Easy Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes (Vegan & Paleo)

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Last Updated on February 25, 2020

These Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes are healthy and easy, taking only 8 minutes under pressure to cook. This recipe is vegan and paleo.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes Instant Pot

I think you’re really going to love this recipe. I make it every year as an easy side dish for the holidays, but I make it a lot just as a weeknight dish, too. It goes with just about any main dish.

When you cook cubed sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker and mix in a little bit of healthy fat, you end up with the silkiest, creamiest dish. Mashed sweet potatoes are absolutely delicious!

What You Need 

• Sweet potatoes
• Ghee, butter, or coconut butter
• Fresh or dried thyme
• Cinnamon
• Maple syrup (optional, for added sweetness)

Recipe Steps

The five easy steps to make these Instant Pot Sweet Potato Mash are:

1. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes.
2. Add the potatoes, salt, thyme, and cinnamon to the Instant Pot and toss to combine.
3. Pour in the water and lock the lid.
4. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes and quick-release the pressure.
5. Add the maple syrup and ghee or coconut butter to the potatoes.
6. Mash the potatoes using the spatula and serve immediately.

Step-by-Step Guide

I recommend using about five medium to large organic sweet potatoes (about two pounds) for this recipe. It ends up making about 8 servings which is perfect for a group.

Next, you’ll need to peel and chop the potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Add the sweet potato to the base of a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot, along with 1 cup of water, plus some salt, cinnamon, and thyme. Feel free to use fresh or dried thyme.

The last step is to lock on the lid, cook the potatoes on high for 8 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, use the quick-release to release the steam and add the ghee (use coconut butter to make this recipe dairy-free) and maple syrup. The potatoes will be soft enough that a strong spatula or potato masher will mix them up enough to be silky-smooth and absolutely delicious!

You’ll also note that you don’t need to drain the cooking water after the potatoes are cooked. The water helps keep the potatoes nice and moist.

This easy Instant Pot sweet potato recipe is going to become one of your favorites, I just know it!

FAQs 

How do you make mashed sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot?

Cook them for 8 minutes with one cup of water, do a quick-release, and then mash them with a potato masher.

Can I cut this mashed sweet potato recipe in half?

Yes, but you might need to drain off about half the water once the cooking is done.

Can I make this in the slow cooker?

Yes! You only need about half the water in that case.

Don’t I need to use the tray insert to steam the potatoes?

No, since this recipe is for mashed potatoes, the water will just get mixed into the final product.

Can I just make regular sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot?

Yes, see this recipe for cooking whole sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot without peeling or pricking.

Items recommended:

• Instant Pot 6-quart pressure cooker
• Organic dried thyme (buy in bulk for the best price)
• Organic Ceylon cinnamon (certified fair-trade)
• Organic ghee from grass-fed cows or organic coconut butter, also called manna

Other Instant Pot Healthy Recipes

If you like this Instant Pot Sweet Potato Mash, you might also like these Instant Pot healthy recipes.

• Instant Pot Beets
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash
• Instant Pot Carrots
• Instant Pot Cooked Cabbage
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Whole Red Potatoes

Here’s my printable recipe:

Pressure Cooker Easy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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★★★★★ 4.9 from 27 reviews

• Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Total Time: 18 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Side dish
• Method: Instant pot, pressure cooker
• Cuisine: paleo, vegan, easy

Print Recipe

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Description

The easiest way to make sweet potatoes! This dish is perfect for serving at Thanksgiving or any special dinner to a large group.

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Ingredients

• 5 large sweet potatoes, about 2 pounds
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, I like Ceylon cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
• 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut butter

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Instructions

1. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into approximately 1-inch chunks. Add the chunks to the bowl of a pressure cooker.
2. Add the salt, thyme, and cinnamon to the sweet potatoes and toss to combine.
3. Pour in the water and lock the lid on the pressure cooker.
4. Cook the sweet potatoes on high pressure for 8 minutes and quick-release the pressure.
5. Add the maple syrup and ghee or coconut butter to the potatoes and use a spatula to mix together. Mash the potatoes using the spatula and serve immediately.
6. Refrigerate any leftovers and re-heat on the stovetop with about ¼ cup of almond milk to add extra creaminess.

Notes

VEGAN: use coconut butter instead of ghee

PALEO: use coconut butter or ghee

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