A quick and healthy recipe for Mashed Sweet Potatoes. A flavorful fall side dish, they are luscious and delicious and can be made in under 30 minutes! Top with our optional Maple Pecans. Vegan-adaptable and gluten-free.
May I act from free will, and not from habit. - Yogananda
The leaves are turning colors, and the days are brisk. Meals here at home have become cozier, heartier, and more comforting. Here’s a simple fall side dish that takes very little time, and yet is full of healing, warming nutrients – Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
If you’ve been around a while, you’ll know how much I love taking simple, humble ingredients and turning them into a feast for the senses. It’s how I grew up eating, and it feels extra satisfying. Sweet potatoes are very nourishing, and to me, anything grown in the ground feels, well…grounding. During the busy times of year (like fall), I crave these grounding roots.
The recipe is quick and easy, and can be paired with many things. Keep it totally vegan or use butter for extra richness, up to you.
Ingredients in Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes or yams– scrub them and slice into ½ inch thick disks, leave the skin on for extra nutrients.Â
- Coconut oil or butter, vegan butter, ghee, or olive oil – adds a little richness. I love ghee here!
- Shallot, garlic, and optional ginger– savory and warming.
- Salt and black pepper to taste.
- Optional: maple pecans -for sweetness and texure.
How to make mashed sweet potatoes
For the fastest preparation, slice them thinly.
Simply simmer the sweet potatoes or yams for 10-15 minutes, until soft, then drain. While they simmer, sauté the shallots, garlic, and optional ginger in a bit of oil or butter.
For a quick version, mash right in the same pot (add the sauteed shallot, garlic and ginger)Â or puree in a food processor for a silky version.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
How to Serve Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Dot with butter or vegan butter, and sprinkle with the optional maple pecans, a few twists of cracked pepper, and chili flakes if you like. Urfa Biber is nice here.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Serving Suggestions
These mashed sweet potatoes would be perfect on the holiday table – either Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner. Or serve them as a healthy weeknight side dish with broiled salmon or miso cod, mushroom wellington , Easy Pan-Roasted Chicken with Grapes or Seared Duck Breast.
More Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
- Oaxacan Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Kyoto Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Miso Butter
- Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Salad
- Sweet Potato Fries
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: vegan, side dish, fall side dish, sweet potato recipes, thanksgiving, christmas
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A quick and healthy recipe for Mashed Sweet Potatoes – a flavorful vegan side dish that pairs well with fish, chicken or vegan mains. Silky and luscious, these flavorful sweet potatoes can be made in under 30 minutes! Top with maple pecans for a little crunch.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs yams (or sweet potatoes) sliced into 1/2 inch thick disks, skin on or peel them first. About 4 medium yams.
- water
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, butter, vegan butter, ghee, or olive oil, more for serving
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- optional 1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated or use a paste
- 1/2- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- Optional- serve with maple pecans
Instructions
- Simmer. Slice sweet potatoes into disks and place them in a medium pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer 12-15 minutes, until tender. When they are fork-tender, drain, saving ½ cup of the hot water, just in case.
-  Sauté: In the same pot, heat olive oil, butter, or coconut oil over medium heat and add shallots, ginger, and garlic, stirring until fragrant and golden about 2-3 minutes.
- Mash or whip. Either add the drained sweet potatoes back into the pot and mash (using a potato masher) or place them all in a food processor to whip until silky smooth. To loosen it, add a little hot potato water if you like, or keep it thick if you prefer.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Optional: Top with maple pecans for a crunchy texture, a twist of black pepper, chili flakes (urfa biber is nice here).
Notes
Leftovers last up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Yes, feel free to peel the sweet potatoes first, if you’d like. When making this in a food processor, they disappear, so I leave them on. If mashing, perhaps peel, although I still don’t mind them. Fiber! Minerals!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 176
- Sugar: 6.7 g
- Sodium: 277.8 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.7 g
- Fiber: 4.8 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I made your mashed sweet potatoes as directed for Thanksgiving this year and it was a hit! Thank you, as always!
Nice to hear this Rachel!
How truly refreshing it is to prepare Thanksgiving sweet potatoes without added sugar. Mashing them with ginger and garlic renders them a fun spin on a timeless classic. A big hit at the table.
Glad you enjoyed these Gail!
Simply fantastic! I am so delighted to have found your recipe. I was looking for a quick and easy way to make this dish, and your way was super quick and easy. I made a couple of adjustments, like using coconut almond milk instead of the water. They came out perfect! Thank You!
Yum Mark, glad you enjoyed!
Excellent!
Thanks for the reheating advice Sylvia- perfection! I roasted the sweet potato and garlic, and browned butter and cooked the shallot. Blitzed in a food processor and popped in a baking dish , covered with foil and reheated for 30 minutes while I was cooking the chicken. Absolutely divine! Thank you!
Perfect Chris!
Hi Sylvia
I am planning to make for a dinner party next weekend.I like to make as much ahead as possible ( partly for it to look effortless for guests and partly because after a glass of champagne things get more complicated!) you mention reheating – what is the best way to do this ? Thanks in advance!
I would cover and bake in a greased baking dish in the oven at 350F, perhaps giving a stir at 20 minutes in- you may need to whip a bit- continue baking until 145-155F. 🙂
Easy to make and a huge succes with my guests. Thanks!
Perfect! Happy to hear this.
Hi Sylvie!
I am planning to make your rosemary and grape chicken thighs recipe with this ginger sweet potato recipe for guests this week and just found out one of the 3 guests does not like sweet potatoes :((
Can this recipe be made using roasted butternut squash instead of the sweet potatoes? thank you!!! 😀
Yes, I think that would work great Paula!
Thank you for your reply Sylvie!!
I made this with roasted butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes and it was perfect!! Served with your rosemary and grape chicken thighs! Was easy, looked beautiful on the plate and tasted delicious!!! Everyone loved it!! Perfect fall meal!!!
Thank you for all your hard work creating and sharing beautiful, delicious and healthy recipes!!!
Thanks Paula!
I never leave reviews but I feel compelled! This was a wonderful recipe that combined easy preparation with a serious wow factor! The ginger sweet potato mash was simple yet exquisite, and the grapes matched wonderfully with the delicious rosemary-infused chicken juices. Great work Sylvia!
Glad you enjoyed!
Did you mash the potatoes by hand or w/ a food processor? Though I only feel I need to cook them longer. Wonderful taste.
With a potato masher. 🙂
I thought this was delicious. So easy to make. I sometimes add a bit of coconut milk at the end because I love the flavour, however it is also perfect without this. Thank you for a great and easy recipe.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. The flavors were perfect. Served for Thanksgiving and the family loved it.
I scrubbed then coated the sweet potatoes with coconut oil and baked until tender. I cut off the ends and put the whole potatoes into the mixer and added the ginger, etc. This was SO easy and they tasted great.
Hi Cathy, try it! But start with 1/4 teaspoon, add more to taste. 🙂
This was great, we loved the flavor combination. I prefer not to peel my potatoes, just scrub them and leave the skin on for extra nutrition, so was nice to see I am not the only one.
Is that chives I see in it?
Yes for garnish. 🙂
Did not go over well here. Don’t feel like it was complementary in flavors.
Hummmm, sorry about that. Perhaps just not for you!
So good! I made this alongside duck breast and plum sauce… delicious 🙂
Enjoyed the extra mix with ginger and garlic. Top with maple crunch makes special.
So, you NEVER remove the skins but mash them as well, correct?
No. I scrub before cooking and mash with skin on.
I made these to go with the chicken and grapes dish. So good, I’m thinking about making them for Thanksgiving this year. However, I might have a rebellion over it!
I make this all the time! It’s so yummy!
Yay! Im so glad you like it- thanks!!!
Great
This sounds wonderful! Thank you!