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If you’re looking for a no-fail simple sweet potato side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, try this fluffy whipped sweet potatoes recipe with brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Blurring the lines between a side dish and dessert, this is always a crowd-pleaser. And it travels well if you’re having your holiday meal at someone else’s house!
Do you make the same holiday sweet potato side dish every year? Every Thanksgiving, I look forward to sweet potato casserole. (My version has both marshmallows and a crunchy pecan oat streusel topping! Oh my, I could eat it instead of dessert.) But this year I wanted to switch things up a bit. Simplify, but not sacrifice flavor.
This recipe fits the bill beautifully. We start by roasting sweet potatoes, which brings out their sweet, nutty flavor as they caramelize. Also, their texture transforms into something that’s velvety-smooth and creamy even before we whip them!
And then we whip them until they’re creamy, fluffy potato perfection. We go all out and use butter and cream, brown sugar and maple syrup. A few spices and a splash of vanilla pull everything together. And I’m telling you, not only will I be making this side dish on Thanksgiving as part of turkey dinner, but I’m going to make it all fall and winter long when I want sweet potatoes with roast chicken.
How Are Whipped Sweet Potatoes Different Than Mashed Sweet Potatoes?
These sweet potato sides share a lot of the same ingredients: sweetener (like maple and/or brown sugar), butter, cream (or milk), and of course the star of the show, sweet potatoes! However, the main difference is in the preparation.
Mashed sweet potatoes are typically mashed with a potato masher by hand. They’re a bit denser, and it’s not uncommon for them to be a little lumpy (in fact, some people prefer mashed potatoes with lumps!).
On the other hand, whipped sweet potatoes are beaten (with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer) or pureed (in a food processor). The result is lighter, fluffier, airier, and creamier.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Sweet potatoes – For this recipe, you’ll need 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, which is about 3 large-ish.
- Unsalted butter and heavy whipping cream – For rich flavor and creamy texture.
- Light brown sugar – Brown sugar is a classic flavor pairing with sweet potatoes. It lends sweetness with rich notes of molasses and caramel that plays on the caramelized flavor of roasted sweet potatoes.
- Pure maple syrup – Adds a subtly smoky sweetness that brings out the nuances of sweet potatoes.
- Pure vanilla extract – Warm, aromatic vanilla pairs surprisingly well with sweet potatoes, even in a dish where there are both sweet and savory components.
- Salt – Salt pulls out the rich flavor notes of sweet potato and makes sure this dish isn’t bland.
- Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice – These warm, woody, sweet spices add complexity and pair beautifully with sweet potatoes.
- Black pepper – Adds a touch of piquancy for balance.
- Salted butter – I like to add a pat of salted butter on top of the warm sweet potatoes when serving. It’s optional, but makes it extra decadent and the salty richness of butter is the perfect foil for the sweetness.
Instructions: How to Make Whipped Sweet Potatoes
1: Roast
Preheat the oven to 425F. Poke a few holes in each sweet potato and put the sweet potatoes on a baking tray. Roast until a knife inserted into the center slides right out, about 1 hour. Cool until they’re not too hot to handle, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2: Whip
- Peel the sweet potatoes (the skin should slip right off), and add them to a food processor with all other ingredients.
- Process just until smooth and creamy, being careful not to over-mix.
3: Serve
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm, topped with a pat of salted butter to melt on top.
Storage and Reheating Tips
After cooling to room temperature, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat whipped sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave, or in an oven-safe dish covered with foil in a 325F oven.
Make Ahead
You can roast the sweet potatoes up to 5 days ahead of time for this recipe. Let them cool to room temperature, peel them, cut each potato into quarters (so they whip easier), and store them in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to whip them.
Variations
- Banana and honey – Omit the brown sugar and maple syrup. Add 1 large ripe banana (peeled and sliced) and 2 tablespoons honey.
- Apple and pecan – Omit the brown sugar and maple syrup. Add 1/2 cup applesauce (sweetened or unsweetened) and after pureeing, serve with 1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts) on top.
- Orange zest – Swap out the maple syrup for honey and add 1 teaspoon of freshly-grated orange zest.
- Marshmallow creme – Omit the brown sugar and maple syrup and add 1/4 cup of marshmallow creme (such as Marshmallow Fluff).
- Boozy – Add a splash of bourbon to your whipped sweet potatoes. This goes really well with maple bourbon glazed turkey breast roast!
- Savory – Omit the brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and allspice. Add 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and up to 2 tablespoons of fresh minced herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, sage, chives, etc.).
- Vegan version – Use vegan butter or coconut oil, and plant-based milk (my favorite vegan milk here is canned unsweetened full-fat coconut milk for its richness).
- Paleo version – Use ghee or coconut oil (instead of butter), canned unsweetened full fat coconut milk (instead of heavy cream), and coconut sugar (instead of brown sugar).
- Lower carb version – Use keto brown sugar and keto maple syrup. Note that this will significantly reduce the carbs, but sweet potatoes themselves are not a low carbohydrate food.
My Best Tips For Fluffy Whipped Sweet Potatoes
- Don’t use a blender. It’s easy to over-whip potatoes, which can cause them to turn gummy. To avoid this, use a food processor (or mix them by hand), and be careful to stop pureeing when everything is combined.
- Make sure the butter is melted and the cream is at room temperature. This helps everything blend together easily, and also helps prevent over-mixing.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few tricks I use for foolproof ethereally fluffy sweet potatoes. First, roast them so that some of their moisture escapes (boiling potatoes can sometimes lead to water logging them). Second, whip them with cream and butter. And finally, be careful not to over-mix them or they go from fluffy to gummy.
Unfortunately, yes. If you over-whip potatoes, they have the tendency to turn gluey and gummy. Just be mindful to only process the potatoes until they’re combined to avoid over-mixing.
PRO TIP: It’s easier to over-whip potatoes when you’re using a food processor. (This is why I don’t recommend using a blender.) To minimize the risk of over-mixing, use a potato masher to mash them by hand, and then use an electric beater to mix in the other ingredients.
No. Roasting is my preference because it brings out the sweet, nutty richness of sweet potatoes, and makes them lusciously soft and creamy. However, if you prefer, you could boil them instead. For the quickest method, peel and cube the sweet potatoes, boil the cubes until fork-tender, and drain well.
More Sweet Potato Side Dish Recipes to Try
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Whipped Sweet Potatoes Recipe
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Equipment
- Food processor (see Notes)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes washed and patted dry (about 3 large-ish)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 tablespoon salted butter for serving
Instructions
- Roast. Preheat the oven to 425F. Poke a few holes in each sweet potato and put the sweet potatoes on a baking tray. Roast until a knife inserted into the center slides right out, about 1 hour. Cool until they're not too hot to handle, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Whip. Peel the sweet potatoes (the skin should slip right off), and add them to a food processor with all other ingredients. Process just until smooth and creamy, being careful not to over-mix.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm, topped with a pat of salted butter to melt on top.
Video
Notes
- Food Processor: To avoid over-mixing, be mindful to only puree the potatoes in a food processor until they’re combined (and never use a blender). If you prefer, you can use a potato masher to mash them by hand, and then use an electric beater to mix in the other ingredients.
- Storage and Reheating: After cooling to room temperature, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat whipped sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave, or in an oven-safe dish covered with foil in a 325F oven.
- Make Ahead: You can roast the sweet potatoes up to 5 days ahead of time for this recipe. Let them cool to room temperature, peel them, cut each potato into quarters (so they whip easier), and store them in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to whip them.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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