Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

For the creamiest and easiest holiday side dish, you’ll love these Instant Pot mashed sweet potatoes! They pressure cook in just 10 minutes and can easily be made in advance. This time saving recipe should be on your Thanksgiving menu this year!

I’m in love with the creamy texture of these quick and simple mashed sweet potatoes! The Instant Pot cooks them to a soft and tender texture making them incredibly easy to mash. 

The flavor is also undeniably cozy with subtle hints of nutmeg, ginger and garlic perfectly complementing the natural sweetness of the potatoes.

We eat a lot of sweet potatoes in our house! Normally, we keep it simple with these air fryer sweet potatoes but, when we’re craving a lot of flavor, I usually make these Korean candied sweet potatoes.

When it comes to the holidays, however, there’s nothing more nostalgic than sweet potatoes. Since oven and stovetop space are at a premium during Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving celebrations, I’m excited to share this ultra easy sweet potato recipe using an electric pressure cooker!

Why this instant pot mashed sweet potato recipe works

• The sweet potatoes are cut into cubes, so they pressure cook quickly - in just 10 minutes!
• Cooking sweet potatoes in the instant pot means you free up valuable stovetop space so you can cook other side dishes like these Southern green beans or this cheesy cauliflower bake.
• To make this recipe even easier for the holidays, the mashed sweet potatoes can be made in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer!
• Using the instant pot to make these instant pot mashed potatoes is ultra easy - perfect for making holidays or even every day weeknight dinners even easier to handle.

Ingredients

For the full list of ingredients and quantities to make this mashed potato recipe, refer to the recipe card below.

You’ll need 3 pounds of sweet potatoes for this recipe, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes. Sweet potatoes come in different varieties, this recipe uses traditional type with reddish skin and orange flesh, however you can use whatever type you prefer.

The sweet potatoes are cooked in chicken broth. You can use store-bought or homemade (like this Instant Pot chicken bone broth), or you can substitute with vegetable broth.

We use warm spices like nutmeg and ginger to complement the cooked sweet potatoes.

Variations and substitutions

• Substitute whole milk for the cream. Note they won't be a rich and creamy this way.
• Top with cooked crumbled bacon, pecans or toasted pumpkin seeds.
• For additional sweetness, drizzle a little maple syrup on before serving.
• Add a smoky flavor with smoked paprika or a hint of heat with some cayenne pepper.
• Add ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and/or ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves.
• For a warming flavor, use a little homemade garam masala seasoning.
• Cook the potatoes with some dried herbs like oregano or basil, or fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary.
• Mash in a chipotle pepper or 1-2 teaspoons of smoked paprika for some smoky heat.
• To make this vegan, substitute coconut milk or coconut cream for the cream/milk, vegetable broth (or 1 cup of water) for the chicken broth, and vegan butter for the butter.

Step by step instructions to make this recipe

Step 1: Place chopped sweet potatoes and other ingredients, except the cream and butter, in the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker and pressure cook on high pressure for a cooking time of 10 minutes.

Step 2: Use the quick release to release the pressure. Turn the Instant Pot off and add the cream and butter to the pot.

Step 3: Use a potato masher to mash the cooked sweet potatoes (or just a fork) until they are mostly uniform in consistency, or to your desired consistency. **It's okay if there are a few lumps, it gives it texture.

Step 4: Add additional salt to taste. Serve with 1-2 teaspoons of salted butter on top and fresh chopped sage )optional)

Serving options

• Serve with salted butter on top, or a drizzle of good quality olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
• Crispy fried sage leaves or even just fresh sage leaves are amazing with this.
• Use this to make a sweet potato casserole baked with marshmallows on top.

Expert tips to make instant pot mashed sweet potatoes

1. To ensure even cooking, cut the potatoes into roughly the same size cubes. I cut mine into 2-inch cubes.
2. If you cut the potatoes into larger cubes, they will take longer to cook. 
3. Use the quick release to release pressure. If you naturally release the pressure, the potatoes will over cook.
4. For the best results, I prefer to use a potato masher or a fork. The sweet potatoes are so soft, there is no need to use a blender or food processor to achieve a creamy texture.
5. Be careful not to over mash the sweet potatoes as they might take on a gummy texture. 
6. If your mashed sweet potatoes seem watery, you can turn on the saute mode on your Instant Pot and cook off the liquid. (Do this carefully as the potatoes can burn quickly).
7. If the potatoes seem a little dry, just add a little more butter or cream. 
8. While the sweet potatoes need just 10 minutes to pressure cook, you’ll want to factor in time for pressure to build and release in the Instant Pot.

Frequently asked questions

Make it a holiday meal

We love sweet potatoes as a Thanksgiving side dish with these sous vide turkey thighs, sous vide ham or sous vide whole chicken.

Other side dishes that go well with these sweet potatoes include air fryer carrots, southern green beans and sweet and spicy Brussels sprouts.

For Thanksgiving or Christmas, don’t forget the herb bread stuffing and cranberry orange chutney!

Complete your meal with these gooey pecan pie bars or pumpkin pie bars.

Other Instant Pot recipes for side dishes

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