Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes

Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes: How to make fluffy, fork-tender sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker. Directions on how to cook potatoes in Instant Pot with troubleshooting tips.

By now most you know I am slightly obssessed with Sweet Potatoes. You can check out all my healthy sweet potato recipes to get an idea of my serious love!

Sweet potatoes and sweet potato puree are just always something I have on hand at my house so that I can make things like Sweet Potato Hash, Sweet Potato Burritos, or Sweet Potato Nachos.

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After I perfected a perfectly baked potato in my  Instant Pot, I decided it was time to perfect a tender Instant Pot Sweet Potato.

Instant Pot Sweet Potato

In full disclosure, I am not as impressed with the process of making Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot as I am with making Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot.

With russet potatoes, I can have baked potatoes in less than 15 minutes cook time (and in less than 30 minutes total time.)

So I expected this to be true with sweet potatoes. After all, I can often bake a sweet potato in the oven quicker than a russet potato.

BUT in the Instant Pot, sweet potatoes take time to get their soft, velvety interior. DOUBLE the time a russet potato takes.

Step By Step Directions for Making Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot:

Step 1: Pour 1 cup water over the bottom of the pot, and then place in your trivet that came with your instant pot.

 Important Tips to Remember when Cooking Sweet Potatoes in Instant Pot:

• Be sure to prick your sweet potatoes with a knife or fork to allow steam and pressure to exit or your sweet potatoes could explode while cooking.
• Make sure your sweet potatoes are resting on rack and not touching the water–if they cook in water, they will get mushy instead of perfectly fluffy (I know this from experience!)

Step Two: Place anywhere from 4-8 scrubbed sweet potatoes into your Pressure Cooker.

Step Three: Set to high pressure and cook:

• 18 minutes on high pressure for small sweet potatoes.
• 22 minutes on high pressure for medium sweet potatoes (standard potatoes that you find in most bulk bins from grocery store)
• 27 minutes for extra large sweet potatoes

Step Four: Allow pressure to release naturally for 8-10 minutes and then turn valve to release to release any remaining pressure. 

Step Five: Serve.

I like to serve my sweet potatoes with a bit of butter and salt and pepper. My husband prefers his sweet potato with a bit of honey and cinnamon.

How to Make Sweet Potato Puree

1. Cook Sweet Potatoes in Instant Pot as directed
2. After sweet potatoes have cooked, allow to cool until cool enough to handle.
3. Remove skin from sweet potatoes by peeling with hands or peeler. Another option would be to cut sweet potatoes in half and scoop out inside.
4. Mash cooked sweet potato with fork, potato masher, or in a blender or food processor for extra smooth puree.
5. Use in recipes like Sweet Potato Casserole or Sweet Potato Burritos.

How to Freeze Sweet Potato Puree:

1. Follow steps on how to make sweet potato puree.
2. Let cool and then place by 1-2 cup amounts into freezer safe bags or containers.
3. Thaw in refrigerator for 12-24 hours before using.

Notes on Cooking Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot:

• Is it time saving to cook your Sweet Potatoes in Instant Pot? Not as much as you would think. To reach pressure you are looking at about 12 minutes, to cook about 22 minutes, and to release pressure another 10 minutes. Total time is therefore just about 45 minutes. However, if you were to cook a sweet potato in the oven it would take about 45 minutes to cook properly at 400 degrees and it does take about 10-15 minutes to reach oven temperature to 400 degrees.
• So when is it worth making Sweet Potatoes in Instant Pot over Oven? I think it is a smart idea to use your Instant Pot to cook sweet potatoes when you need oven space or when it is hot outside and you don’t want to heat your house. Otherwise, plan to bake sweet potatoes when you are baking something else in your oven.
• What is the texture like of sweet potatoes cooked in Instant Pot? Fluffy and creamy–the sweet potatoes almost melt in your mouth.
• Do you have to use your trivet? YES!! The trivet prevents the potatoes from getting watery;
• Do you have to add water to bottom of Instant Pot? Yes, that moisture allows the pressure to build up in your instant pot.
• Do you have to use cold water in your Instant Pot? Yes! If you start with warm water, the cooking time will vary and that may result in under or over-cooked sweet potatoes.

Tips and Trouble-Shooting Cooking Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot:

• I have tested this recipe out with 4, 6, and 8 sweet potatoes. All cooking times remained the same.
• I would not recommend cooking more than 8 potatoes at a time. Doing so, would overcrowd your Instant Pot and therefore would cause it to take forever to reach pressure.
• In all my tests, it has never taken longer than 12 minutes to reach pressure for this recipe.

More Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
• Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
• How to Make a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Orange Chicken

Recipe for Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

4.84 from 6 votes

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Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

How to Make Perfectly Cooked Sweet Potatoes in Instant Pot

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 127 kcal

Ingredients

• 4-8 sweet potatoes scrubbed clean

Instructions

1. Place 1 cup of water in bottom of Instant Pot Pan. Add trivet to pot.

2. Place potatoes on trivet and seal the Instant Pot. 

3. Cook for 18 minutes for small potatoes, 22 for standard, 27 for large. 

4. Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing pressure manaually. 

Recipe Notes

It should take 10 minutes to reach pressure, 22 minutes to cook and 10 minutes before you release pressure, leaving this at 42 minutes total. 

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 127

% Daily Value*

Sodium 17mg 1%

Potassium 109mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 16g 5%

Sugars 1g

Vitamin A 92.2%

Vitamin C 0.9%

Calcium 1%

Iron 1.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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