Description
These creamy, buttery, and lightly sweet mashed sweet potatoes are a perfect comforting side dish. Baked until tender and combined with melted butter, pure maple syrup, and milk, they offer a deliciously smooth texture and rich flavor. Easily made ahead and reheated, they make an ideal accompaniment to any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potatoes
- 3 pounds medium-sized sweet potatoes (3 or 4)
Butter Mixture
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ cup milk
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For Serving (Optional)
- Fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F and position an oven rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with foil to make cleanup easier.
- Bake Sweet Potatoes: Prick each sweet potato 3 to 4 times with a fork to allow steam to escape. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, turning them over halfway through so they cook evenly, until tender when pierced with a fork.
- Prepare Butter Mixture: While the potatoes are baking, melt the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the maple syrup, milk, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside to keep warm.
- Mash Potatoes: Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut each one in half. Using an oven mitt to hold the potato, scoop out the warm flesh into the pan with the butter mixture. Over low heat, mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth and well blended. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve: Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to a serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves if desired. Serve hot as a comforting side dish.
- Make Ahead Option: These mashed sweet potatoes can be made in advance. To serve, stir in a bit of milk to loosen the texture and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Notes
- Creamy, buttery, and lightly sweet, these mashed sweet potatoes are a comforting side everyone loves.
- Pricking the sweet potatoes before baking ensures they cook evenly and prevents bursting.
- Fresh thyme adds a lovely aromatic note but is optional.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter and milk with plant-based alternatives.
- Reheating gently with additional milk helps maintain creamy texture if made ahead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 362
- Sugar: 23g
- Sodium: 816mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 33mg
