By: Jill Mills Updated: Dec 31, 2024

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With just 3 ingredients, these creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes are a perfect side dish for any dinner! Whip them up for a special holiday dinner next to turkey or ham or serve with a weeknight meal anytime.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon on top

Easy Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Inspired by the wonderful steakhouse style baked sweet potatoes, these mashed sweet potatoes are smooth and creamy. They’re very similar in texture to my crockpot mashed potatoes and are so versatile to enjoy. One of my personal favorite ways to serve these is with Mississippi pot roast but we’ve also served them up as a holiday side dish too.

My favorite thing about savory mashed sweet potatoes is how easy they are to make. You’ll just need sweet potatoes, cream, butter, salt and pepper. Cook the potatoes, mash them with the other ingredients voila! you have a side dish for any occasion.

If you have a pressure cooker, you will also want to check out our Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe. Similar to this recipe but with a different cooking method!

ingredients to make Mashed Sweet Potatoes

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make the Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe (the exact measurements and full recipe instructions are below in the printable recipe card):

Sweet potatoes – Depending on where you live, these might be labeled as ‘yams’ in your grocery store produce department. Be sure to use the bright orange yams/sweet potatoes, not the very pale colored sweet potatoes.
Butter – Adds a rich flavor to the side dish.
Cream – You can also use half-and-half to make these sweet potatoes creamy.
Salt and pepper – The only seasonings needed for these savory whipped sweet potatoes. The pepper is optional but recommended.

How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Here’s how to prepare this easy sweet potato recipe in a few easy steps.

Sweet potato chunks boiling in a pot of water

Chunks of sweet potatoes topped with salt in a bowl

Cook the sweet potatoes. Peel and cut the potatoes into 2-inch chunks. Bring to boil in a large pot with water and boil for 15 to 20 minutes.
Mash the potatoes. Drain the sweet potatoes and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the butter and cream then mash with a potato masher.
Season and serve. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste, then serve with extra butter and cinnamon if desired.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes in a bowl topped with butter

Tips & Variations

Here are a few tips for making this easy sweet potato recipe, as well as a few variations.

Cut the sweet potatoes into even pieces. Cutting the sweet potatoes into chunks that are the same size helps ensure they all cook evenly. I recommend 2 inch chunks as they’ll cook fairly quickly.
Use an electric hand mixer. For extra creamy whipped sweet potatoes, use an electric hand mixer to whip them until smooth.
Season to taste. I always give these a little taste test before serving and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Make mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar. If you’re a fan of brown sugar on baked sweet potatoes, you can stir some brown sugar into these potatoes before serving. I like to add some cinnamon as well.
More savory add-ins. Feel free to play around with the flavor by adding in some chopped chives or green onions or even replacing the cream with sour cream.

scooping Mashed Sweet Potatoes with a spoon

What To Serve With Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

These easy mashed sweet potatoes are an ideal side dish for so many things. Besides Mississippi pot roast, I love these with chicken breast and pork chops for a casual weeknight dinner but they’re just as lovely next to a turkey on Thanksgiving or a holiday ham on Christmas.

How to Store Leftovers

Keep the leftover sweet potatoes in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each heating interval.

You can also freeze your leftover sweet potatoes for up to 3 months. Once they’ve cooled, transfer to an airtight container and freeze. Thaw in the fridge then reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring frequently.

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