Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Name: Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 28 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 large sweet potatoes, about 2 pounds; ½ teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 cup water; 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional); 2 tablespoons vegan butter, ghee, or coconut butter

by Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition | May 19, 2021 (updated: 9/30/21)

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This recipe for Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes is healthy and easy, and takes just about 30 minutes from start to finish. This gluten-free and dairy-free recipe includes vegan and pale options. This is such a delicious side dish that goes with so many main dish recipes.

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I think you’re really going to love this recipe. I make it every holiday season to go with my holiday meal, but I make it a lot just as a weeknight dish, too. The Instant Pot electric pressure cooker makes it so much easier than cooking the sweet potatoes on the stovetop.

The flavor and texture of these Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes is really great. While sweet potatoes are naturally sweet already, the addition of just a touch of maple syrup takes them to the next level. And, to make them super silky and creamy, I recommend adding some coconut butter, ghee, or vegan butter too.

I hope you agree that this vegan, gluten-free, and paleo version of sweet potato mash is the perfect side dish.

Why You Need This Recipe

Sweet potatoes are a healthy food that is budget-friendly and available almost all year round. For people who have nightshade sensitivities, they can usually eat sweet potatoes with no problems as they are not a nightshade.
Sweet potatoes are considered a low histamine food so they can be consumed by people on a low histamine diet. Sweet potatoes can also satisfy sugar cravings if you’re doing a sugar detox or a sugar-free diet.

Key Ingredients

Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet and starchy which makes them delicious when mashed.

Maple syrup adds a hint of maple flavor while adding sweetness to the mash. You can also use brown sugar or coconut sugar, if you prefer.

Vegan butter makes the sweet potatoes super creamy without any dairy! You can also use regular butter, ghee, coconut butter, or coconut milk.

Cinnamon adds a sweet spicy flavor that’s reminiscent of fall.

Thyme adds an herbal and earthy flavor that pairs well with the warmth of cinnamon.

Ingredients for vegan mashed sweet potatoes

Recipe Steps

Step One

I recommend using about five medium to large sweet potatoes (about two pounds) for this recipe. It ends up making about 8 servings which is perfect for a group or if you want to meal prep this recipe (see all of my meal prep tips).

Step Two

Peel and chop the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Add the sweet potato to the inner pot of a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot, along with 1 cup water, plus some salt, ground cinnamon, and dried thyme. If you have fresh thyme on hand, you can use that instead of the dried thyme.

Be sure to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients, measurements, and cooking times. And, if you’re new to pressure cooking, check out my guide for how to use the Instant Pot.

How to make instant pot mashed sweet potatoes

Step Three

Next, lock on the lid and set the time to 8 minutes at high pressure. When the cooking time is complete, use the quick release to release the steam.

Step Four

Carefully remove the lid and stir in the maple syrup and your fat of choice into the bright orange flesh. For vegan, use coconut butter or vegan butter. For paleo diets, you can use ghee or coconut butter.

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.

I hope your family agrees that this is the perfect recipe for mashed sweet potatoes.

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

You don’t need to use a steamer basket for this recipe since it’s a one pot healthy side dish. You also won’t need to use a hand mixer or immersion blender since the mashed potatoes will be so soft and tender.
You can also freeze your mashed sweet potatoes! Leave out the seasonings and freeze them flat in zip-top bags.
VEGAN: use coconut butter instead of ghee.
PALEO or Whole30: use coconut butter or ghee (or check out my recipe for Whole30 Mashed Potatoes). For dairy allergies, use vegan butter or coconut butter.
Refrigerate any leftovers in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Use your mashed sweet potatoes in a classic sweet potato casserole or as the topping for a savory sweet potato shepherd’s pie. You can also use your leftovers to make Potato Fritters!

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.

I’m not vegan or dairy-free. Can I use regular butter?

Yes, absolutely!

close up of mashed sweet potatoes in a bowl with thyme on top

Other Instant Pot Recipes You Might Like

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

Or, if you want a main dish idea using sweet potatoes, check out this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken and Sweet Potato Dinner.

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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