Mashed Sweet Potatoes
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Why My Mashed Sweet Potatoes Are So Good
Personally, I love mashed sweet potatoes so much more than the sugary, marshmallow-topped casserole. At holidays, I won’t win that argument with my husband, though. He’ll want both on the table before he gives up his sweet potato casserole. This is why I like sweet mashed potatoes more:
- These lean into the sweet potato’s own natural sweetness and butter and sour cream give them a rich, creamy texture.
- I only need a handful of ingredients, so the sweet potato flavor stays front and center instead of getting buried.
- Sour cream adds a little tang that balances out the sweetness, so this doesn’t taste like a dessert.
- I give you three cooking methods here: oven, Instant Pot, or Crock Pot, so you can pick whichever fits your day.
Key Ingredients and Notes
Sweet potatoes – I weigh mine on a scale to get closer to 3.5 pounds total, since sweet potatoes vary a lot in size and “medium” can mean different things at different stores. Make sure they are not too soft and no dark and rotten spots.
Sour cream – I like the tang and creaminess it adds, so these don’t end up tasting like a dessert.
Fresh chives – Fresh chives or scallions is the best option for flavor and aroma.
How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Baking the Sweet Potatoes (My Preferred Method)
- Prep and bake – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scrub each sweet potato, pierce it a few times with a knife, and wrap it individually in foil. Bake for 1.5-2 hours, flipping halfway through, until a fork slides all the way through the center easily. I bake mine rather than boil or steam them, since baking brings out more of the sweet potato’s natural flavor.
- Cool and peel – Let the potatoes cool until you can handle them, then unwrap them carefully and save any juice that collected in the foil. Peel off the skin and add the flesh to a mixing bowl along with that reserved juice. I always save it, since it’s packed with flavor.
- Mash – Add the butter, sour cream, chives, and salt, then mash well with a potato masher.
Additional Methods to Cook Sweet Potatoes:
Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot and place the sweet potatoes on the steamer rack. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for about 25 minutes for medium potatoes, adding more time for larger ones. Let the pressure release naturally, about 10 minutes, rather than quick-releasing it. I find this gives the potatoes a little extra time to finish cooking through evenly.
Crock Pot Method: I just set mine and forget it here. Place the sweet potatoes in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours, adding an hour for larger potatoes.
How to Store Leftover Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Refrigerator: I keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer: these freeze well too. Let them cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk to bring the texture back.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe FAQs
This is hard to say by count alone, since sweet potato sizes vary so much. I’d weigh them on a scale at the grocery store to get to 3.5 pounds total rather than guessing by how many potatoes that is.
This recipe is written and tested with fresh sweet potatoes. I haven’t tested it with canned, so I can’t say how the texture or flavor would compare.
This usually comes down to the potatoes themselves, either undercooked, overcooked, or an older potato with more fibrous strings. Baking them until a fork slides through easily, not just partway, helps soften those fibers. If you still end up with strings, pressing the flesh through a fine-mesh sieve or ricer before mashing will catch them.
Extra moisture is almost always the cause, either from potatoes that released a lot of liquid as they cooked or from adding too much liquid ingredient at once. Since this recipe bakes the potatoes instead of boiling them, you shouldn’t run into much excess water, but if it happens, mash in the sour cream a little at a time instead of all at once.
More Side Dish Recipes From Me
- The Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- Maple Bacon Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Parmesan Mushroom Orzo
- Mashed Potato Cakes
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3.5 lbs sweet potatoes medium sized
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Scrub each sweet potato under cold water.
- Pierce a couple of holes in the sweet potato with a small knife.
- Wrap each sweet potato in aluminum foil individually.
- Place all wrapped sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and cook for about 1.5 – 2 hours. Turn them over half way through cooking time.
(Time can be adjusted for smaller or larger potatoes.) - Potatoes are done when the fork goes in all the way through the center easily.
- Let potatoes cool until can be handled.
- Take off foil carefully and save the sweet potato juices that have accumulated. (Add them to the mixing bowl.)
- Peel off the skin and add sweet potato meat to the mixing bowl.
- Add butter, sour cream, chives, and some salt. Mash very well with potato masher.
- Store in the refrigerator, in a container with a lid if needed.
Nutrition
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Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Hi,
It is hard to say since sweet potatoes vary in size so much. I would use the scale most grocery stores have to weigh them out to 3.5 pounds to make sure you have the right amount.
Hey! How many “normally sized” sweetpotatoes did you use in this recipe?