Without any added sugars at all, these Whipped Sweet Potatoes are one of the best sweet potato dishes I have ever tasted. Fluffy, creamy, sweet, and fragrant with vanilla, these whipped sweet potatoes are so good, you just might find yourself choosing a second helping for dessert in lieu of pie.
I know. It sounds made up. Someone would choose a ladle full of sweet potatoes over a slice of pie? With these whipped sweet potatoes, it actually happens. These creamy, fluffy sweet potatoes are far more than your run-of-the-mill mashed potatoes.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
In this recipe, the sweet potatoes are roasted until they are bursting with rich flavor. The color is intense and the flavor is almost indescribable.
The roasting step makes such a difference to the final flavor compared with boiling or steaming the spuds. That time in the oven brings out a robust flavor that pairs well with the fragrant vanilla whipped in.
Vanilla Whipped Sweet Potatoes
The addition of vanilla provides a delicious undertone to this sweet potato side dish. Then, a generous helping of butter and real cream take these whipped sweet potatoes to a level I can only compare with a warm mousse.
What makes these potatoes whipped? Instead of mashing the roasted sweet potatoes by hand, I used a food processor to combine the ingredients and achieve that fluffy, mousse-like texture.
Since the first time I made this dish, I’ve also tried mashing the potatoes with a potato masher by hand and the blender. When I used the blender, I added everything in two separate batches to avoid a mess.
The blender and hand-mashing ways worked well, too! If you don’t have a food processor handy, you can still make this recipe and get good results.
That said, the food processor simplifies the whole process and gives the sweet potatoes the absolute perfect texture. I highly recommend whipping them in the food processor if you can!
It’s a dish that has to be tasted to be believed. I served these potatoes on Thanksgiving this year and every single person who tasted it loved it.
Two recipe requests from our guests and my husband’s rave reviews to everyone who would listen proved that it wasn’t my imagination. This is an incredible sweet potato dish.
We are all looking forward to having it again.
For a girl who didn’t think she liked sweet potatoes very much, I am now a solid convert. Along with this recipe, I’ve made sweet potatoes in three more recipes over the past week. I LOVE them.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle with care.
- Cut the potatoes in half and remove the skin. Place the potatoes in the bowl of a food processor.*
- While the potatoes are cooling from the oven, pour the cream into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the scrapings from the vanilla bean, as well as the vanilla bean pod itself. Bring to a simmer and heat for 5 minutes, scraping the sides and stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
- Use tongs to remove the vanilla bean or simply pour the cream mixture through a strainer over the potatoes in the food processor. Add the softened butter to the food processor.
- Puree the mixture until completely smooth and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Keep covered and warm until serving.
ALTERNATIVE to the pricey vanilla bean – I’ve successfully used vanilla bean paste for this recipe and I’ve also used vanilla extract. Vanilla beans are my first choice, followed by vanilla bean paste, lastly, I have used vanilla extract in a pinch.
Sweet Potato Side Dishes
I’m excited to discover this newfound love for sweet potatoes because they’re such a popular and versatile side dish for any occasion.
I made a pecan-crusted brown sugar sweet potato dish a few times for Thanksgiving. That one was always popular, but we decided that we liked these whipped sweet potatoes even more.
They’re delicious on a Thanksgiving or Christmas table alongside a Roast Turkey and Stuffing. And we love having leftovers to enjoy the next day (if we can resist eating the whole pan in one go).
After falling in love with this recipe, I tried another spin on the concept in these Simply Mashed Sweet Potatoes. That side dish uses only sour cream and a sprinkle of salt as seasoning (plus optional black pepper) to really let the flavors of the sweet potato shine.
Sweet Potatoes and Spinach is a delightfully savory combination as well. Like this recipe, those mashed sweet potatoes were also a hit!
If you like the roasted flavor of this sweet potato recipe, you should also check out Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Lemon Butter Sauce and this Roasted Sweet Potato and Spice Cornbread.
Italian Roasted Sweet Potatoes are another dish that my family loves year round.
Sweet Potato Dessert
This recipe works as both a sweet side dish and a dessert. Less sweet than a sweet potato pudding or sweet potato pie, this dish doesn’t have any added sugars at all. Roasting brings out enough of the natural sweetness of the potatoes that sugar just isn’t necessary.
My husband loves these whipped sweet potatoes and has chosen these potatoes for his Thanksgiving dessert for years now.
How to Make Potatoes Ahead of Time
During the holidays, I often make these the day before. I cool them completely and then cover the potatoes and place them in the refrigerator.
A couple hours before serving them, set them on the counter to come closer to room temperature. Then, warm them in the oven at 350 degrees for about half an hour. Stir before serving.
When I have a ton of dishes to prepare for a holiday meal, I appreciate that I can prepare these sweet potatoes ahead of time. It makes it that much easier to get everything on the table in time–AND I can relax knowing that I have at least one sure-fire hit ready to go.
Leftovers (if you have any) keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Bring the potatoes to room temperature before reheating in the oven for the best results.
If your family is anything like mine, however, chances are good they’ll clean every last bit out of the pan before you can say “leftovers.”
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes cleaned and left damp
- 1⅓ cups heavy cream
- ⅔ vanilla bean split lengthwise and seeds scraped
- ¼ cup butter softened to room temperature
- ½ – 1 teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon white pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle with care.
- Cut the potatoes in half and remove the skin. Place the potatoes in the bowl of a food processor.*
- While the potatoes are cooling from the oven, pour the cream into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the scrapings from the vanilla bean, as well as the vanilla bean pod itself. Bring to a simmer and heat for 5 minutes, scraping the sides and stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
- Use tongs to remove the vanilla bean or simply pour the cream mixture through a strainer over the potatoes in the food processor. Add the softened butter to the food processor.
- Puree the mixture until completely smooth and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Keep covered and warm until serving.
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 12/4/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/15/23}
recipe adapted from and with thanks to 101 Cookbooks
Anisha says
This is a very unusual combination for me… the way you described it makes me want to try it right away…
Becki's Whole Life says
They look like a pudding to me..I sometimes will eat mashed sweet potatoes for a snack when I want something sweet. These sound amazing and what a great concept with the vanilla beans!
Sue/the view from great island says
I'm amazed you did this without a processor…my first though on seeing the photo was how incredibly smooth they are.
Big Dude says
We also prefer our sweet potato dishes unsweetened and this one looks so creamy and delicious.
Big Dude says
Forgot to tell you – glad you liked the kitchen – it has worked out well for us.
Mallory says
Those look unbelievably silky. Vanilla is so under-used in savory applications but it can be even better than in sweets!
My Journey With Candida says
Your sweet potatoes look so creamy. Yum!
Zoe says
Your mash looks amazing! Amazingly smooth and creamy! Yum!
Three-Cookies says
Really nice color, looks a little like dulce de leche or butterscotch caramel. I have never tried sweet potatoes made this way, would certainly love to.
Beth says
I love sweet potatoes too, and this is too high a recommendation to ignore! I can't wait to try this recipe.
Erin @ Cooking on Whim says
What a beautiful dish…. they are silky-smooth. I wish I could convert my husband to sweet potatoes. So far, no luck.
Jen says
Oh wow these looks so good! I love sweet potatoes!
Words Of Deliciousness says
Yum, sweet potatoes. These look delicious.
Jenn says
Those look A-MAZE-ING!!!
sportsglutton says
That is an amazingly eye-catching dish!
Chris says
Oh yeah, I'll definitely be making this for Alexis, she LOVES sweet potatoes and I have two beans that need to be used.
Lynne @ 365 Days of Baking says
Mary,
those have got to be the absolutely the smoothest potatoes I have ever seen in my life!! Unelievable, girl! And to think you did that with a hand masher and blender?!! You totally ROCK!! I so want these. NOW!
JavelinWarrior says
This post is absolutely fetish-worthy and I've been inspired to include it in my Friday Food Fetish blog. If you have any objections, please let me know
Apron Appeal says
I can never get my sweet potatoes so smooth….it makes me want soup though….pass the cream!
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Absolutely beautiful mashed sweet potatoes!