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These Whipped Sweet Potatoes are roasted in their skins until soft, then whipped smooth with nutty browned butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Think of them as mashed sweet potatoes dressed up for the holiday table. And while they aren't exactly easy, they're easier than you may think. The oven does most of the work, and they'll hold warm for up to 2 hours.
Why You'll Love These Whipped Sweet Potatoes
After having browned butter mashed sweet potatoes at one of my favorite restaurants, I knew I had to recreate them at home. When I gave my version a try, I took one bite and literally swooned. My daughter joined me in the kitchen for a taste, and the two of us nearly polished off half the batch before we even sat down to dinner.
- Roasted, not boiled. You don't have to peel or cube raw sweet potatoes, and nothing gets waterlogged in a pot. Just prick them, roast them, and scoop.
- Browned butter makes the difference. I've made these with plain melted butter, and they're good. But the nutty browned butter takes them from good to exceptional.
- Whipped, not mashed. A food processor turns the roasted flesh silky and smooth, with no lumps and no sore arm from a potato masher.
- Holiday-friendly timing. Make them ahead of dinner and keep them warm in a low oven.
- Naturally gluten-free. No eggs or nuts either, making this a good option for entertaining.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes: Use orange-flesh sweet potatoes. Weigh them for the best results. Three pounds is about 3 large or 6 medium sweet potatoes.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, skip the added salt and season to taste at the end.
- Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Nutmeg: I grate whole nutmeg with a Microplane.
- Kosher Salt: Start with ½ teaspoon, taste, and add more from there.
Dietary Swaps & Variations
- Melted Butter: You can skip browning and use melted butter. They'll still be good, just not as rich and nutty.
- Brown Sugar: Swap the maple syrup for an equal amount of brown sugar. The mash will be a bit thicker, but perfectly sweet.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Replace the cinnamon and nutmeg with 1¼ teaspoons of homemade pumpkin pie spice.
How to Make Whipped Sweet Potatoes
I'll walk you through each step with photos. You'll find the full directions, quantities, and a video in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Roast the sweet potatoes. Wash, dry, and prick each sweet potato several times with a fork. Then roast them on a foil-lined, rimmed sheet pan at 400°F for 45 to 60 minutes, until the flesh is completely soft and a fork slides through easily. Test the biggest one, since it will be the last to soften. Alternatively, you can prepare the sweet potatoes using my Instant Pot sweet potato recipe.
- Brown the butter. While the sweet potatoes cool, brown the butter. It sounds complicated, but it only takes a few extra minutes. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. It will foam, then the foam will settle, and the butter will turn golden and smell nutty. The little brown flecks on the bottom of the pan are toasted milk solids, and they're exactly what you want. If you've made my brown butter blondies, it's the same technique.
Note From Kristen
Browned butter can turn to burnt butter fast. Pull the pan off the heat the moment the butter smells nutty and turns a deep golden brown. That can take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes, so stay close and keep stirring.
- Peel the sweet potatoes. Once they're cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins, then add the flesh to a food processor fitted with the S-blade.
- Whip. Add the browned butter (brown bits and all) along with the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy, then taste and adjust the salt. No food processor? Use a handheld or stand mixer instead.
- Serve or hold. Spoon them into a serving dish and serve right away. Or transfer them to a 2-quart baking dish, cover with foil, and keep them warm in a 250°F oven for up to 2 hours.
Note From Kristen
Holding them warm means no last-minute whipping while everything else is trying to finish at once. For Thanksgiving dinner, I keep them in a 250°F oven while the turkey rests.
Serving Suggestions
These belong on the Thanksgiving or Christmas table, but they're just as good next to a Sunday roast and can even be dressed up if desired.
- For Thanksgiving: Serve them with Roasted Turkey or Instant Pot Turkey Breast, Bread Stuffing, and Cranberry Orange Sauce. Planning the whole meal? My guide on How to Host Thanksgiving walks you through it.
- For Christmas: My family has voted these worthy of our Christmas Dinner, served alongside a New York Strip Roast and Holiday Salad.
- Beyond the Holidays: They pair well with Pork Chops with Apples, Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, or Homemade Rotisserie Chicken.
- Add Texture: Top the bowl of whipped sweet potatoes with candied walnuts right before serving.
- Use for Sweet Potato Casserole Base: If you aren't cooking vegan, use these whipped sweet potatoes as the base for my Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole.
Storage & Reheating Tips
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: If frozen, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Then transfer them to a microwave-safe dish, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave in 60-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through.
More Potato Sides for the Holidays
- Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes: A faster pressure-cooker version made sweet or savory and ready in about 25 minutes.
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes sliced thin and roasted whole, for a side that looks fancier than it is.
- Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes: Classic mashed potatoes for the folks who want both on their plate.
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes: Made in the slow cooker, so they stay out of the oven and off the stovetop.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Roasted sweet potatoes whipped smooth with nutty browned butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes, orange-flesh
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, whole nutmeg, grated with a Microplane
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, + more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃). Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil.
- Wash, dry, and prick the sweet potatoes several times with a fork and place them on the rimmed sheet pan. Roast the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes, or until the flesh is completely soft and a fork goes through easily. Let the sweet potatoes rest until cool enough to handle. I let them sit while I brown the butter.
- While the sweet potatoes cool, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. It will foam at first; the foam will subside, and then little browned bits will begin to sink to the bottom as the butter bubbles. Remove from the heat IMMEDIATELY once the butter smells nutty and is deep, golden brown. This will take anywhere from 3-8 minutes.
- Then remove and discard the skin from the sweet potatoes, and place the flesh in a food processor fitted with an S-blade.
- Add the browned butter, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt (omit if using salted butter) to the sweet potatoes, then process until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Transfer the sweet potatoes to a serving dish and serve immediately OR transfer to a 2-quart baking dish, cover with foil, and keep warm in a 250℉ oven for up to 2 hours.
Equipment
Notes
Sweet Potatoes: For 3 pounds, you will need about 3 large or 6 medium; weigh for best results.
Butter: If using salted butter, omit the added salt and add to taste. You can also skip the browning and use melted butter. Good, but the nutty browned butter takes it from good to exceptional.
Brown Sugar: Swap the maple syrup for ¼ cup brown sugar. The mash will be a bit thicker, but perfectly sweet.
No Food Processor? Use a handheld or stand mixer to whip the sweet potatoes with the remaining ingredients.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, let thaw in the fridge overnight if needed. Then reheat in a microwave-safe dish, covered with a damp paper towel, in 60-second intervals until warmed through, stirring between intervals.
Nutrition
Calories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 243mgPotassium: 600mgFiber: 5gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 24310IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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