Mashed Sweet Potatoes can be lackluster but they can also be mind-bogglingly good. My sweet potato mash uses two ingredients you know and love and one (not-so) unique cooking method for the best whipped mashed potatoes around!
Ingredients
These simple ingredients come together to create the best mashed sweet potatoes you’ll ever try!
- Sweet Potatoes – Raw, whole sweet potatoes are what we need here. Sometimes they sell white potatoes, or even purple, at the grocery store but in order to get that classic orange color, be sure you grab regular sweet potatoes.
- Half & Half or Cream – You could add a little more or less than the recipe calls for based on your desired consistency.
- Bay Leaves – Infusing fresh herbs into the cream is my favorite method to taking this savory sweet potato mash up a notch. The flavor is the perfect accompaniment to this tasty side dish.
- Orange Juice – And now for my secret ingredient. Orange juice, and even some orange zest if you’d like, is a great addition to the flavor profile of these easy mashed sweet potatoes.
- Brown Sugar – Although this delicious recipe leans more towards the savory side, I still like to add an element of sweetness with the orange juice and brown sugar.
- Salt – I use kosher salt for this recipe. You can add to taste, but it really helps bring out all of the flavors of this smooth mash.
Baking vs. Boiling
Most people boil their regular potatoes before mashing them and mixing them with loads of butter, sour cream, and milk. And for sweet potatoes, they usually add in brown sugar, a little butter, and molasses.
Instead, I like to bake mine. This helps to naturally caramelize the sugars these tubers already have in them and at the same time, it really amplifies that natural sweet potato taste.
Variations
Put your own spin on these mashed sweet potatoes!
- Spicy – If you want the spicy version, add some crushed red pepper flakes or chili powder when blending and top it with cooked and crumbled chorizo sausage.
- Dairy-free or Vegan – Instead of half & half, you could use a dairy-free alternative like coconut milk or almond milk. If you’re staying vegan, make sure you top your with vegan butter.
- Herbs – You could substitute some fresh thyme or even rosemary for the bay leaves if you’d like to change up the flavor a bit.
- Sugar – If you’d like to add another flavor element to the best sweet potatoes, you could use pure maple syrup instead of brown sugar.
- Bacon – If you want to jazz them up a bit, you could top them with crispy bits of bacon for some salty sweet action that is sure to not disappoint.
How to Make Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Prepare oven and potatoes. Preheat your oven and scrub and clean sweet potatoes. Prick all over with a fork and place in an oven-safe baking dish. Bake until fork tender.
- Make infused cream. Allow the potatoes to cool. Meanwhile, bring half & half or cream to a low simmer, and add bay leaves. Simmer, but do not boil or scald.
- Remove the inside of the potatoes. Cut each sweet potato in half and remove the meat. It should easily peel away from the sweet potato skins. Place into a large food processor.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Combine half & half mixture, orange juice, brown sugar, and kosher salt in the blender, puree until smooth and it lightens in color. I like using a food processor to achieve that creamy texture, but you could also use a potato masher or potato ricer if you like your sweet potato mash recipe to be a little chunkier.
- Serve and garnish. Serve immediately. Garnish or serve with traditional mashed potato toppings like sour cream, butter, salt and pepper, or scallions.
Make It a Meal!
Is there anything you can’t serve with mashed potatoes? That’s questionable… Of course, you have your classics like stuffed meatloaf and roast beef, but maybe also try them with BBQ Meatballs or Instant Pot Whole Chicken.
Pair with veggies like this broccolini recipe or grilled broccoli. And leftovers can be used to make mashed potato cups.
Common Questions about Mashed Sweet Potatoes
There are a few ways to thicken mashed potatoes. First, you can heat them on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave. Or, you can place them in a cheesecloth to strain out some of the moisture. You can also blend in flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk.
The term healthy means different things to different people — both versions contain valuable nutrients. Sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A, though.
Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams aren’t quite as sweet and they are drier and more starchy.
Storage
These potatoes store and reheat well, making them perfect for meal prep.
Make Ahead
You can roast the potatoes and make the cream ahead of time and store them in the fridge overnight before making the mash. You may want to remove the flesh from the skin before refrigerating — it will be easier when the potatoes are still warm.
Refrigerator
Store any leftover mashed sweet potatoes in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.
Freezer
Fully cool the mashed potatoes before transferring them to a freezer-safe container. Then, freeze them for up to six months.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Love sweet potatoes as much as we do? Check out more of our favorite recipes that use sweet potatoes!
Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes
- 2 cups half &half or cream
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scrub and clean the sweet potatoes. Prick them all over with a fork and place them in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake them for 45 minutes or until they are fork tender. Allow the potatoes to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, bring the half & half (or cream) and bay leaves to a simmer on low heat. Simmer the milk for 5 minutes, do not boil or scald. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Cut each sweet potato in half and remove the meat. It should easily peel away from the skins. Place the meat into a large food processor. Add the half & half mixture, orange juice, brown sugar and Kosher salt to the blender and puree until it is smooth and lightens in color.
- Serve the potatoes immediately. Garnish or serve them with traditional mashed potato toppings like sour cream, butter, salt and pepper or scallions.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
This is a great recipe! I loved the addition of the orange juice, made it such a sweet and a subtle zesty side dish.
Easy and delicious, this one is a keeper. I know I’m going to make it over and over again!
These whipped sweet potatoes look so creamy and delicious. I love that you bake them first and then add the infused cream. They are a perfect side dish.
This is such a nice change of pace with them mashed we loved them like this and I will make them again for sure
These mashed sweet potatoes were so easy and came out amazing! This is definitely going on my Thanksgiving menu this year.
I’ve never thought of adding orange juice to mashed potatoes but that sounds incredible! Definitely planning to make these soon.
I’m so glad this is vegetarian! I cannot wait to try this as even thinking of sweet potatoes and a flavor of pepper and orange is mouthwatering!