Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This easy mashed sweet potatoes recipe is simple enough to pair with weeknight chicken or meatloaf, but elegant enough for Thanksgiving or a holiday dinner. So…basically the perfect side dish! (We can’t get enough!)

Three cheers for an easy side dish recipe! (Especially this time of year!)

These mashed sweet potatoes are just as at home on a holiday table as they are a weeknight dinner. Easy to make, made from simple ingredients, and no special skills required–my favorite kind of recipe!

With their bright color, slightly sweet flavor, and delicious creamy texture, they’re a fantastic alternative to regular mashed potatoes and pair with all kinds delicious main dishes (more on that in a minute).

Best of all, they start with simple ingredients. Let’s take a look…

Simple Ingredients To Start

• Sweet Potatoes. First, you’ll need orange sweet potatoes (sometimes labeled yams in the United States!). We prefer the texture, color and flavor of orange sweet potatoes here, rather than purple or white sweet potatoes. Do not substitute regular potatoes (Russet, Yukon Gold, or red skin potatoes), as they won’t work in this recipe.
• Butter. Don’t skip it. I promise it makes all the difference in taste and texture!
• Milk, Half & Half, or Cream. This is a great time to use the good stuff. If all you have is skim milk or low-fat milk, you *can* use it, but your mashed sweet potatoes won’t have the same creamy, rich texture.
• Pure Maple Syrup. A little maple syrup elevates the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Use real maple syrup here, not pancake syrup! If that’s not accessible, brown sugar is your next best choice.
• Kosher Salt. Plenty of salt helps balance the flavors, and keeps this sweet potato mash from trending too sweet. If you’re using fine table salt, start with less!
• A Little Cinnamon & Nutmeg. We’re adding just enough spice to pair with the sweet potato, maple, and butter. Not enough to make them taste like dessert!
• Some Fresh Herbs. Last, but not least, I recommend some fresh thyme or fresh parsley for garnish–especially if you’re serving these for Thanksgiving dinner!

How To Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Prep Your Sweet Potatoes. If you haven’t already, wash, peel, and dice the sweet potatoes into small cubes. I recommend small 1/2-inch or 1-inch cubes so they cook and mash easily.
2. Boil Sweet Potatoes. Add sweet potatoes to a large saucepan or large pot and cover with water. (The water level should be about 2 inches above the sweet potatoes.) Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil sweet potatoes 10-12 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with a fork (aka fork tender). I recommend mashing a cube to test them before pulling the pan off the heat. It should VERY easily mash!
3. Combine. Drain the sweet potatoes in a colander then add the sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Add softened or melted butter, 1/3 cup milk, 3 Tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg.
4. For A More Rustic Texture: Mash. Use a potato masher or handheld electric mixer to mash the sweet potatoes, adding more milk as needed to reach your desired consistency. Taste and add additional maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, or nutmeg, to taste.
5. For A Smooth Puree, work in batches to blend the sweet potato mixture in a high-speed blender or food processor, adding more milk as needed. Taste and add additional maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, or nutmeg, to taste.
6. Garnish & Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl and add a pat of softened butter or a light drizzle of maple syrup, then a sprinkle of black pepper and a pinch of fresh herbs (like thyme or parsley), as desired. Enjoy warm!

Variations To Try

Craving a little variety? Here are a few ways to change up this mashed sweet potato recipe:

• Brown Butter. Browning the butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that’s tough to beat. It’s DELICIOUS with the sweet potatoes, maple syrup, and seasonings. You can easily brown it while the sweet potatoes cook!
• Make It Sweeter. This is a great choice when you want an easy alternative to Sweet Potato Casserole! Add 1 Tablespoon additional maple syrup, along with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. (You can even pair it with the brown butter swap for a sweeter flavor!)
• Make It More Savory. Reduce the maple syrup to 1 Tablespoon and add 2 Tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. Feel free to add a clove of garlic or a pinch of smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder to play up the savory notes.
• Switch Up The Garnish! Add a few chopped, toasted pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup instead of the fresh herbs.

Serving Suggestions

Now that we know HOW to make mashed sweet potatoes, let’s talk about how to serve them! What main dish recipe pair well with mashed sweet potatoes? SO MANY THINGS:

• Thanksgiving or Holiday Dinner. Pair these potatoes with a roasted chicken, Thanksgiving turkey, glazed ham, a beef roast, and more!
• Chicken! Blackened chicken, crispy chicken, fried chicken, roasted chicken, rotisserie chicken, BBQ chicken…you name it!
• Meatloaf. We LOVE pairing sweet potatoes with tender, homemade meatloaf. Add a simple green veggie or an easy side salad, and you’ve got a perfectly balanced meal!
• Meatballs. Chicken meatballs and beef meatballs are both delicious!
• Steak or Pork Chops. A nicely cooked steak + mashed sweet potatoes + green veggie + salad or cornbread = fancy steakhouse dinner at home! (Same goes for pork chops!)
• Chicken Sausages. We make this all the time! Crisp up some andouille sausage or chicken apple sausages and serve them with these potatoes and green beans or broccoli. Easy weeknight dinner for the win!
• BBQ. Mashed sweet potatoes are a GREAT pairing with sticky BBQ ribs, grilled chicken, pulled pork, brisket, and more.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes

How To Store & Reheat Leftover Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Store leftover mashed sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator 2-3 days. Reheat with a small drizzle of milk. Or, freeze in freezer-safe bags up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Dairy-Free Tips

While we find that whole milk, half-and-half, or cream will give your sweet potatoes the best texture (a great move for Thanksgiving or a holiday meal!), if you’re dairy-free you can swap in 3-4 Tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil in place of the butter, and almond milk or coconut milk in place of the milk. The potatoes will have a slightly different flavor.

More Sweet Potato Recipes To Try

Paleo or Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Roasted Cinnamon Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

CRISPY Baked Sweet Potato Fries (& Seasoning!)

Recipe Card

Mashed Sweet potatoes

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 5 cups (6–8 servings) 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

These ultra-creamy mashed sweet potatoes are easy enough to pair with weeknight chicken or meatloaf, but elegant enough for Thanksgiving or a holiday dinner! We can’t get enough! 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (I recommend 1/2–1 inch cubes)
• 5 Tablespoons butter, softened or melted
• 1/3–1/2 cup whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream
• 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4–1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch black pepper
• Optional For Garnish: a pat of butter, drizzle of maple syrup, or fresh herbs (like fresh thyme or fresh parsley)

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Instructions

1. Prep Your Sweet Potatoes. If you haven’t already, wash, peel, and dice the sweet potatoes into small cubes. I recommend small 1/2-inch or 1-inch cubes so they cook and mash easily.
2. Boil Sweet Potatoes. Add sweet potatoes to a large saucepan or pot and cover with water. (The water level should be about 2 inches above the sweet potatoes.) Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil sweet potatoes 10-12 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with a fork. (I recommend mashing a cube to test them before pulling the pan off the heat. It should VERY easily mash!)
3. Combine. Drain the sweet potatoes in a colander then add the sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Add softened or melted butter, 1/3 cup milk, 3 Tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg.
4. For A More Rustic Texture: Mash. Use a potato masher or handheld electric mixer to mash the sweet potatoes, adding more milk as needed to reach your desired consistency. Taste and add additional maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, or nutmeg, to taste.
5. For A Smooth Puree, work in batches to blend the sweet potato mixture in a high-speed blender or food processor, adding more milk as needed till you reach your desired consistency. Taste and add additional maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, or nutmeg, to taste.
6. Garnish & Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl and add a pat of softened butter or a light drizzle of maple syrup, then a sprinkle of black pepper and a pinch of fresh herbs (like thyme or parsley), as desired. Enjoy warm!
7. Store leftover mashed sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator 2-3 days. Reheat with a small drizzle of milk. Or, freeze in freezer-safe bags up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Notes

• Sweet Potatoes. This recipe works best with orange or “red” sweet potatoes, rather than purple or white sweet potatoes. (In the United States, you can also use yams)
• Maple Syrup. This will add a touch of sweetness but won’t make the potatoes taste like maple! Do NOT use pancake syrup–if you don’t have maple syrup, brown sugar is a good substitute.
• Make-Ahead Tips. Prepare as directed (other than garnish!), and re-heat on the stove or in the microwave with an extra splash of milk as needed. They can be easily made a few hours or a day in advance!
• Dairy-Free Tips. While we find that whole milk, half-and-half, or cream will give your sweet potatoes the best texture (a great move for Thanksgiving or a holiday meal!), if you’re dairy-free you can swap in 3-4 Tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil in place of the butter, and almond milk or coconut milk in place of the milk. The potatoes will have a slightly different flavor.

Variations To Try:

• Make Them Sweeter. This is a great choice when you want an easy alternative to Sweet Potato Casserole! Add 1 Tablespoon additional maple syrup, along with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. (You can even pair it with brown butter for a sweeter flavor!)
• Make Them More Savory. Reduce the maple syrup to 1 Tablespoon and add 2 Tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. Feel free to add a clove of garlic, additional fresh thyme, or a pinch of smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder to play up the savory notes.
• Use Brown Butter. Browning the butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that’s tough to beat. It’s DELICIOUS with the sweet potatoes, maple syrup, and seasonings. You can easily brown it while the sweet potatoes cook!

• Prep Time: 25
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American