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This savory mashed sweet potatoes recipe is deliciously buttery and has fresh herbs and warm flavors. It’s a simple to make, beautiful seasonal side dish!
Try my Creamy Sweet Potato Soup or Cheesy Scalloped Sweet Potatoes next if you’ve got some to use up.
Why you’ll love it
The key to irresistible mashed sweet potatoes is acknowledging the fact that they’re naturally sweet. They don’t need any added sugar! To perfectly complement them, all that’s required is a handful of fresh herbs and some butter and cream. Cinnamon kicks up the flavor even more, and your house will smell amazing.
These easy mashed sweet potatoes are the perfect side if you feel like trying something a bit different to your usual go-to Mashed Potatoes. People mostly think about sweet potatoes during Thanksgiving or the holidays, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Since they’re so simple to make, I pair them with any fall meal!
What you’ll need
- Sweet potatoes – choose firm ones without blemishes. Sometimes you’ll find sweet potatoes labeled as “yams” at the grocery store.
- Butter – to add richness
- Heavy cream – it give that luxurious texture when mashed
- Sage and rosemary – these fresh herbs are the ideal contrast and complement to the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes
- Cinnamon – its warmth tops off this tasty side dish
- Salt & pepper – it brings out all the flavors
Helpful hints
- You’ll have the best results if you chop the herbs very finely. The little bit of extra time it takes to do this is worth it.
- Either way you decide to cook the sweet potatoes (baking or boiling), it’ll work out! So don’t worry too much. If your oven is occupied, you may want to choose the boiling method. I do find it easier to just throw them in the oven vs. peeling them raw, though.
- I prefer using a hand-held masher the old-fashioned way rather than a mixer. You can control the consistency way easier.
How to make mashed sweet potatoes
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Start by cooking the sweet potatoes. Baking them is my favorite method, but you can also boil them as outlined in the recipe card below.
- Warm the butter, cream, and herb mixture on the stove when they’re just about ready. As it warms, the mixture gets infused with the fresh herb flavors.
- Scoop the mashed potatoes out of their skins, add them to a pot along with the cream mixture, and mash ’em with hand-held potato masher. Drizzle with extra cream and butter if desired.
Make ahead tips
- You can make these mashed sweet potatoes a day or two ahead of time. When ready, warm them in a covered pot over a low heat, and add a splash more cream and re-mash them as needed.
- Another option is keeping them warm in a Crockpot (using the “keep warm” setting), but if they’re sitting there for hours, you may need to add a touch more liquid and re-mash.
Substitutions and variations
- I haven’t tested subbing the cream for anything else, but you could probably sub it in this recipe for half-and-half or whole milk if need be. Just keep in mind they won’t be as rich or creamy.
- I strongly recommend using fresh herbs as it does make a difference. However, if you need to use dried herbs, I’d start with 1/2 teaspoon each of rosemary and sage and then taste and add more as necessary.
What to serve with mashed sweet potatoes
- Of course, they’re great for the holidays. Try them with my Easy Roast Turkey and other Christmas and Thanksgiving favorites for your feast.
- I love eating them all season as a cozy side dish! Pair them with an easy protein like my Baked Pork Tenderloin or Best Meatloaf Recipe.
Leftovers and storage
- Any leftover mashed sweet potatoes will keep in the fridge for a few days in an airtight container.
- Reheat over a low heat in a saucepan. I like to add a splash more cream and re-mash them.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers of this recipe.
Questions about this easy mashed sweet potatoes recipe? Ask me in the comments below, and please leave me a review if you made them! You can also find me on Instagram.
Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (needles only) chopped finely
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat your oven to 425F. Move the rack to the middle position. Place whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes on the baking sheet. Carefully prick potatoes all over with a knife. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until very soft.
- Meanwhile, when the sweet potatoes are about ready, add the butter, cream, sage, rosemary, cinnamon, and salt & pepper to a small saucepan and warm over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring every so often.
- Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise (to let the steam escape), and let them cool for a few minutes until they're cool enough to handle. Scoop out the flesh and add it to a pot.
- Pour the warm cream mixture into the pot and mash the sweet potatoes with a hand-held potato masher until smooth.
- Transfer them to a bowl and serve immediately. For the garnish in the photos (optional), I added about a teaspoon of cream + a couple tablespoons of butter and microwaved it until melted. I then poured it over the mashed sweet potatoes.
Notes
- Sweet potatoes vary so much in size, so that’s why I suggest a weight. I had 5 small-medium sweet potatoes in the 3 pounds for this recipe.
- If you prefer, you can boil the sweet potatoes instead of baking. To do this, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1″ (or so) pieces. Add them to a pot, cover with water, and boil until tender.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi, I’m planning on making this for Christmas and I’m wondering if you’ve tried it with nondairy milk? Like Coconut or Almond? We have several with milk allergies.
Hi Sharon! I haven’t. Coconut milk may work since it’s a thicker consistency (more like cream than milk).
I’ve been making this dish for Thanksgiving since 2021 and each time I make it, it’s a HUGE hit. Thank you for sharing this savory sweet potato casserole recipe!
Aww you’re very welcome!!
Outstanding recipe. Everyone loved them
Thank you 🙂
You’re welcome!
I absolutely love sweet potatoes. I eat them often several times a week. Whether baked with butter and cinnamon or cut up, roasted and sprinkled with different spices. I was thrilled to come across this recipe and today for lunch decided to try it since I have a ton of sweet potatoes that need to be used. This recipe is divine.
I’m so happy to hear that, Amber!! 🙂 Thanks so much for your review!