easy to pull together and is so tasty that you won't have any leftovers. Your family will love it so much, they're going to request it every year and as an addition to weeknight dinners!

Square image of mashed sweet potatoes in a white bowl.
My easy-to-make mashed sweet potatoes are rich, creamy, and wonderfully sweet!
Jump to:
  • Simple Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
  • 🥘 Mashed Sweet Potatoes Ingredients
  • 🔪 How To Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  • 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
  • 🥡 Storing & Reheating
  • ❓ Do You Peel Sweet Potatoes Before Boiling Them?
  • ❓ Are Mashed Sweet Potatoes Healthier Than Regular Mashed Potatoes?
  • ❓ Is It Better To Boil Or Bake Sweet Potatoes?
  • 🍠 More Sweet Potato Dishes
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • 💬 Comments & Reviews

If you are making this fantastic recipe for a Thanksgiving meal then be sure to check out my Thanksgiving Guide!

🥘 Mashed Sweet Potatoes Ingredients

Make sure you choose some sweet potatoes that have smooth skin and no cracks! Plus, I recommend trying out the optional ingredients- especially if you already have them at home!

Tall image showing mashed sweet potatoes ingredients.
  • Sweet Potatoes - 6 medium sweet potatoes that have been peeled and cubed.
  • Heavy Cream - ½ cup of room temperature heavy cream.
  • Butter - ½ cup of softened, room temperature butter.
  • Salt & Pepper - 1 pinch of both salt and pepper, adjusted to taste.
  • Honey (optional) - ¼ cup of honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar (*see note).
  • Cinnamon (optional) - ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
  • Ground Cloves (optional) - ⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves.
  • Nutmeg (optional) - ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg. Freshly ground nutmeg will make any holiday side dish extra special!

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Not much is easier than making these mashed sweet potatoes! Grab a large pot, your knife, and a cutting board, and let's get started!

As written, this recipe is for 6 servings. If you're having a big family gathering, go ahead and make 2 batches!

Process image 1 showing cut up sweet potatoes in water.
Process image 2 showing cut up sweet potatoes boiling in water.
Process image 3 showing boiled sweet potatoes in mixing bowl.
Process image 4 showing added butter, sugar, and seasoning.
Process image 5 showing mashing by hand.
Process image 6 showing mashed sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl.
  1. Boil water. To get started, fill a large pot with water, add salt, and bring it to a boil.
  2. Prepare your sweet potatoes. While you are waiting for the water to boil, you can prepare your 6 sweet potatoes by peeling them and cutting them into cubes. Make sure they are close to the same size for even cooking (*see note).
  3. Boil the sweet potatoes. Once boiling, add in the sweet potatoes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until fork-tender (about 20-30 minutes). Then drain the potatoes and return them to your pot or transfer them to a clean bowl.
  4. Mash. Use a potato masher, fork, or potato ricer to begin mashing your sweet potatoes (*see note). Slowly add in ½ cup of both the room temperature cream and butter until you have reached your desired consistency.
  5. Season. Then, add in a pinch of salt & pepper as well as the optional ¼ cup of honey (or syrup/brown sugar), ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon of cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg. Stir gently to combine until the butter is completely melted and all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
  6. Serve. Once combined, serve immediately.

These mashed sweet potatoes are perfect for the holidays! They pair well with all of your favorite Thanksgiving foods, like Traeger smoked turkey and glazed honey ham. Follow it up with some pumpkin pie or pecan tartlets for dessert! Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

  • Another option for cooking these sweet potatoes is to roast them, whole, in the oven and then scoop out the insides! This helps to add a naturally extra rich flavor.
  • If you need to make these in a pinch, you can also cook the potatoes in the microwave! Mine typically take around 5-8 minutes on high power.
  • Instead of the honey, you could also use a combination of ⅛ cup of maple syrup and ⅛ cup of brown sugar!
  • If you are worried about your mashed sweet potatoes being too sweet for your liking, start by adding only half of the honey and then adjust it to your taste.
  • To really bring out the holiday flavors, you can substitute the spices for ½ of a teaspoon of some tasty pumpkin pie spice!
  • You can leave these mashed sweet potatoes as chunky or creamy as you like! I prefer to use a potato masher to mash my potatoes, but you can use a fork or potato ricer if you like. However, never put potatoes into a blender or food processor because it will make them gummy and gluey!
Wide image of mashed sweet potatoes in a white bowl.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Place any leftovers into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.

If you want to freeze your cooked mashed sweet potatoes, wait for them to cool completely and then store them in single-size portions in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge.

Reheating Mashed Sweet Potatoes

To reheat your potatoes, you can use short bursts of 20 seconds in the microwave or reheat them over medium-low heat in a small pot on the stove.

❓ Do You Peel Sweet Potatoes Before Boiling Them?

The skin of a sweet potato is completely safe to eat both raw and cooked. Whether or not you want to peel them is entirely based on personal preference.

❓ Are Mashed Sweet Potatoes Healthier Than Regular Mashed Potatoes?

This seems to be a very common myth. Both sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are considered to be healthy, nutritious items. Their nutritional breakdowns are slightly different, but they each have their advantages over the other.

Sweet potatoes are lower in calories and carbs, but higher in sugar and contain less protein. In the end, the two items really even out!

❓ Is It Better To Boil Or Bake Sweet Potatoes?

This somewhat comes down to personal preference again. Technically, boiling sweet potatoes is the best way to retain as much nutrition as possible.

However, you will still have a sweet potato that is loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals if you choose to cook it another way. Basically, the best way to cook them is whichever way you like most!

Tall image of mashed sweet potatoes in a white bowl.

🍠 More Sweet Potato Dishes

  • Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potatoes
  • Sweet Potato Sushi
  • Baked Sweet Potatoes
  • Sweet Potato Tart
  • Slow Cooker Candied Yams
  • Candied Yams

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card

Square image of mashed sweet potatoes in a white bowl.
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5 from 18 reviews

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

These mashed sweet potatoes are the perfect sweet side dish to accompany all of your favorite holiday meals! They are creamy, rich, and have just the right amount of added sweetness to make them completely irresistible! This is going to become your new favorite sweet potato side dish!
Author | Angela Latimer
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 441kcal
Prep 10 minutes minutes
Cooking 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 40 minutes minutes
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Ingredients
 

  • 6 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
  • ½ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
  • ½ cup butter (softened, at room temperature)
  • 1 pinch each, salt & pepper (to taste)
  • ¼ cup honey (optional - or use maple syrup or brown sugar - *see note)
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)

Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela

Instructions
 

  • To get started, fill a large pot with water, add salt, and bring it to a boil.
  • While you are waiting for the water to boil, you can prepare your sweet potatoes by peeling them and cutting them into cubes. Make sure they are close to the same size for even cooking (*see note).
  • Once boiling, add in the sweet potatoes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until fork-tender (about 20-30 minutes). Then drain the potatoes and return them to your pot or transfer them to a clean bowl.
  • Use a potato masher, fork, or potato ricer to begin mashing your sweet potatoes (*see note). Slowly add in your room temperature cream and butter until you have reached your desired consistency.
  • Then, add in the salt & pepper as well as the optional honey (or syrup/brown sugar), cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Stir gently to combine until the butter is completely melted and all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Once combined, serve immediately.

Notes

  • Another option for cooking these sweet potatoes is to roast them, whole, in the oven and then scoop out the insides! This helps to add a naturally extra rich flavor.
  • If you need to make these in a pinch, you can also cook the potatoes in the microwave! Mine typically take around 5-8 minutes on high power.
  • Instead of the honey, you could also use a combination of ⅛ cup of maple syrup and ⅛ cup of brown sugar!
  • If you are worried about your mashed sweet potatoes being too sweet for your liking, start by adding only half of the honey and then adjust it to your taste.
  • To really bring out the holiday flavors, you can substitute the spices for ½ of a teaspoon of some tasty pumpkin pie spice!
  • You can leave these mashed sweet potatoes as chunky or creamy as you like! I prefer to use a potato masher to mash my potatoes, but you can use a fork or potato ricer if you like. However, never put potatoes into a blender or food processor because it will make them gummy and gluey!
  • To store: Place any leftovers into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • To freeze: Once completely cooled, store your mashed sweet potatoes in single-size portions in a freeze-safe container for up to 6 months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge.
  • To reheat: You can use short bursts of 20 seconds in the microwave or reheat them over medium-low heat in a small pot on the stove to reheat your potatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 441kcal (22%) | Carbohydrates: 58g (19%) | Protein: 4g (8%) | Fat: 23g (35%) | Saturated Fat: 14g (88%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg (21%) | Sodium: 258mg (11%) | Potassium: 793mg (23%) | Fiber: 7g (29%) | Sugar: 22g (24%) | Vitamin A: 32827IU (657%) | Vitamin C: 6mg (7%) | Calcium: 87mg (9%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!
Course Holiday Recipes, Potato Dishes, Side Dish
Cuisine American
« Back To School Lunch Ideas
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Hi there, I'm Angela

I am an avid vintage cookbook collector, cook, baker, and total foodie. I love sharing new, fun, creative recipes and great classic recipes, just like my Grandma used to make! Every recipe on BIWL is tested to ensure that cooks of any experience level can succeed.

Welcome to Bake It With Love. Enjoy!

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