Best Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

These easy and delicious Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes are packed with so much flavor and they take about 20 minutes to make.  This is one of the best ways to cook sweet potatoes that are Gluten-Free, Vegan, and easily made Paleo or Whole30. 

This is one of my favorite recipes to serve for the holidays or just as a healthy side dish for dinner any day! It is easy and quick to make and you can CUSTOMIZE the flavor of the sweet potatoes and make them sweet or savory. The Instant Pot makes this a pretty hands-off recipe that is much easier than cooking potatoes on the stovetop. 

These Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes have the best creamy, fluffy texture mixed with warm flavors that will make them your new favorite side dish! Since sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet and get sweeter when you cook them, adding in a touch of cinnamon and maple syrup really elevates the flavors. 

I hope you enjoy this amazing sweet potato mash recipe as much as my family and I did!

If you prefer whole-cooked sweet potatoes then check out these Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes or these Air fryer Sweet Potatoes.  Both recipes are also so easy and so good!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It’s so quick and easy!
• Gluten-free, dairy-free and so good!
• One of the best healthy side dishes that goes with so many things
• Perfect holiday recipe that everyone will love!
• It is very budget-friendly since a bag of sweet potatoes is around $2!

Ingredients you will need

Sweet potatoes – you will need about 3 pounds.  They are naturally sweet and very nutritious and you can enjoy them in a sweet potato salad or a sweet potato buddha bowl as well as mashed in this recipe. 

Water – to help cook the sweet potatoes. 

Milk – adds a nice creamy texture and taste to the sweet potatoes.  Any type of unsweetened milk will work.  I used plain almond milk. 

Butter – dairy-free, vegan, or regular butter will all work.  You can also use ghee or coconut butter. The butter adds a nice creamy taste as well and makes the sweet potatoes smooth and so delicious. 

Maple syrup – make sure to use real maple syrup.  It adds a nice hint of maple flavor and also enhances the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. 

Cinnamon – ground cinnamon adds some nice warm flavor to this dish and also is a nice compliment to the flavor of the potatoes. 

Salt  – to help enhance all of the flavors.

Pepper – optional

How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes In The Instant Pot

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to make these healthy mashed sweet potatoes.

1. Peel and cut the potatoes. You will need about 2 pounds of peeled sweet potatoes cut into about 1-inch pieces.
2. Cook the potatoes in the Instant Pot. Add the cut sweet potatoes to the bottom of your Instant Pot, pour in 1 cup of water and secure the lid, and make sure it is set to the “steaming” position. Set the Instant pot in Manual Mode for 10 minutes and let the magic happen. After 10 minutes, the Instant Pot will either naturally release the pressure or you can manually release it by carefully flipping the release valve to the “venting’ position. It will take 30-60 seconds for all of the steam to release.
3. Drain and mash the potatoes. Carefully remove the lid and drain the potatoes. Then return the potatoes back to the Instant pot and add in the rest of the ingredients (butter, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt) mash and mix it all together until the sweet potatoes are nice and creamy and delicious.
4. Serve. Serve these potatoes hot with more butter and a pinch of cinnamon and salt, to taste.

For a complete list of the exact ingredients, measurements, cooking time, and instructions, please check out the FREE printable recipe card at the end of the post.

 I know that you and your family will just love this mashed sweet potato recipe!

Recipe Tips and Substitutions

• To make these sweet potatoes savory, don’t add maple syrup and cinnamon.  Use garlic, chives, and a little vegetable stock instead as I did with this mashed butternut squash. 
• A potato masher or fork should work to easily mash the potatoes. Make sure to mash the potatoes while they are still nice and hot for the best results.
• You can freeze mashed sweet potatoes after you let them cool then transfer to a freezer-friendly bag and lay them flat in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
• Reheat frozen mashed sweet potatoes by letting them defrost in the refrigerator overnight then reheat them on the stovetop, in the Instant pot on the “warm” setting, or in portions in the microwave. 
• To make this mashed sweet potato recipe vegan, use plant-based milk and vegan butter. 
• For Paleo and Whole30, use coconut butter or ghee. 
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
• You can use leftover mashed sweet potatoes in a sweet potato casserole or if you make them savory, you can use them as a topping on sweet potato shepherd’s pie. 

Recipe FAQ’s

More Instant Pot Recipes To Try!

• Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
• Instant Pot Lentil Soup
• Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese – Instant Pot Recipe
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Curry Soup

Other healthy sweet potato recipes

• The Best Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
• Sausage and Pepper Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Crispy Paleo Sweet Potato Fries
• Spicy Instant Pot Sweet Potato Soup
• Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

Did you try this Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potato recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear from you.

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