Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Name: Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 3-4 large sweet potatoes; 4 tablespoons butter; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 cup heavy cream; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

By Heather Seeley

5 from 1 vote

Oct 07, 2021, Updated Jun 06, 2025

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Whipped sweet potatoes are the perfect side dish for the holiday season or anytime of year. Just a few basic ingredients are needed for this easy recipe. It’s also simple to customize to make it a delicious sweet or savory side dish.

Sweet potatoes mashed in a bowl with butter.

I make whipped sweet potatoes for my family every holiday season. They are simple, sweet, creamy, and the perfect addition to our holiday table.

There is something so cozy about these delicious sweet potatoes. It’s my version of a sweet potato casserole in a bowl, no baking required. I make this recipe with sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon.

Looking for more sweet potato recipes? Be sure to try baked sweet potato slices, air fryer alexia sweet potato fries, and chili stuffed sweet potatoes.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Simple and easy. You just need a few ingredient to “whip” up this recipe.
Delicious. The fluffy texture and sweetness of the dish is so good.
Versatile. These sweet potatoes pair well with a variety of main dishes. Whether you are serving them with a holiday feast or making them to go with a weeknight meatloaf, they are always a hit.

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes – Use 3-4 large sweet potatoes. Make sure to scrub them off before baking.
Butter – You will need unsalted, sweet cream butter.
Heavy cream – This can be substituted with milk, half and half, or even 1/4 cup of sour cream for an added tangy flavor.
Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar works well for this dish. It’s also optional, feel free to leave out the sugar.
Cinnamon – This is optional but adds a nice hint of flavor. You could also add in ground nutmeg or substitute with pumpkin pie spice mix.
Salt and ground black pepper

Sweet potatoes, bowl of cream, butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

How to make whipped sweet potatoes

Step one: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Clean off the sweet potatoes.

Step two: Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Pierce the tops with a fork.

Step three: Bake for about 45 – 60 minutes or until fork tender. Carefully cut the sweet potatoes in half and scoop flesh into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer or food processor to whip the potatoes. You can discard the sweet potato skins.

Baked sweet potatoes in bowl with mixer.

Step four: Mix in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and pepper, and continue mixing until fully whipped and a creamy texture.

Step five: Serve warm. Optional, sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Mashed sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Can I boil the sweet potatoes?

Yes, if you need to cook the potatoes faster and you prefer not to use the oven, they can be boiled.

Clean off the sweet potatoes and peel off the skins. Cut them into chunks. Place chunks into a large pot of boiling water and cook until fork tender. Drain off the water.

How do you make sweet potatoes without strings?

Most of the sweet potato strings are on the skin. You can pull off as many as possible before cleaning and baking. You will be scooping out the potato and whipping it so you shouldn’t have to worry about strings.

Recipe Tips

Don’t have a hand held mixer, you can use a potato masher, stand mixer or food processor.
I recommend baking or air frying the sweet potatoes because it really brings out the naturally sweet flavor of the potato.
Baking time might vary depending on the size of the sweet potato. If they are smaller, I recommend checking them at 30 minutes.
Don’t want to heat up the oven? Try cooking the sweet potatoes in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
To make them super creamy, add a little extra heavy cream and whip for several 3-4 minutes.

Recipe Variations

This recipe can be customized to be sweet or savory. Here are a few ideas for simple variations on this sweet potatoes recipe:

Sweetener – Try substituting brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. You can also use granulated white sugar instead of brown sugar. This cinnamon butter is also delicious to mix in.

Savory – Leave out brown sugar and try mixing in grated Parmesan cheese or fresh herbs like sage, parsley or thyme. If you want some extra flavor, try mixing in this simple homemade garlic spread.

Marshmallows – Make this a whipped sweet potatoes casserole by placing the whipped potatoes in a casserole dish and topping with mini marshmallows. Broil in the oven for about 2 minutes or until the tops of marshmallows turn slightly brown.

Storage and make ahead

Store: Let the sweet potatoes completely cool off and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Freeze: You can freeze these sweet potatoes in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven.

Make-ahead: This side dish can be made ahead of time, just reheat in the microwave or in the oven until heated through.

Common questions

How do you thicken whipped sweet potatoes?

If you need to thicken your sweet potatoes you can either add another sweet potato or add about ½ teaspoon of cornstarch to the mixture to thicken them up.

How do you reheat whipped sweet potatoes?

Reheat whipped sweet potatoes in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. You can also warm them in a saucepan on the stove.

Is sweet potato and butter healthy?

Sweet potatoes are loaded with nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. You can leave butter out of these sweet potatoes if you are trying to reduce calories.

More easy side dishes

If you made this whipped sweet potatoes with brown sugar, please let me know in the comments. I love hearing from you!

5 from 1 vote