The Best Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes – Vegan

These light and fluffy Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes make the perfect healthy side dish to add to any meal.  They are both vegan and gluten free and can be made in just 10 minutes!

I don’t know about you all but I love potatoes of any kind, especially these Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes that are my new favorite. They are wonderfully creamy, sweet and savory. An incredible healthy side dish that would be a great addition for dinner or even with an egg on top for breakfast.

These sweet potatoes were a huge hit with my family and will now be making a regular appearance at all of our holiday gatherings.

They are a close second to this mashed butternut squash that is equally as delicious and easy to make.

Why you will just love this recipe

• It is so easy, the Instant Pot does all of the work for you
• Sweet + savory flavors perfectly combined into creamy, soft mashed potato goodness
• This recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free so everyone can enjoy it!
• Very nutritious since sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins.
• These potatoes store great and taste even better the next day.

Are yams different than sweet potatoes?

Yes they are different. Yams are more starchy, darker in color and have a rougher skin than sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are softer, creamier and much sweeter than yams, which makes them perfect for steaming and mashing.

Here is some more information about the differences between sweet potatoes and yams.

Ingredients you will need

Sweet potatoes: Try to choose sweet potatoes that are medium in size, a darker orange color, with little to no indentations or brown spots on them. This recipe is made with 2 pounds of sweet potatoes.

Non-dairy milk: Choose any unsweetened, non-dairy milk you prefer for extra creamy mashed potatoes. If you do not need to keep this recipe diary-free than you can also use regular milk.

Vegan butter: I like to use Earth Balance vegan butter in this recipe. You can also use regular butter if you do not need to keep this recipe vegan.

Maple syrup: Make sure to use real, pure maple syrup for the absolute best flavor. It really brings out the sweetened of the potatoes.

Cinnamon, salt and pepper: These are the flavour enhancers that make all of the difference in this recipe.

How to Make Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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

1. Peel and cut the potatoes. You will need about 2 pounds of peeled sweet potatoes cut into about 1-inch pieces. Make sure to wash them before you cut them since they tend to be gritty with dirt on them.
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 mash them up with a potato masher while they are still hot. Add in the rest of the ingredients, butter, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt and mix it all together until the sweet potatoes are nice and creamy and delicious.

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You are going to love these mashed sweet potatoes and you will never cook them any other way. I used my leftovers as a topping on my Healthy Sweet Potato Shepards Pie.

How to get extra fluffy mashed potatoes

There are a few key ways to get extra fluffy but still creamy mashed potatoes.

Mash the potatoes while they are hot. This is key so that they mash easily with little effort so you keep all of that incredible flavor. You can also put the steamed sweet potatoes through a ricer instead of mashing them for even fluffier potatoes.

Do not over mix the potatoes. This is why it is important to mash them while they are still hot. If you over mix them then they can turn our gummy, which is not good.

Add in some healthy fat. Mixing the potatoes with healthy fats like plant-based milk and vegan butter will help them get creamy but still remain nice and fluffy. I like to fold in the butter and milk after I have mashed them to keep that nice, fluffy texture.

Recipe mix-ins and substitutions

• Make these potatoes more savory by skipping the maple syrup and cinnamon and mix in some garlic, rosemary and thyme.
• Top the potatoes with some cooked, chopped bacon and pecans for a fun twist on this classic recipe. Plus kids love anything you add bacon too, ha ha.
• You can keep this recipe vegan/dairy-free or use heavy cream in place of the almond milk. Make sure to use unsweetened plain almond milk. You can use coconut milk as well but I found that the almond milk works best.
• I used vegan butter in my version of the recipe but you could also use Kerrygold grass-fed butter if you do not need to keep this recipe dairy-free.

Make ahead and storing tips

• Cut the sweet potatoes ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator in some cold water in an airtight container for up to 3 days before you plan one cooking them.
• Once you have cooked the potatoes you can leave them in the instant pot on the “keep warm” setting for up to 2 hours and they will stay nice and warm and delicious. You may just need to give them a gentle stir right before serving them.
• You can also cook and mash the potatoes, let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

How to reheat instant pot mashed sweet potatoes

• You can reheat already cooked mashed sweet potatoes in an oven safe dish in the oven at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, stiring in between.
• Another method is to reheat them on the stovetop. Place the potatoes in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. You will need to stir them and add in a splash of milk to thin them out if they are too thick. Maybe add a pinch of salt to bring the flavours back as well.
• Reheat them in the microwave in a microwave safe dish.

More 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
• Heathy Sweet Potato Casserole

Recipe FAQs

• Do I need to peel the sweet potatoes? I recommend peeling the potatoes simple because the skin can be tougher then regular thin skinned white potatoes if you want really light and fluffy potatoes.
• Can I reduce this recipe and only make half? Yes you can just adjust the amount of water you are using. If you are making only 1 pound of potatoes then use only 1/2 cup of water.
• Do I need to use a steamer basket to cook the potatoes? You can use the steamer basket if your Instant Pot came with one but it is no necessary to use it in this recipe.
• What can I serve with these mashed sweet potatoes? This healthy side dish goes with so many things like boneless chicken breast, pork tenderloin or chicken thighs. You can even serve them as a vegetarian meal topped with sautéed spinach and crispy chickpeas.

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

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