These Mashed Sweet Potatoes are creamy and perfectly seasoned with a touch of maple syrup and ground cinnamon. The perfect side dish for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter!
This time of year, mashed potatoes are everywhere! But if I’m being honest, they’re not really my favorite. I know, I know, I’m weird but I can’t help it! I think mashed sweet potatoes are so much better!
An easy side dish for the holidays, they’re creamy, satisfying and sweet but not too sweet. They pair perfectly with turkey, ham, chicken and beef and can be made on the stovetop or in the oven.
How to make mashed sweet potatoes
The first step is to decide whether you want to cook the sweet potatoes in the oven or on the stovetop. Baking the sweet potatoes in the oven takes about 40 minutes longer than the stovetop version, but the flavors tend to be a little richer due to the caramelization that can happen, as well as the fact that there’s no water involved.
That being said, I tend to make this recipe on the stovetop because it saves me some precious oven space during the holidays. There just never seems to be enough room for everything I want to cook on those big holidays, you know?!
Both methods are great options and you can’t go wrong with either one! I’ve included instructions for both in the recipe card below.
Ways to mash sweet potatoes
- You can use a potato masher or a fork and mash them by hand. This method easily mashes them since they’re super soft, but doesn’t always get them perfectly smooth. This is a great option if you like your mashed sweet potatoes on the rustic chunky-ish side.
- My favorite way is using an immersion blender to get them super smooth. Not only is this method very quick (only takes 30 seconds!), but it requires minimal cleanup. Here’s the immersion blender that I recommend.
When mashing, I added in some butter, milk, maple syrup, ground cinnamon and a tiny pinch of salt to really bring out the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
The result is a balanced bite that isn’t overly sweet but still has all those warming cozy flavors we love from the cinnamon and maple syrup.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- chopped candied pecans, for topping (optional)
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Fill a large Dutch oven or stockpot about halfway with water. Place on the stovetop over high heat and bring the water to a boil. While water is coming to a boil, peel and dice sweet potatoes into small-medium cubes.
- Carefully add diced sweet potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes, until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Remove pot from heat and carefully drain the water.
- Transfer sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl and add milk, butter, maple syrup, ground cinnamon and salt. Mash everything together with a potato masher for a chunkier rustic mash, or blend with an immersion blender for a super creamy mash.
- Garnish with chopped candied pecans, an extra pat of butter and serve immediately.
Oven Method
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Wash the outside of the sweet potatoes and prick each one a few times with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 50-70 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. (Bake time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes.)
- Remove from oven and let them sit on the counter until they're cool enough to handle. Peel off the skins and place the peeled sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl.
- Add milk, butter, maple syrup, ground cinnamon and salt. Mash everything together with a potato masher for a chunkier rustic mash, or blend with an immersion blender for a super creamy mash. (Add more milk if the potatoes aren't as creamy as you'd like them to be.)
- Garnish with chopped candied pecans, an extra pat of butter and serve immediately.
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