Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Name: Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes; 2 teaspoons sea salt; 4 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted); 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon nutmeg; ¼ cup chopped pecans

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Save time and space in your kitchen this Thanksgiving with easy and creamy Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes. A holiday meal side that doesn't go into the oven or on the stove top, is easy to clean up, and can be sweet, savory, or somewhere in between!

Mashed sweet potatoes with melted butter and chopped pecans in a white bowl, on top of a blue napkin with white stripes.

I bought an instant pot years ago, and for the most part, it sat collecting dust in my pantry. But now, with two very active young kids and our busy life, I'm kicking myself for not utilizing this fantastic appliance sooner! It cooks everything in a fraction of the time it usually takes, everything is so tender and clean-up is a breeze! Also, during the holidays, I can use my pressure cooker as an easy way to make amazing side dishes without having to worry about space in my oven or on the stove top.

So, if I've convinced you to try Instant Pot recipes, then you'll need to make this delicious sweet potato recipe. It's the perfect side dish for a weeknight dinner, but impressive enough for the holiday season. It's creamy, fluffy and oh-so-delicious! Not to mention this Instant Pot mashed sweet potatoes recipe is so easy that it takes as little as 35 minutes to make.

Your whole family will love it and it'll become one of their favorite side dishes. And what's better than making classic recipes easier during the holidays?! Pressure cooking will take the pressure off of you (pun intended) during sometimes chaotic times.

These sweet potatoes are made with maple syrup, brown sugar and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg that will make your whole house smell delightful. They are creamy, fluffy and delicious – thanks to the butter and cream. The pressure cooker helps the sweet potatoes get incredibly tender, making them easy to mash. I top mine with some chopped pecans for crunch and call it done! And did I mention this recipe is also gluten-free?

Check out these other amazing sweet potato recipes: Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar and Pecan Topping, Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Apples and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes.

Why You Should Make This Recipe

The electric pressure cooker allows you to make a fantastic side dish without worrying about space in your oven or on the stove top. Bonus, it keeps the mashed sweet potatoes warm until you're ready to serve!
Sweet potatoes are budget friendly and it's the perfect healthy side dish.
This dish is highly versatile! Make it sweet with maple syrup and brown sugar, or savory with garlic, minced herbs and cheese.
The Instant Pot makes this recipe simple to make and requires minimal clean-up.

Ingredients Needed

Easy pressure cooker mashed sweet potatoes are made with only a few simple ingredients. I've also included ingredient variations below.

Sweet potatoes – jewel or garnet sweet potato varieties are recommended. Look for sweet potatoes that have orange skin and orange flesh.
Butter – real butter makes creamy potatoes.
Heavy cream – again, using real dairy makes these easy mashed sweet potatoes creamy and richer.
Pure maple syrup
Brown Sugar
Sea salt
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg
Pecans – substitute with walnuts.
Water

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

Variations

Make these classic mashed potatoes savory by adding garlic and minced fresh herbs (like sage, rosemary and thyme) and some Parmesan cheese (cream cheese or even cheddar cheese). You could even add a great addition like bacon!

How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot

Wash, peel and cut about 2 pounds of sweet potatoes into 2″ cubes.

Place the steamer basket in the bottom of the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Add 1 cup of hot water and the sea salt to the bottom of the pot. Next, place the sweet potatoes in the steamer basket*. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Then immediately quick release the pressure.

Remove the basket and drain the potatoes of any excess liquid.

Depending on when you'll be serving this dish, either turn off the Instant Pot if serving immediately or set it to warm if serving later. Place sweet potatoes back into the Instant Pot insert, add the remaining ingredients and mash until smooth.

Place the fluffy sweet potato mash in a serving bowl and add chopped pecans and enjoy!

*if you don’t have an instant pot steamer basket, use the metal trivet insert that came with your Instant Pot.

Recommended Equipment & Tools

Now that you know how to make instant pot mashed sweet potatoes (a simple side dish), below are a few tools that you will need:

Instant Pot (Electric Pressure Cooker)
Potato Masher, immersion blender or hand mixer
Steamer Basket or metal trivet

Storage

These mashed sweet potatoes with maple syrup and brown sugar are best served the day they are made. To store, let mashed sweet potatoes cool completely before placing them in an airtight sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For best results, you may need to add a little milk when reheating.

To freeze, let mashed sweet potatoes cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe zip-top bag and remove as much air as possible. Place in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw before reheating.

Tips for Recipe Success

Do not over mix the potatoes. Over-mixing causes potatoes to release more starch, which makes them denser and less creamy and smooth.
Mash the sweet potatoes while they are hot. Mashing cold potatoes causes them to be gummier.
Drain the potatoes well to remove as much liquid as possible.

FAQs

Which type of sweet potatoes should I use?

I recommend sweet potatoes with an orange skin and flesh, like the jewel or garnet sweet potato varieties found in the produce section of your grocery store.

Should I peel the sweet potato skins?

For this recipe, I did peel the sweet potatoes because I have a little girl who won't eat the sweet potatoes with the skin on. However, you could leave the skin on and add additional nutritional benefits and save you some time if that's to your liking.

If you give this delicious side dish recipe a try, please leave a comment below, rate the recipe, and don’t forget to tag me @homesweetfarmhome on Instagram and use the hashtag #homesweetfarmhome. I’d love to see what you come up with and share with our community. Cheers!

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Recipe Card