There’s something irresistibly comforting about a bowl of creamy mashed sweet potatoes. Their natural sweetness and silky texture make them the perfect side dish to complement everything from a festive holiday feast to a cozy weeknight dinner.

The BEST Mashed Sweet Potatoes

If you’re looking for more easy potato recipes, Rustic Sweet Potatoes and Apples and Crispy Roasted Potatoes will keep your taste buds happy.

This recipe brings out sweet potatoes’ rich, earthy flavors while adding the right balance of buttery goodness and subtle seasoning. Whether you serve them alongside roasted turkey, glazed ham, or a hearty veggie dish, these mashed sweet potatoes will surely be a crowd-pleaser.

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite root vegetables. This recipe is quick and easy, using simple ingredients, and has a rich flavor.

Instead of boiling your sweet potatoes, you should use my favorite slow-cooking method in a saucepan. Boiling sweet potatoes loses some of their flavor.

You’ll not believe how tasty these mashed sweet potatoes are. Top them with regular butter, brown sugar, and fresh herbs, and you’ll lick your plate clean.

Sweet potatoes go well with rich meats such as pork, ham, duck, and poultry. This perfect side dish recipe is not just for a holiday meal like Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner; but also for a weeknight dinner.

One of my friends adds pieces of a dark chocolate candy bar to her mashed sweet potatoes. She says it tastes like chocolate cake. Dark chocolate mashed sweet potatoes are a brilliant idea when craving something decadent.

Fun Facts About Sweet Potatoes

• North Carolina is the number one producer of sweet potatoes in the United States. The sweet potato is the state’s official vegetable.
• Sweet potatoes are roots. Potatoes are tubers.
• Sweet potatoes are a member of the Morning Glory family.
• You can eat sweet potatoes, as well as the leaves, stems, and shoots.
• Sweet potatoes are easy to grow and are resistant to heat, drought, disease, and pests.
• Sweet potatoes have high levels of Vitamin C and A, potassium, iron, and fiber.
• According to the Just Fun Facts website, before George Washington became the President of the United States, he was a sweet potato farmer.
• The flesh of sweet potatoes is white, yellow, purple, or orange.

How to Store Fresh Sweet Potatoes

• Only refrigerate sweet potatoes if you’re storing cooked ones. Refrigerating them makes them taste different and will cause them to spoil faster.
• Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dry spot.
• Wait to wash sweet potatoes until you use them. Moisture promotes spoilage, according to Farmers Almanac.

Ingredients to Gather

• Sweet Potatoes – bring natural sweetness and a creamy texture to the dish. Their vibrant orange hue also adds a pop of color to any table, perfect for holiday meals or cozy dinners.
• Butter – adds richness and a silky texture to mashed sweet potatoes, enhancing their natural sweetness with luxurious creaminess.
• Heavy Cream – elevates the potatoes with its velvety texture and rich flavor.
• Sugar – enhances the natural sweetness of mashed sweet potatoes, making them even more flavorful and satisfying.
• Salt – is essential to bringing out the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Pepper – adds gentle heat and subtle depth to the dish.

Creating a Cozy Life Group

Since you clicked on a recipe for how to make mashed sweet potatoes, I’m guessing you like all things cozy living. I created a Facebook group called Creating a Cozy Life with over 205,000 like-minded souls.

It’s a group where we share recipes, pictures of things that leave you in awe, and ideas on how to make your life just a little bit more snug. Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.

Ingredients

2 pounds whole sweet potatoes (3 medium or 2 large approximately) 

4 tablespoons butter, cut into four pieces 

2 tablespoons heavy cream 

1 teaspoon sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut them into pieces.  

2. Combine sweet potatoes, butter, cream, salt, and sugar in a large saucepan.  

3. Cover the pan, and cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes. The potatoes are done when they fall apart when you poke them with a fork. 

4. Take the pan off the heat and mash the potatoes with a potato masher until they are creamy.  

5. Season with salt and pepper, and add a little pad of butter to the top.

Tips

• Don’t throw away the sweet potato skins! I like to cook mine in the same pan I did the mashed sweet potatoes and give them to my dogs as treats.  
• Add a little pure maple syrup to the potatoes for another layer of yumminess. 
• Replace sugar with brown sugar and add one tablespoon of bourbon for boozy mashed sweet potatoes. 
• You can substitute coconut milk for regular milk and vegan butter for regular butter to make the dish vegan.
• Add parmesan cheese, fried sage leaves, and brown butter for a savory flavor.
• You can use an immersion blender or a hand mixer instead of a potato masher.
• For a more rustic mash, go lighter on mashing the potatoes.

Great Options to Add to Sweet Potatoes

• nutmeg 
• ginger 
• rosemary 
• fresh thyme
• cinnamon 
• clove 
• garlic 
• chili pepper flakes
• allspice
• cilantro 
• orange zest
• orange juice

Storage

Refrigerating – Allow the mashed sweet potatoes to cool to room temperature before storing. Cooling the potatoes helps prevent condensation and keeps them fresher. Divide the mashed sweet potatoes into smaller portions if you don’t plan to use them all at once. Smaller portions avoid reheating more than needed. When using an airtight container, mashed sweet potatoes will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

Freezing – Ensure the mashed sweet potatoes are completely cool before freezing. Place them in freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bags. Remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Freeze in individual portions for easy reheating. You can freeze mashed sweet potatoes for up to 6 months.

Reheating

Thaw the sweet potatoes in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat them on the stove, in the microwave, or the oven with a bit of added butter or milk to restore creaminess.

Pro Tips

• Add a small amount of lemon juice before storing if you want to preserve the vibrant color.
• Avoid leaving them at room temperature for over 2 hours to prevent bacterial growth.

We’ve reached the end of How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes. I hope you enjoyed it.

Let me know in the comments below how you liked this recipe.

Make sure you join our Creating a Cozy Life Group. You’re not going to believe how amazing it is!  

I created a pin for mashed sweet potatoes above for you to add to your side dish Pinterest board to refer back to this recipe.

You can follow me here on PINTEREST.

Thanks for stopping by. I’m so happy you found us!  

More Sweet Potato Recipes

• Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole
• The Best Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

Potato Recipes You’ll Love

• 31 Simple Ways to Add Flavor to Mashed Potatoes 
• Buffalo Potato Wedges 
• What to do with Leftover Potato Peels
• Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese

Printable Recipe Card of Easy Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Nutritional Information