It’s no secret how much I love sweet potatoes, so I’m always looking for easy ways to cook them. These Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes have been one of my go-to methods for years. It frees up my oven in case I need to bake another dish, but if I only want a baked sweet potato for lunch it saves me from having to heat up my stove at all. It’s really convenient and they cook perfectly in the instant pot every single time!
This recipe was originally published December 2020, but has been completely updated with new photos and information.
Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Because sweet potatoes are my absolute favorite vegetable ever, I had to share with you just a few of its amazing health benefits:
- They’re rich in antioxidants: Antioxidants can help protect your body from free radicals and may help fight off certain diseases such as cancer.
- Rich in fiber: Fiber helps promote a healthy digestive system and gut health.
- Lots of vitamin A: Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A in your body. Vitamin A can help support a healthy eyesight/vision.
- Sweet potatoes are high in potassium which helps keep blood pressure down and supports cardiovascular health.
- And they can help manage stress levels: Sweet Potatoes have high amounts of magnesium which can help to reduce stress and anxiety!🙌
How To Cook Sweet Potatoes In The Instant Pot
Cooking sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker is probably the easiest way to cook them. There’s just 2 steps:
Step One: Wash the sweet potatoes well and then pat them dry. Pierce them with a fork all the way around so steam can escape as they cook.
Step Two: Pressure cook for 25-35 minutes depending on the size of the sweet potatoes. Allow a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes.
Cooking Times
How long it will take to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot will vary depending on the size of your sweet potatoes. I’ve tested several different cook times for sweet potatoes using the Instant Pot and the ones below are the best times for fluffy and soft sweet potatoes!
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Video
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 ½ Tablespoons brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the sweet potatoes and pat dry. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork a few times all the way around to allow steam to escape while they are cooking.
- Insert the Instant Pot trivet rack and place the sweet potatoes on top of the rack. Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot and close the lid.
- Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, allow the instant pot to do a natural steam release for 15 minutes. Then carefully do a quick release to remove the rest of the pressure and remove the lid.
- Serve each sweet potato with 1 tablespoon butter, ½ tablespoon brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. You can experiment with other toppings like a pinch of ground nutmeg, a dash of vanilla extract, chopped pecans, or even marshmallows. It also tastes really good with a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy!
Notes
- If your sweet potatoes are on the smaller side, adjust the pressure cook time to 25 minutes with a natural steam release of 10 minutes. I usually purchase large sweet potatoes and they definitely take the full 30 minutes to cook. Extra-large sweet potatoes will take 35 minutes to cook.
- A 6 quart Instant Pot can hold 4-5 large sweet potatoes. But be sure not to overfill or go past the fill line.
- Cook time does not include time for Instant Pot to reach full pressure.
Nutrition
If you love sweet potatoes as much as I do, then try out these delicious Southern Candied Yams next!
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