Vegan Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Vegan mashed sweet potatoes are simple, flavorful, and pure. These bright orange, earthy spuds are cooked until tender, then creamed to perfection with a touch of salt and a pat of rich vegan butter. 

This mashed sweet potato recipe is what I call a fundamental. Amazing by itself, even better when taken to the next level with additional tweaks--such as making savory mashed sweet potatoes with roasted garlic and herbs or taking things towards sweet with a dash of cinnamon. The options are endless! 

This recipe’s pairing potential is nearly endless as well. A bowl of these sweet mashed potatoes fits just as perfectly on a holiday table as it does for a regular ol’ Tuesday night supper. It tastes great alongside baked tofu, braised beans, or under a big scoop of vegan beef bourguignon. 

Before we get to all that though, let’s cover the basic recipe. It takes just 3 ingredients and a little bit of elbow grease. The key to perfect mashed sweet potatoes is to steam the sweet potatoes, as opposed to boiling them. The former makes a sweet potato mash that is thick and creamy while the latter ends up being overly wet and runny. Now that you know the secret, let's mash!

Vegan Mashed Sweet Potatoes Ingredients

• Sweet potato - The star of this dish! Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet and slightly nutty, therefore they create an extremely flavorful--and colorful!--mash. You’ll need 1-pound of sweet potato for this recipe which is about 2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes. Give them a good scrub under cold running water first in order to remove any dirt. 
• Vegan butter - I use about 1 Tbsp of in my sweet potato mash,  but you can certainly add more or less if you like! Instead of vegan butter you can also use coconut oil, but know if you use unrefined coconut oil it will add a coconutty flavor to the mash, so be sure to use refined coconut oil if you want to avoid this. 
• Salt - I always salt my sweet potato mash as it really brings out the sweet and nutty flavor, but you can certainly omit it if you want to limit the salt, or, if you are using salted vegan butter. This recipe is meant to be adapted to your tastes so if you want it saltier, add more! 

How to Make Vegan Mashed Sweet Potatoes

1. Setup. Pour about 2 inches of water into a large saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. Peel your sweet potatoes, chop them into cubes, and place them in a steaming basket or mesh strainer inserted into the pot of water. Make sure the potatoes are not sitting directly in the water. 
2. Steam. Cover the basket with a lid (it’s okay if it doesn’t fit perfectly) and let the potatoes steam for about 20 minutes until tender and easily pierced. 
3. Combine. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, then add the vegan butter and salt. 
4. Mash. Use a potato masher to smash and stir the sweet potatoes until smooth and creamy, making sure the butter and salt gets evenly incorporated as well.
5. Serve! Taste and season your mashed sweet potatoes, adding more salt if desired. Enjoy them right away! 

Watch Us Make Vegan Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Chef Tips 

If you don’t have a potato masher, you can still enjoy perfect mashed sweet potatoes! Here are a couple other tools you can use instead. 

• A food mill: Pile the cooked sweet potatoes into a food mill placed over a bowl or large pot and process them through the large or medium-sized plate. 
• A colander: Sounds crazy, but it works! Working with about 1 cup of sweet potatoes at a time, load them into the colander set over a large bowl or pot. Use a spatula or broad spoon to press and smear the potatoes up against and through the holes of the colander. 
• A food processor or blender: You can definitely use one of these appliances to mash up your potatoes, but do so briefly, as too much mixing here can make the potatoes gluey. I recommend using the pulse button and stopping often to scrape down the sides, as opposed to continuous blending. 

How to Store 

Refrigerating. Leftover mashed sweet potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Freezing. You can freeze vegan mashed sweet potatoes for up to 3 months. Just allow them to cool completely, then pack them into a freezer-safe airtight container before placing them in the freezer. 

Thawing. When ready to eat, transfer your frozen sweet potatoes to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. 

Reheating. To reheat, gently warm your leftover sweet potato mash in a saucepan over low-medium heat until warm, stirring often. You may want to add another pat of vegan butter or splash of dairy-free milk (almond or soy milk would work best) in order to make the texture creamy again, as it will likely thicken up a bit during storage.

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