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Cooking sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot is the easiest way to enjoy fluffy, creamy, perfectly tender sweet potatoes! Just like my recipe for Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, this Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potato recipe includes tried and true timing based on the size of the sweet potatoes, ensuring perfect results every time.
Kristen's Keys for Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
The process of making baked sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot is SUPER simple, but there are a few key tips I want to share with you before we break the recipe down in detail to help ensure perfect results.
- Select sweet potatoes that are similar in size. This way they will pressure cook in the same amount of time.
- Always add cold water to the inner pot. NEVER use warm water as this will change the amount of time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, which will change the cooking time!
- Always use the trivet to keep the sweet potatoes from sitting in the water. This will keep the sweet potatoes from becoming soggy.
How to "Bake" Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot
Whether you are learning how to use your Instant Pot or a seasoned pro, this section will guide you through the process of how to make fluffy, creamy sweet potatoes using the Instant Pot.
- Prepare Instant Pot. Pour 1½ cups of cold tap water into the inner pot and insert the trivet.
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes. Scrub the sweet potatoes well and prick with a fork or knife to allow steam and pressure to escape as they pressure cook--trust me, this is important!
- Pile the sweet potatoes on trivet. Place the prepared potatoes onto the rack inside the inner pot. It will not impact the cooking time if you are cooking 1 or 8 sweet potatoes.
- Pressure Cook. Place the lid on the inner pot and be sure the vent knob is sealed. Set the cooking time to HIGH pressure and adjust the time according to the size of your sweet potatoes (see chart below).
- Let the Pressure Release Naturally. Allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes. This just means to DO NOTHING and leave your instant pot alone. If after 10 minutes the pressure has not released fully, you can turn the valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure.
- Serve. Cut the sweet potato open, dollop with butter and season with and salt and pepper or cinnamon sugar and serve.
Determining Cook Times
Sweet potatoes vary in weight, length, and width. Use the width of the sweet potato for the most accurate timing. In other words, ask yourself, Is my sweet potato fat or skinny? While that sounds silly--it works! Fatter sweet potatoes need longer to cook, while skinnier sweet potatoes need less time--regardless of their length or weight.
- Skinny Sweet Potatoes (Less than 2 inches in width): 16 minutes on high pressure
- Average Sweet Potatoes (2-2.5 inches in width): 22 minutes on high pressure
- Large Sweet Potatoes (2.5-3 inches in width): 26 minutes on high pressure
- Extra Large Sweet Potatoes (3.5 to 4 inches in width) 35 minutes on high pressure
Serving Suggestions
- As a Side Dish: Serve Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes alongside steaks, baked salmon, or bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, etc.
- For Breakfast: Top a warm sweet potato with yogurt, granola, and/or nut butter for a delicious breakfast sweet potato.
- Stuff Away: Ditch the bun or tortilla and top the sweet potatoes with taco meat, Instant Pot BBQ chicken, or pulled pork.
- Make Sweet Potato Puree: Use the flesh of the baked sweet potato to make sweet potato puree and then use that puree to make sweet potato oatmeal, sweet potato pancakes, or sweet potato casserole.
More Favorite Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Video
Ingredients
- 1-8 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
Instructions
- Pour 1-½ cups cold tap water into the inner pot. Place a trivet or metal rack inside the inner pot.
- Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce them several times with a fork or knife. Place the sweet potatoes on the trivet, stacking on top of each other if needed.
- Hit the manual or pressure cook button and be sure HIGH pressure is selected. Adjust cook time to 16 minutes for skinny sweet potatoes, 22 for average sweet potatoes, 26 minutes for large sweet potatoes, and 35 for extra large sweet potatoes (see notes for more details on determining size).
- Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing pressure manually. Then serve
Notes
- Skinny Sweet Potatoes (Less than 2 inches in width): 16 minutes on high pressure
- Average Sweet Potatoes (2-2.5 inches in width): 22 minutes on high pressure
- Large Sweet Potatoes (2.5-3 inches in width): 26 minutes on high pressure
- Extra Large Sweet Potatoes (3.5 to 4 inches in width) 35 minutes on high pressure
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in December 2017 and updated in 2025.
The best sweet potato!! I love sweet potatoes ... hot, cold, breakfast, dessert... doesn’t matter. The instant pot makes it impossibly easy and perfect. I just got an instant pot a couple of months ago and hardly a day goes by without using it. I refer to your webpage often. Thank you for sharing your recipes and knowledge. It is most appreciated.
Thank you so much Sherry for taking the time to let me know how much your enjoy these recipes---it makes my heart so happy!
Super easy and very little cleanup. They cook very well and have a great texture. I was skeptical and expected them to be mushy, but they came out just like baked.
I am so glad you enjoyed CJ! Thanks for leaving a review!
Delicious and very moist. Great game easy recipe. 😊👍
I am so glad you enjoyed the sweet potatoes Carol!
Love the detail you give!!! Thank you so much for making this easy!!!!
You are so welcome Teri! I am so glad my tips made this easy for you to understand--that is my goal!!
Yum yum just bought 9-1 viva instant pot. You have helped translate uses. Thanks
I am so happy my explanations helped Clarissa! I hope you love your Instant Pot!
Hi, Kristen
Can I cook just two potatoes!
Hi Addie! Yes, cooking 2 sweet potatoes works perfectly. I have found when cooking russet potatoes, I like to use at least 4 medium or 2 really large, but with sweet potatoes, one or two still work great.
Thank you, that's great.
What happens if I only want to cook two russets? Do they take longer?
Hi Addie! Because it can take some models of pressure cookers longer to come to pressure with 4+ potatoes, I find I sometimes need to add 2-3 minutes if cooking less potatoes. And they always turn out more consistently soft when cooking at least 4. But here are my instructions for Instant Pot Baked Russet Potatoes.
Thank you. I really appreciated your insight. I like my sweet potato casserole to be creamy.