Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe (2024)

Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes are fluffy, creamy, and super easy to make. The perfect dinnertime side dish or Thanksgiving dinner vegetable, enjoy these delicious pressure cooker mashed sweet potatoes served sweet, savory, or somewhere in between.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot

Unless I’m in the mood for baked sweet potatoes with crispy skin and a creamy center, the Instant Pot will always come out on top when it comes to preparing creamy mashed sweet potatoes.

Less water-logged than boiling, cooking sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker also frees up the oven and stovetop for more demanding main dish recipes like baked chicken thighs or pan-seared garlic butter pork chops.

Start to finish these mashed sweet potatoes take approximately 30 minutes to make in your Instant Pot or other electric pressure cookers. If you know that you are especially slow preparing ingredients, then perhaps it will take a few minutes longer.

A great base for any recipe that calls for mashed sweet potatoes, use this method to cook the sweet potatoes for sweet potato casserole (a Thanksgiving must-have!) or this family-favoritesweet potato and butternut squash shepherd’s pie.

How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot

1. Set up:

Place the Instant Pot trivet, a wire steaming basket, or a silicone basket (shown in the images) inside the bowl of your Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of cold water to the bottom of your Instant Pot.

If you plan to cook more than 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, increase the total amount of water to 1.5 cups.

2. Prepare the Potatoes:

Wash and peel your potatoes then chop them into 1-inch chunks. Place the peeled and chopped sweet potatoes inside the steamer basket or on top of the trivet.

• Can you leave the skin on? Yes. If you don’t mind mashed sweet potatoes with the fiber-filled skin mixed in there, then absolutely leave it on (it will also save you time!)
• Can you pressure cook the sweet potatoes whole? Yes. Learn how to cook whole sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot in this post.

3. Cook:

Set your Instant Pot to manual HIGH pressure and cook for 10 minutes. Allow approximately 10 to 15 minutes for your Instant Pot to build up pressure before the cooking time starts to count down.

After the cooking time has finished, switch the pressure valve to the venting position and perform a quick release. Carefully remove the lid.

4. Drain:

Immediately drain the cooked sweet potatoes in a large colander.

5. Mash:

Transfer the still-hot cooked sweet potatoes to the insert (inner pot) of your Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot to WARM. Add the melted butter followed by the milk, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon. Use a potato masher, food mill, or potato ricer to mash the potatoes until the desired consistency is reached. Add additional milk, as needed, and season with additional salt, if desired.

Variations

Depending on your own personal taste and preference, you may prefer a sweet potato mash that is extra sweet, or somewhat savory. Here are a few ideas to change things up to suit your mood.

• Sweet(er) – add a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup or brown sugar or top with marshmallows.
• Rich – swap the milk for heavy cream or coconut milk.
• Savory – add chopped bacon, pecans, ground cumin, or chopped green onions.

Storing Leftover Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring between each.

To freeze, allow your mashed sweet potatoes to cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe bag or container. Remove as much air as possible. Transfer to the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw before reheating in the microwave.

Have you tried making these Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes?

Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts. And tag me#theforkedspoononInstagramif you’ve made any of my recipes, I always love to see what you’re cooking in the kitchen.