Mashed Sweet Potatoes

5 from 5 votes
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These smooth and creamy mashed sweet potatoes are made with roasted sweet potatoes, an entire head of garlic, and a little Greek yogurt. They’re a delicious side dish for any weeknight or holiday meal!

healthy mashed sweet potatoes in bowl with butter
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Don’t get me wrong, we love mashed potatoes (and mashed cauliflower, too!), but these mashed sweet potatoes are just as good. They’re the perfect combination of sweet, savory, and creamy that pairs wonderfully with just about any meal!

We tested this sweet potato mash recipe with a few different sweet potato cooking methods, and loved how they turned out when we roasted the sweet potatoes first. There was more flavor and more sweetness than our version with boiled sweet potatoes.

Once the potatoes are roasted, mix them with a little butter and Greek yogurt (our secret ingredient!), and serve. This is a pretty hands-off recipe which we appreciate, especially if making these for Thanksgiving.

What is in mashed sweet potatoes?

These mashed potatoes are made with just a few wholesome ingredients. You’ll need:

  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt + Pepper
  • Butter
  • Greek Yogurt
roasted potatoes in casserole dish

Mashed Sweet Potato Variations

This mashed sweet potatoes recipe is totally versatile and there are many ways to customize this side dish to your preferences. A few ideas:

Cooking Method

Instead of roasting the sweet potatoes first, boil them. Here’s how:

  1. Wash the sweet potatoes and chop them into quarters (skin on or off, your choice).
  2. Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Add 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
  3. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let the potatoes simmer until they are fork tender (about 20-30 minutes).
  4. Drain the water from the potatoes and continue with the recipe as written.

Mashing Method

When it comes to the mashing the sweet potatoes, you have options. To avoid stringy mashed potatoes, make sure the sweet potatoes are fork tender before mashing.

Here’s the down-low on the kinds of textures you’ll get with each method.

  • Potato Masher: Lumpy with bites of texture.
  • Food Processor: Super smooth and creamy.
  • Hand Mixer or Immersion Blender: Mostly creamy with few lumps. We used an immersion blender!

Fun FlavorS

Sweet: Mix in 1 tablespoon or maple syrup or brown sugar for a little sweetness.

Spicy: Give the mashed sweet potatoes a kick! Mix in a pinch of red pepper flakes or 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Spice Mix: Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of your favorite seasoning on top of the mashed sweet potatoes for a pretty garnish and extra flavor. Our homemade everything bagel seasoning or homemade ranch seasoning are both great options.

scooping out sweet potato flesh with spoon

FAQ

How do you know when the sweet potatoes are fully cooked?

Sweet potatoes are fully cooked when they become darker in color and are fork tender. Depending on how large your sweet potatoes are, you may need to cook them for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Should you leave the skin on or off of the sweet potatoes?

This is totally personal preference. For the smoothest, creamiest mashed sweet potatoes, we like to only use the roasted sweet potato flesh. If you like the texture that the sweet potato skin adds, feel free to add in the sweet potato skins, too.

Can you make these mashed sweet potatoes vegan?

Definitely. Swap the butter for vegan butter and the Greek yogurt for a dairy-free yogurt.

Storage

This recipe for mashed sweet potatoes is a great make-ahead Thanksgiving recipe! Free up oven space by making these mashed sweet potatoes up to 5 days ahead of time. Let the mashed sweet potatoes cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

When ready to serve, warm the potatoes up in the microwave or transfer to an oven-safe baking dish and heat until warmed through. You may need to mix in a splash of milk or a dollop of Greek yogurt to thin the potatoes out a little bit.

mashed sweet potatoes in bowl with butter

Serving Suggestions

We love serving these mashed sweet potatoes alongside hearty main dishes or as part of a holiday menu. Here are a few of our favorite recipes to pair with mashed sweet potatoes:

Weeknight Main Dishes: Instant Pot pork chops, crispy baked chicken thighs, spinach stuffed chicken breast, and baked pork tenderloin.

Holiday Recipes: Smoked turkey breast or roasted turkey tenderloin, healthy green bean casserole, mushroom gravy, and sausage stuffing.

5 from 5 votes

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Roasted to tender perfection then mashed with Greek yogurt, these ultra smooth mashed potatoes are a welcome addition to any holiday meal.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 8
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Ingredients 

  • 5 large sweet potatoes
  • 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1/3 cup full-fat Greek yogurt, or sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • optional garnish: fresh thyme
  • optional topping: unsalted butter

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a large casserole dish or baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Prepare the sweet potatoes and garlic. Cut off each end of the potatoes, then slice them in half long-ways (hot-dog style). Cut off the pointy end of the head of garlic to expose the cloves.
  • Place the sweet potatoes and garlic head on prepared baking pan, cut-side up. Drizzle with olive oil and season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
    Sweet potatoes bring drizzled with olive oil in a baking dish.
  • Roast in the oven for for 20 minutes. Then, flip the sweet potatoes and garlic so they are skin-side up. Roast for another 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
    Roasted sweet potatoes in a green baking dish.
  • Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
  • Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the sweet potatoes and place the flesh into a large bowl. Skip this step if you want mashed sweet potatoes with the skin on.
    a person holding mashed sweet potatoes in their hand.
  • Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their casing and add to the bowl with the sweet potatoes. Add the yogurt, butter, and remaining salt/pepper.
  • Use a hand mixer or immersion blender to mix everything together until smooth. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve topped with additional butter.
    a bowl of mashed sweet potatoes with butter and thyme.

Tips & Notes

  • Storage: Let the mashed sweet potatoes cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
  • Reheating Mashed Sweet Potatoes: When ready to serve, warm the potatoes up in the microwave or transfer to an oven-safe baking dish and heat until warmed through. You may need to mix in a splash of milk or a dollop of Greek yogurt to thin the potatoes out a little bit. 

Watch It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”aFdaUBS9″ upload-date=”2021-11-09T20:20:46.000Z” name=”Mashed Sweet Potatoes” description=”Mashed sweet potatoes are a silky smooth, buttery side made with roasted sweet potatoes, a whole head of garlic, and a little Greek yogurt.”]

Nutrition

Calories: 186 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 6 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 9 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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anna
anna
December 15, 2022 1:26 pm
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5 stars
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enney Beverly
November 13, 2021 1:55 pm
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5 stars
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Jose
Jose
November 2, 2020 7:37 am
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5 stars
Great recipe!

Last edited 3 years ago by Jose
N Crain
N Crain
November 9, 2019 10:13 am

I usually mash mine with milk & butter (the same way I make regular mashed potatoes), but was out of milk one night. Instead, I subbed in coconut coffee creamer and added a little cinnamon. It was a little odd, but the family ate ALL of it! I called it a success. ๐Ÿ˜‰