This Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe is very simple, but absoltuely delicious. The perfect side dish for a holiday meal or even a weeknight dinner.
I absolutely love sweet potatoes. When we go to restaurants, if I am offered a chance at sweet potato fries, I always pick those over regular fries. So it is no surprise that I think this Mashed Sweet Potato recipe blows regular mashed potatoes out of the water.
This recipe is so simple, but absolutely delicious. It is a great way to bring some variety to your Thanksgiving table. These mashed potatoes are so delicious, they don’t need anything extra like gravy.
How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Prepare the sweet potatoes. Wash the potatoes, peel them, and cube them. You can leave the skin on the potatoes for a more rustic recipe.
- Boil the potatoes. Add the sweet potatoes to a dutch oven, cover with water, and make sure there are two inches of water above the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Blend the potatoes. After draining the potatoes, mash them. I like to first mash the potatoes with a potato masher and then blend them to make them the most smooth. Mix in butter while the potatoes are still hot, and mix in milk and brown sugar after they have been blended.
- Taste the potatoes and season them. Start with only half the amount of salt and pepper listed. Mix that in and then taste the potatoes to decide if you need to add the rest or not.
Cooking Sweet Potatoes
There are several different ways you can cook the sweet potatoes if you don’t want to cook them on the stovetop. After cooking them in the oven, Instant Pot, or slow cooker, follow the instructions for mashing and adding other ingredients listed in the recipe card below.
Making Sweet Potatoes in the Oven
If you would like to toss your sweet potatoes in the oven instead of cooking them on the stove, that will absolutely work. Follow these steps:
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Poke your unpeeled potatoes in several places with a fork.
- Roast on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet for 40 minutes or until a skewer goes in the potato very easily.
Making Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot
I love making mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot. It’s so quick!
- Place your washed, peeled, and cubed potatoes in the Instant Pot.
- Fill the pressure cooker with water so that the potatoes are covered.
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual, High, for 10 minutes.
- At the end of the time, do a quick release to release the pressure. Once the float valve drops, open the Instant Pot carefully.
- Drain the water, making sure that they are completely drained. Use the Instant Pot to blend and mix in other ingredients rather than dirtying another bowl.
Making Sweet Potatoes in the Crockpot
Making sweet potatoes in the crock pot is a breeze. They also make a great side dish for busy weeknights.
- Wash your unpeeled sweet potatoes, and then wrap them in aluminum foil.
- Place the sweet potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot.
- Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Please note that bigger sweet potatoes will need the full cook time.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the brown sugar for maple syrup. Maple syrup is perfect in this recipe, you can swap it one for one with the brown sugar or use a combination of the two.
- Make it richer by using heavy cream instead of skim milk.
- Give it a little bit of spice by adding in some cinnamon and nutmeg or some of my pumpkin pie spice.
Making Ahead of Time
These can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator, covered, overnight. When you are ready to warm them, place them in a casserole dish, cover it with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once or twice while baking.
Other Great Sweet Potato Recipes
If you are just as in love with sweet potatoes as I am, you can try some of these other recipes that would be perfect for the holidays.
If you make these easy mashed sweet potatoes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes washed, peeled, and cubed
- 3/4 cup milk (I used skim milk)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper optional
Instructions
- Place the prepared sweet potatoes in a large dutch oven and cover with water so that there is two inches of water above the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are for tender. (See my notes in the post for oven, slow cooker, and Instant Pot cooking methods.)
- Drain the potatoes and trasfer them to a large bowl. Add in the butter and mash with a potato masher. Then stir in the brown sugar and milk, and beat with a hand held mixer until smooth.
- Add half the amount of salt listed. Taste and add more until it is the taste you prefer. Serve warm.
Lin says
I have made these for years. I add a bit of cinnamon.
People who say they don’t like sweet potatoes, usually referring to the overly sweet kind gooey marshmallows, find they like these!
I love adding cinnamon!
Michele Madonia says
Hi. Can I use a different type of pot to boil the sweeet potatoes if I don’t have a Dutch oven? Thank you.
Any large pot will work just fine!
Wendy says
Does this reheat well for meal prep?
Yes!