Mashed sweet potatoes have always been one of my favorite side dishes and I love to make them during the week for dinner or for special holiday gatherings. These creamy mashed sweet potatoes are perfectly flavored with brown sugar, warm spices and my personal favorite…brown butter! They’re rich in flavor, creamy, and can be made quickly and easily any day of the week!
The ingredients, flavors, and method that I use in this mashed sweet potatoes recipe is similar to the way I like to make my brown butter sweet potato pie and my candied yams. Everything blends together perfectly and the flavors are absolutely amazing!
The Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes
The ingredients to make mashed sweet potatoes are simple, but there are 2 things that I like to add to make my recipe really stand out: brown butter and heavy cream. The brown butter adds a rich, caramel-like flavor to the sweet potatoes. And the heavy cream adds more richness and creates velvety smooth sweet potatoes. This combo along with brown sugar and spices will take your sweet potatoes to a whole new level…trust me!
How To Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Step One: Start by boiling the sweet potatoes in a pot with water until they are fork tender.
Step Two: Drain the sweet potatoes and place them in a large bowl.
Step Three: In a light-colored pot, start browning the butter over medium-low heat.
Step Four: Once the butter is brown, add the brown sugar and stir until well combined. Then add in the spices and heavy cream.
Step Five: Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the sweet potatoes.
Step Six: Mash with a potato masher or blend with a hand mixer until smooth to your liking.
A Few Recipe Tips and Variations
- Use a food processor. If you want really silky smooth sweet potatoes, once the potatoes are done boiling, you can add them to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds. Do this before adding any of the other ingredients. This will break down some of the stringy flesh and creates an extra-smooth sweet potato base for you to work with.
- Use half-n-half. You can substitute the heavy cream for half-n-half if you happen to have that on hand. Using heavy cream will give you a more decadent flavor, but both options will work for this recipe.
- Use Maple Syrup. If you want you can swap out the brown sugar for maple syrup. The flavor of maple syrup goes really well with the brown butter and this is what I use for my Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes recipe.
Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- â…“ cup heavy cream (or half-n-half)
Instructions
- Start by washing and peeling the sweet potatoes. Then chop the potatoes into large chunks.
- Add the sweet potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water. Heat the pot over medium-high heat and bring it up to a boil. Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl.
- Now let’s make the brown butter. Add the butter to a light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, begin slowly stirring the butter with a spoon or whisk every few seconds. Allow the butter to simmer for approximately 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the color starts to change. You will know the butter is ready when it starts to brown and give off a nutty, caramel smell.
- Once the butter is brown, turn off the heat and add the brown sugar. Stir until well combined. Then add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and heavy cream. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the sweet potatoes. Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher or blend with a hand mixer until smooth. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Easy & Delicious Side Dishes
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Corn Pudding
- Maple Glazed Carrots
- Southern Collard Greens
- Sautéed Cabbage
- Easy Roasted Broccoli
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