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Mashed sweet potatoes are the sweet and buttery alternative to classic mashed potatoes. Creamy, savory, and a touch of sweet, these mashed sweet potatoes are the perfect side dish to whatever you’re making!
Savory and Sweet: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
When I was younger, my mom would always make sweet potatoes for my dad because he loved them so much. She would steam them for him and I honestly think he ate them as they were with no seasonings; just enjoyed them the way they are naturally. My brother and I would always say, “eww gross,” and never ate them. We were so close-minded and we would always say that white potatoes were much better and that sweet potatoes were fake potatoes. Hahaha, looking back on this, I’m laughing because I equally enjoy both kinds of potatoes now!
You may see that a lot of recipes for mashed sweet potatoes use marshmallows (like in a sweet potato casserole), I don’t think it needs that extra sugar. Sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet and the butter adds a nice savory, salty addition to the sweet potatoes. I also think mashed sweet potatoes can be much creamier than their white potato counterpart!
Serve mashed sweet potatoes alongside Instant Pot Pork Chops, Yum Yum Chicken, or Slow Cooker Osso Buco.
Repurpose Leftover Mashed Sweet Potatoes
You can use leftover mashed sweet potatoes to make a loaf sweet potato bread or sweet potato muffins!
Mashed Sweet Potato Tips and Variations
- Make sure you are buying sweet potatoes and not yams. They look very similar but yield vastly different results! Yams are much starchier and not as sweet as sweet potatoes. Their skin looks more purple and sweet potato skin has a more brown-orange hue. Yams are also longer while sweet potatoes are rounder in the center.
- Using a potato masher or potato ricer will help you easily create lighter, fluffier, and lump-free mashed sweet potatoes!
- Sweet potatoes have a tougher skin than regular potatoes so I would encourage you to peel sweet potatoes before cooking.
- Add in your favorite spices and seasonings. I kept it basic here with just cream and butter, but you can add in a dash of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, or even cayenne pepper.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, you can reheat in a pot on the stovetop with a few splashes of milk or water to help keep the sweet potatoes from drying out. Alternatively, you can do this in the microwave as well in a microwave-safe bowl or container. Add liquid to help keep the sweet potatoes from drying out.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (1134 g) large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 8 tablespoons (42 g) salted butter
- ¼ cup (59 ml) half-and-half, or heavy cream
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil then add the sweet potatoes to the pot.2 pounds (1134 g) large sweet potatoes
- Cook the sweet potatoes until they're fork tender.
- Carefully drain the sweet potatoes then place them in a large bowl. Using a potato ricer, a potato masher, or just a fork, mash the potatoes to your desired consistency. If you want more texture, you’ll likely want to use the potato masher and fork (like I did).
- Stir in the butter, half and half, milk, and salt. You may need to add more milk for desired consistency. I like mine to be fluffy and not dry.8 tablespoons (42 g) salted butter, 1/4 cup (59 ml) half-and-half, ¾ cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
Photographs by Jess Gaertner Creative
I can’t get enough sweet potatoes, they are always a welcome site on our dinner table!
One of my all time favorites!
What a wonderful photo!! We eat lots of sweet potatoes at our house–baked, mashed, roasted, you name it. But for holidays we jazz them up a bit. To basic mashed sweet potatoes we add orange zest, a little orange juice, a little butter, and pineapple tidbits. So fresh tasting!
Love this! Sweet potatoes are my favorite kind of potatoe – can’t wait to try this recipe!
Perfect timing for this recipe! I have a Thanksgiving gathering with friends next week and have been trying to figure out what to make. This is perfect!
As an older person living alone, sweet potatoes can be a great meal for me.I just bake them (and bake them and bake them and they rarely get over done) and slit the top, add lots of butter, salt and pepper and dig in. They’re really filling and really, really good! Just remember to poke them first with a fork and just sit them on a small piece of foil, as they do leak. (I’ve had one explode and never, ever want to experience THAT again!) It may not be a balanced meal, but I know I’m getting lots of nutrients. The Native Americans used to call sweet potatoes and squash, blood food.
Your recipe looks and sounds marvelous, Julie.
So simple and yet always good!
I used to not be crazy about sweet potatoes, but I have grown to love them. I have to admit that I am the only one out of the 4 in my family who will eat them, but I am hoping that my girls grow into it :) THis big buttery bowl looks amazing!
Simple and sensational, Julie! Love the color pop here!
Cute story about the ‘fake potatoes’, Julie! Kids. We just didn’t appreciate good food. Thank goodness palates evolve. Sweet potatoes are a staple in our house for everyday. We have them at least twice a week for dinner and do sweet potato hash browns for breakfast or brunch on the weekends. Thanks for sharing and have a fabulous weekend! Will be pinning!