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Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes are an easy and delicious side dish that add a pop of colour to any meal. Whether you prefer a sweet or savoury flavour, we have an option for you!

If you’re looking for more side dish ideas, you might like my easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with 3 flavour options!

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Garlic rosemary mashed sweet potatoes in a black bowl, next to a bowl of the cinnamon sugar flavour, viewed from overhead.

We absolutely love the simplicity of this Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potato recipe. Depending on your main dish, you can give it a savoury or sweet flavour. In both cases, we don’t overdo it with the added ingredients, which allows the natural flavour of the sweet potatoes to shine through.

These mashed sweet potatoes have a beautiful fluffy texture and are an easy addition to both weeknight and holiday meals. If you’re making it for the holidays, don’t be afraid to use the “keep warm” setting on your pressure cooker. Sweet potatoes have a lot of moisture and maintain a nice texture, even if you leave them in the pot for a while.

Ingredients

For both flavours

  • Sweet potatoes – peeled and diced for even cooking
  • Water – for the Instant Pot to come to pressure
  • Butter – for creaminess and flavour
  • Salt and pepper – be sure to taste and adjust the amount of salt after you’ve added the mix ins for your chosen flavour.

For savoury garlic rosemary

  • Greek yogurt – you can also use sour cream, but we like to use Greek yogurt as it gives a similar flavour, but with more protein and less fat.
  • Fresh rosemary – very finely minced. A little goes a long way and you want to make sure you don’t have any large pieces as it’s a woody herb.
  • Garlic – finely minced. We like to add it fresh for extra kick (similar to how you would add garlic to hummus), but if you want a more subtle garlic flavour you can sauté the garlic in the butter before you add them both to the sweet potatoes.

For sweet cinnamon sugar

  • Brown sugar – just a bit, to enhance the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes
  • Cinnamon – for delicious flavour
Ingredients needed to make both sweet and savoury flavours of Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

How to make it

Pour water into the Instant Pot insert, place the steamer basket inside and then fill it with the diced sweet potatoes. You can also cook the potatoes right in the pot if you don’t have a steamer basket.

Pressure cook on High for 8 minutes, then release the pressure right away. Tip: to control splatter, you may want to do this in spurts, rather than opening the vent all the way. Drain the potatoes very well (use a colander to drain if you didn’t use a steamer basket – you want to shake as much water out as possible), then return them to the pot.

Use a potato masher to mash the cooked sweet potatoes with butter and salt, then add the ingredients for your chosen flavour. Continue to mix until smooth, then serve!

Garlic rosemary mashed sweet potatoes in an Instant Pot, viewed from overhead.
The savoury version: garlic rosemary.

Tips for success and variations

Drain the sweet potatoes very well after cooking. Excess water can give the mashed sweet potatoes a texture like baby food, rather than the fluffy texture we’re going for.

Use a steamer basket to make draining easier. If you have a steamer basket, I highly recommend using it to keep the sweet potatoes out of the water.

Change up the garlic. If raw garlic doesn’t agree with you, you can sauté it in the butter before adding it to the potatoes. You could also use roasted garlic.

Add some cream. We find sweet potatoes are creamy enough on their own, but if you want even more creaminess, you can add some milk or cream, to taste.

Use a food processor. If you want an extra smooth purée texture, you can use a food processor rather than a potato masher.

Double the recipe to feed a crowd. A double batch of this recipe makes enough for 12 people. Simply double all the ingredients except the added water. No change to the cook time.

Cinnamon brown sugar mashed sweet potatoes in a black bowl, garnished with butter.
The sweet version: cinnamon brown sugar.

How to prep ahead

You can peel and dice sweet potatoes ahead of time (a trick I learned when I took a restaurant operations course during my nutrition degree). Place the peeled and diced sweet potatoes in a large bowl, then fill the bowl with cold water until the sweet potatoes are submerged. The water will prevent the sweet potatoes from turning black. Cover the bowl and store it in the refrigerator overnight. When you’re ready to cook, drain the soaking water and continue with the recipe as written.

How to store mashed sweet potatoes

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to freeze

Transfer the cooked sweet potatoes to a storage container. Be sure to allow them to cool to room temperature before securing the lid (this helps to prevent freezer burn). You could also scoop them into a resealable freezer bag, squeezing out the excess air as you seal it. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.

How to reheat

In the oven: place in an even layer in a casserole dish, cover and bake at 350 °F for 20-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Be sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

In the microwave: heat at half power, stirring once or twice so that it heats evenly. Check that it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

More Instant Pot side dish recipes

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Garlic rosemary mashed sweet potatoes in a black bowl.

Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes – 2 ways!

Laura Lawless, BASc
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes are an easy and delicious side dish that add a pop of colour to any meal. Make it sweet (brown sugar cinnamon) or savoury (garlic rosemary)!
5 from 2 votes

Click stars to rate now! ↑

Servings 6
Calories 252
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Inactive time 20 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes

Ingredients

For savoury garlic rosemary

  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt (can sub sour cream)
  • 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or grated (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary

For sweet cinnamon sugar

Instructions
 

  • Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot insert. Place the diced sweet potatoes in the steamer basket and place in the pot. If you don't have a steamer basket, you can place the potatoes right in the pot with the water. Close the lid, set the vent to sealing and pressure cook on Manual High pressure for 8 minutes (your Instant Pot model may have a "Pressure Cook" button rather than a "Manual" button). At the end of cooking time, do a controlled quick release of the pressure (see note 1).
  • Thoroughly drain the water, then return the cooked sweet potatoes to the pot, add the butter and mash with a potato masher.
  • Add the salt and the mix-ins for your desired flavour. Continue to mash and stir until smooth. Season with more salt to taste, garnish with pepper if desired, and serve. Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.

Notes

  1. Controlled quick release: letting out pressure in short bursts rather than opening the vent all at once. This helps to control splatter. 
  2. To double the recipe: double all ingredients except the water. No change to cook time. 
  3. To freeze: transfer to a storage container, cool to room temperature, then cover and place in the freezer. Eat within 3 months.
  4. To thaw: Place in the refrigerator overnight.
  5. To reheat: In the oven – place in an even layer in a casserole dish, cover and bake at 350 °F for 20-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. In the microwave – heat at half power, stirring once or twice for even heating. For both methods, check that it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
  6. This recipe was tested in both 6-quart and 8-quart Instant Pot models. 
  7. Inactive time indicates the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and release pressure. 
  8. Nutrition estimate reflects the savoury flavour.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 782mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 32351IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1mg

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Hey, I’m Laura!

Creator of The Recipe Well


If you’re looking for easy meals and Instant Pot recipes, you’re in the right place! I use my nutrition degree to create simple, approachable recipes that will help you find your happy place in the kitchen.

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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and so easy! Thank you for the recipe!

    1. Laura Lawless, BASc says:

      So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!