Just three ingredients are needed for this incredibly easy and delicious Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe! This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, and refined sugar-free.
I'm gonna be honest with you. It kinda feels like cheating to write a whole post for this mashed sweet potato recipe.
But, then I remember how awesome these mashed sweet potatoes are and how you need these in your life.
I started making these about 8 years ago and I get requests for them ALL the time. Every so often, I get the urge to toy with this recipe and add some orange zest, chopped pecans, nutmeg or cinnamon, but I just can't do it because, well, it's just too good the way it is.
Watch Me Make This Recipe
How To Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Okay, so let's talk how to make mashed sweet potatoes. What do you need to make these mashed sweet potatoes RN? Just three simple things:
- fresh sweet potatoes (or yams)
- pure maple syrup (can sub with raw honey or coconut sugar -- no brown sugar here, my friends)
- ground cinnamon
See? I told you: E.A.S.Y.
Then, just
(1) steam or boil the sweet potatoes,
(2) combine it with pure maple syrup and ground cinnamon, and then
(3) mash them into mashed sweet potatoes.
So simple!
Do You Have To Peel Sweet Potatoes?
I also like to keep the skin on the sweet potatoes to add in additional fiber and nutrients. Believe it or not, there is a lot of good stuff in the skin so leave it in! If you really don't like the texture, you could puree the sweet potatoes in a food processor to blend it up more.
Big bonus for NOT peeling the sweet potatoes? One less step to worry about! That means not having to slave away at removing the peel from the sweet potato. The skin is completely edible and a great addition to the recipe.
Can You Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes Ahead?
Mashed sweet potatoes reheat perfectly from the fridge so they are a great side to make ahead.
How To Freeze Mashed Sweet Potatoes
To freeze your mashed sweet potatoes, follow these easy peasy steps:
- Allow the mashed sweet potatoes to cool completely (placing in the fridge once cooled to room temperature will help).
- Pack the sweet potatoes into freezer safe bags or containers. If using freezer bags, flatten and remove as much air as possible
- Place into the fridge (if using a bag, you can freeze flat on a rimmed baking sheet, and then store upright once solid.
- Freeze the mashed sweet potatoes for up to 12 months.
How To Reheat Mashed Sweet Potatoes
To reheat frozen mashed sweet potatoes, allow them to thaw in the fridge until no longer frozen. Then, reheat in the microwave, stirring occasionally, for 2-4 minutes until heated through. You can also reheat in a pan on the stove by heating over medium-high heat and cooking, covered until heated through, stirring occasionally.
How To Mash Sweet Potatoes
Whether you're making mashed sweet potatoes into baby food or for a Thanksgiving dinner, I mash my sweet potatoes using any of the following tools:
- potato masher (aka hand masher)
- food processor
- blender
The high speed blender and food processor will make it so all chunks are throughly removed, which is perfect if you're looking for a puree or you like whipped potatoes. It also works perfectly for baby food since it makes sure there are no large pieces. If you can handle a few chunks here and there, you can also mash by hand.
What To Serve With Mashed Sweet Potatoes
This mashed sweet potato recipe is equally welcomed at our table on Thanksgiving or any weeknight because it makes a great side to pork, lamb or turkey. Plus, they add a nice color and texture to a plate. Here are my favorite recipes that go great with mashed sweet potatoes:
Simple Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes skin on, diced into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup (can sub raw honey or coconut sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- raw pecans, crushed (for topping)
Instructions
- Steam the sweet potatoes until very tender, approximately 15-20 minutes. No need to remove the skin.
- Once tender, transfer to a food processor and puree. Alternatively, you can mash by hand using a potato masher (this won't break up the skin as much, but is still a fine method).
- Once pureed, add the pure maple syrup and cinnamon and mix well. Taste the potatoes at this time to see if you would like it to be any sweeter.
Video
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Barb
Was looking for a recipe for puree sweet potatoes that doesn't throw out the most nutritious part (i.e. the skin) for Louisiana Sweet Potato bread for T-Day, your recipe looks like it fits the bill perfectly.
Lacey Baier
Yay! I'm such a fan of leaving in the skin, but it bothers so many people. I'm glad you like it, too! 🙂
Dagný Björg
Yumm - found via pinterest while browsing for a good basic mashed sweet potates to go with my beef meatballs tonight! Will definetly use this recipy! 🙂
Lacey Baier
Woohoo! So glad you found me and you're gonna make this tonight!!
Jennifer
Thank you for this recipe! I am new to sweet potatoes and wasn't sure how to fixed them other than the "sweet potato casserole". I based my recipe off of yours and was pleased! The mashed sweet potatoes were a hit at my Thanksgiving table.
Lacey Baier
Hooray! Happy to help!
Zandt
Lovely recipe. Quick botany note, though we might hear sweet potatoes called "yams" from time to time, they are two completely different things. True yams are a wholly different vegetable/tuber, belonging to a different botanical family, unrelated to sweet potatoes. Yams are not offered for sale in the USA, to my knowledge.
Lacey Baier
Very interesting, Zandt. Thanks for sharing 🙂
jennCO
I believe they sell yams, they at least sell cans that say yams on them...but I haven't seen it in the produce department ever....
Lacey Baier
Depending on where you live, they can be referred to as yams or sweet potatoes...
Kim H.
Thanks for the recipe. These turned out AWESOME! yesterday i was test driving new turkey day potato recipes and this one is the winner. i thought mashed sweet potatoes would have been stringy since they're so dense and fibrous to begin with but they were the complete opposite. i never would have guessed these would have been so deliciously smooth and creamy. this is definitley my contribution to our thanksgiving dinner this year!
Lacey Baier
Yay! That's so great, Kim! Have a great Thanksgiving!!
marla
Hi Lacey! Love it!! Linking back to this today 🙂
Lacey Baier
Yay! Thanks for the link back, Marla 🙂
Lisa
I just started cooking (I'm 31!!) so I'm excited to try this easy recipe! The sweet potatoes are boiling right now. Can't wait for my boyfriend to try them 🙂 Thanks so much!
Lacey Baier
You're very welcome, Lisa! It's never too late to start cooking! 😉
Helen
I found your instructions while preparing my first all-vegetable, no-meat, no-cheese, no-fat lasagne. Recipe calls for mashed sweet potatoes, which I had never made. Most other online recipes have you peel the potatoes first. Since this lasagne recipe is so labor intensive, I opted to use your method and save that one step. Thanks for the instruction, they mashed beautifully. Here's the lasagne recipe, from the Engine 2 diet. It's exquisite:
Lacey Baier
Happy to help!
john
Better to start with raw potatoes, cubed and simmered in melted butter, then mashed and brown sugar added. A little milk or cream is good too. They end up drier, not as soupy, than when steamed. Sweet Potatoes are different than potatoes. Yams are not usually available in the U.S. They're much different than sweet potatoes, which come in white and orange. White are drier. Orange are probably better for you.
Lacey Baier
Thanks for the tips, John.
Rob Davis
I just wanted to say thanks for this article. I came across it looking for a way to cook sweet potatoes, use the skin but not bake them. I give you a "hat tip" in the following article.
Thanks!
Lacey Baier
Thanks so much, Rob! You're very welcome 🙂
Jenny
I'm so excited to try this recipe! I'm a college student who lives with two very picky (and very healthy) roommates and I love to cook. They requested sweet potatoes one day so I googled it, since I'm a bit of an ametuer, and yours sounds (and looks) amazing! I'm boiling the potatoes right now and I'm excited to see how they turn out.
Thanks for the recipe! =)
Lacey Baier
Hi Jenny! I hope you like this recipe. It's one of my favorites. It's so simple, yet so yummy. Gotta love google! Thanks for sharing 🙂
jonalisa
Hey SPC,
I jumped on tastespotting to find a recipe for mashed sweet potatoes, as requested for my daughter's birthday tonight, and Bingo - the most appetizing photo linked right back to you 🙂
I don't have a steamer, so what's the best way to steam the potatoes?
Cheers,
Joan
Lacey Baier
Hi Jonalisa! Yay, so glad you found me on tastespotting. I use my large soup/pasta pot that has an attachment to steam. I don't have a steamer either However, this recipe is also great if you just boil the sweet potatoes. Or, you can always cover and cook/steam them in the microwave. Good luck!
Gil
I love mashed anything, and your photographs are superb! 🙂
I tend to add a bit of nutmeg heavy cream, too. fattening, I know - but oh, the texture.
For people like me I recommend other recipes, like 1/2 potatoes and 1/2 sweet potatoes, or my favorite -
1/3 potatoes, 1/3 sweet potatoes, 1/3 well-grilled beet. the mash comes out a shiny pink color and the flavor... unbelievable.
Lacey Baier
Hi Gil! I bet it tastes delicious with some heavy cream! I'm also intrigued by the grilled beet addition. Thanks for commenting!
The Wind Attack
I love me some mashed sweet potatoes.. Well, I love any preparation of sweet potatoes!
I make mine with toasted almond oil and maple syrup.
Great pictures!
Lacey Baier
Thanks for commenting! I've never heard of toasted almond oil, but it sounds like it would be delicious with sweet potatoes. Loving the maple syrup idea as well! Thanks!
emily
These look and sound lovely! Brilliant photos.
Lacey Baier
Hi Emily, thanks! I'm so happy you like the photos!! Thanks for commenting 🙂