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These mashed sweet potatoes are baked instead of boiled for a light, fluffy texture, then mashed with butter, maple syrup, and a touch of thyme.
The best mashed sweet potatoes, in my book, start with baked sweet potatoes—not boiled. Baking concentrates their flavor and gives them a light, fluffy texture, while boiling can make them watery or dense. My mashed sweet potatoes recipe takes a little over an hour, but most of that time is hands-off, and once the potatoes are tender, the mash comes together quickly.
They’re a natural fit for Thanksgiving, but they’re simple enough for any fall or winter dinner. Serve them with brisket, pork tenderloin, turkey, or even a store-bought rotisserie chicken. They can also be made ahead and reheated in the microwave, making them a stress-free side dish for any meal.
“Truly the best sweet potatoes I remember in over fifty years of good eating…a keeper.”
What You’ll Need To Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes: Baking caramelizes their natural sugars, deepening their flavor and making the mash extra delicious. And don’t be fooled by labels—those “yams” in the grocery store are almost always sweet potatoes!
- Butter & Milk: Make the sweet potatoes rich, smooth, and velvety. Unsalted butter lets you control the seasoning, while the milk loosens the mash without making it too heavy.
- Pure Maple Syrup: Adds caramel-like sweetness that complements the natural sweetness of the potatoes. Be sure to use pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup.
- Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Balance the sweetness and bring out the savory side of the dish.
- Fresh Thyme: An optional finishing touch that adds earthy freshness and a pop of color.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Bake the sweet potatoes: Bake the sweet potatoes whole until very soft and completely tender—this is key to getting a smooth, creamy mash. A knife should slide easily through the center with almost no resistance. Baking rather than boiling concentrates their sweetness and keeps them from becoming waterlogged.
Warm the butter mixture: While the potatoes bake, warm the butter, maple syrup, milk, salt, and pepper together in a saucepan. Warming the mixture helps everything blend smoothly into the hot potatoes.
Scoop out the flesh: Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, split them open and scoop the flesh into the warm butter mixture. If they’re fully cooked, the flesh should be very soft and separate easily from the skins.
Mash until smooth: Mash the sweet potatoes over low heat until smooth and creamy. A potato masher or ricer gives you the best texture; an electric mixer can make the potatoes slightly gummy. If the mash seems too thick, stir in a splash of warm milk until it reaches the consistency you like. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then transfer to a serving bowl and finish with fresh thyme, if desired.
Make-Ahead Tip: These mashed sweet potatoes are a great make-ahead side dish, especially for holidays when oven and stovetop space is at a premium. They reheat beautifully; see the recipe card below for detailed make-ahead and reheating instructions.
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds medium-sized sweet potatoes (3 or 4)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ cup milk
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh thyme leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (174°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up.
- Prick each sweet potato 3 to 4 times with a fork. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake until tender, 60 to 75 minutes; turn the potatoes over halfway through baking.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the maple syrup, milk, salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- When the sweet potatoes are cooked and cool enough to handle, cut them in half. Holding them in one hand with an oven mitt, scoop the warm flesh out into the pan with the butter mixture. Over low heat, mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with fresh thyme (if using). Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Very nice.
Fabulous! So easy-so delicious. I had some smoked maple syrup which really made the dish even more special. A real key is baking the potatoes rather than boiling them. Five stars!!!
Hi Jenn, I have made so many of your recipes and love them! My guy bought the light yellow sweet potatoes which are not my favorite as the taste isn’t as deep as the orange/red ones. However, I would like to try them in this recipe if you think it will work. Thank you! I look forward to your recipes every Thursday and it’s the first thing in my email that I read 🙂
So glad you like the recipes, Nancy! And, yes, I think the lighter sweet potatoes will work. Please LMK how it turns out!
Can this dish be frozen?
Hi Marie, Generally potatoes don’t freeze very well (freezing affects the texture), so I wouldn’t recommend it
Do you think this could be made with butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes?
Hi Vicky, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but I think it should work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Dear Jen, is it possible to make this ahead? Are there reheating suggestions? Is it possible to substitute the maple syrup with honey or brown sugar instead?
Hi Gayathyiri, You can reheat them in the microwave or on the stove (and add a little milk if they need thinning out). And it would be fine to replace the maple syrup with honey. Enjoy!
I had all these sweet potatoes that i needed to use, so hopped on your website and searched on sweet potatoes. This recipe was easy and delicious!! I loved that you instruct us to roast the potatoes first, rather than peeling and boiling like so many other recipes. That one step made it much easier for prep time and clean up, and i think the potatoes taste better too. What a treat!!!
Simple and delicious! My children had three servings each and they are not potato/sweet potato lovers.
I just made these this morning, for Thansgiving with just me and my daughter. They were truly the best sweet potatoes I remember in over fifty years of good eating. The only change I made was adding chopped pecans, which honestly did not add anything to the dish. In fact, I ate for breakfast what wouldn’t fit in the container I’m taking there! This is a keeper.
This is probably one of the most delicious versions of sweet potatoes I have ever eaten. Made a half batch, since there were just two of us, and served with roast beef tenderloin and sauteed swiss chard (garlic, red onion, lemon juice and grated parmesan). I made the potatoes about 90 minutes before the rest of the meal, and kept warm in a pyrex bowl over simmering water in a dutch oven. They stayed perfectly moist and flavorful until the rest of the meal was ready. I was a little concerned the maple syrup might make them overly sweet, but they were perfect. Thyme is one of my favorite herbs, and always seems to go well with root vegetables.