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These simple mashed sweet potatoes are a great addition to any meal. Ready to serve in 20 minutes, they are wonderfully creamy and seasoned with cinnamon for a perfectly flavored dish.
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite veggies during fall and the holidays, and they work so well when mashed with cream and butter for an indulgent and delicious side.
Totally effortless to make this sweet potato mash recipe, you just need a few simple ingredients and they can even be made ahead of time.
For more delicious sides, be sure to try my Roasted Honey Glazed Carrots and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Mash
- Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are a great source of so many vitamins and minerals as well as being high in fiber.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe, just adjust the amount of added salt to suit your tastes.
- Heavy cream: For the richest and creamiest mash. You can use milk instead if you prefer.
- Salt and pepper: Added to taste.
- Cinnamon: This is optional, but it adds a great earthy sweetness.
How to make mashed sweet potatoes
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and boil until tender, about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Drain well and allow to sit in the colander a few minutes to make sure all water evaporates.
- Return sweet potatoes to the pot (or a large bowl) and add butter to the potatoes and mash with a hand masher. Add cream or milk a little bit at a time to reach the desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot and top with a dash of cinnamon if desired.
How Long Do You Boil Sweet Potatoes
Boil sweet potatoes cut in 1″ rounds for about 10 – 15 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a fork. Cutting them in rounds or in chunks reduces the time they need until they are cooked. If you keep the sweet potatoes whole, boil them for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are tender.
Can you make mashed sweet potatoes ahead of time?
Mashed sweet potatoes are a great make-ahead side. Just let them cool to room temperature and they will keep covered in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Gently reheat the creamy sweet potato mash on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, till heated through to serve.
Can you freeze them?
Once cooked, you can freeze these healthy mashed sweet potatoes for up to a year! Freeze the sweet potato mash in ziplock bags and then defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Freeze any leftovers and they can be used for the topping on my Cottage Pie with Sweet Potatoes.
What do you serve them with?
These sweet potatoes are a great addition to any holiday table – they are so quick to make and they are great to serve with any weeknight family dinner. Try them with:
- Honey Sriracha Salmon
- Baked Chicken Breasts
- Rosemary Peach Pork Tenderloin
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Cut the sweet potatoes into similar sized cubes so that they cook evenly.
- The potatoes should be fork tender when removed from the water.
- Don’t be tempted to blend the potatoes or they will become soupy, use a hand masher.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
If you like my recipe for sweet mashed potatoes, you will also love these recipes:
- Sweet Potato Fries with Paprika Garlic Aioli
- Sweet Potato Sausage Frittata
- Baked Sweet Potato Chips
- Sweet Potato and Kale Gratin
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
- 3-4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1” rounds or chunks
- ⅓ cup butter, cut into 4 pieces
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, or milk
- salt & pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and boil until tender, about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Drain well and allow to sit in the colander a few minutes to make sure all water evaporates.
- Return sweet potatoes to the pot or a large bowl, and add butter to the potatoes and mash with a hand masher. Add cream or milk a little bit at a time to reach desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot and top with a dash of cinnamon if desired.
TIPS & NOTES
- Cut the sweet potatoes into similar sized cubes so that they cook evenly.
- The potatoes should be fork tender when removed from the water.
- Don’t be tempted to blend the potatoes or they will become soupy, use a hand masher.
NUTRITION
Use the tag #DeliciousMeetsHealthy when posting a picture of your recipe, and make sure to follow @deliciousmeetshealthy on Instagram!
I love quick and easy side dishes (more time to focus on creating an amazing main dish), but I always want to have plenty of nutritious veggie options offered, too! And speaking of main dishes – thanks for the suggestion to serve these with Honey Sriracha Salmon – that sounds fantastic!
One of my favourite side dishes ever! It looks so creamy and delicious.
Mashed sweet potatoes are the BEST! Thank you for not adding sugar!!! You’ve let the natural sweetness shine through!
This mashed sweet potato was so good! Perfectly creamy and buttery.
Creamy and delicious! Hubby and I found these quite yummy!