The Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ok, I know, that’s a really gutsy title for a recipe.  But, as a sweet potato lover for as long as I can remember, I feel qualified to say that this method of making sweet potatoes, if not actually the “best”, is amazingly delicious in addition to being so easy and so good for us!

Please keep in mind that this is barely a “recipe”, more like a suggested method.  The amounts are infinitely flexible to meet your needs and preferences, so adjust as needed, including multiplying the recipe appropriately so that you can have leftovers (for breakfast?) the following day 🙂

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato (I generally buy garnet or jewel yams)
1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or honey (optional but really yummy)
Cinnamon (a generous sprinkle, to taste)

Preheat the oven to 400 and cover a baking sheet with foil.  (The foil is not strictly necessary, but definitely helps with the clean-up process!)

Wash the sweet potato, pat dry, and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Using a fork, poke a few holes across the top of your sweet potato.  Place in the oven (you don’t even really need to wait for the oven to fully preheat), and bake until very soft, meaning a fork goes in through the center easily and you feel little resistance when you squeeze the outside.  The time will vary greatly depending on the size and thickness of your potato – anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2 hours is a good estimate.  Leave lots of time for this – it is hard to overbake the potato, but it will not taste nearly as good if underdone – you really want that super soft, carmelized taste (check out the photo above to see what I mean!).  For best results, if you are making multiple potatoes, try to choose ones that are similar in size.

Once soft, remove from the oven and let cool for approximately 15 minutes until you can handle it.  Using your fingers (with the help of a fork and/or knife), peel the potato and squeeze the insides into a bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mash/mix with a fork until fully combined.  Taste and adjust flavorings as needed.

Do ahead: Bake sweet potato whenever you have time, refrigerate, and then warm through in oven when ready to prepare.  The final mashed version also reheats beautifully in the microwave or covered in the oven.

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