Candied Whipped Sweet Potatoes: light, flavorful, and the perfect holiday side dish though they're perfect for weeknight dinners, too! Easily made dairy-free and so delicious!

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'Tis the season to eat all the delicious food! And this delicious whipped sweet potato recipe is at the top of my "to enjoy" list!

These potatoes are light, fluffy, warmly spiced, and full of flavor. They are ready in just a few steps, too! Just roast the potatoes, whip them up with seasonings, butter, and sugar, and your side dish game is ready to go!

Wondering how these are considered "candied" sweet potatoes without having marshmallows? Roasting the potatoes adds natural sweetness, giving us those classic candied sweet potato flavors without the excess sugar or heft!

But, of course, if you'd like to sprinkle some marshmallows on top of your dish and give them a quick broil to toast, you can certainly do so. This dish has loads of candied flavor on its own, though!

These potatoes are also a fantastic recipe for making ahead for a holiday dinner. We all know how hectic that hour before meal time can get, don't we? So save yourself a little fuss by having this dish ready ahead of time!

Just make the potatoes up to 2 days ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, drain any pooled moisture off of the top of the potatoes, and reheat over low heat on the stove or medium heat in the microwave, until the potatoes are heated through! Delicious and such a stress and time saver.

Enough of my chatting, though, let's go enjoy some sweet potatoes!

Save this whipped sweet potatoes recipe for later on Pinterest:

Why you'll love this whipped sweet potato recipe:

• Simple - with just a handful of easy-to-find ingredients, this recipe is low on fuss but big on flavor!
• Delicious - though sweet potatoes are delicious all on their own, the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter take them to a whole new level. But don't worry-- we don't add so much butter and sugar that it's all that you taste! The natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes still shines in this recipe.
• Versatile - though this dish definitely appears at our house most around the holidays, it's also versatile enough to enjoy through the year. It's delicious with everything from grilled steaks or shrimp to rotisserie chicken or roasted veggies.
• Festive - nothing says the holidays like line up of delicious side dishes! With the panache of a holiday side dish, these potatoes are a hit every year!

Looking for more Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish recipes? Check out my dairy-free mashed potatoes, blistered green beans, sweet yeast dinner rolls, creamed cabbage, honey roasted rainbow carrots, and brussels sprouts slaw!

How are mashed potatoes different from whipped sweet potatoes?

Mashed sweet potatoes are often made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes with a potato masher or pastry cutter. The result is a heavier and denser potato dish.

Whipped sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are made by whipping roasted potatoes with a whisk attachment on a mixer, making them lighter and airier.

Ingredients:

• Sweet potatoes - the star of the show! Choose sweet potatoes that have smooth and unblemished flesh and are heavy for their size.
• Unsalted butter - adds richness, moisture, and flavor to the recipe without making the dish too heavy.
• Brown sugar - the sweet molasses flavor contributes the "candied" flavor to these mashed sweet potatoes.
• Ground cinnamon - the fresher the cinnamon, the better. I swear by Costco's Saigon Cinnamon (an incredible price for the quality!).
• Salt - brings out the sweetness of the potatoes and balances the flavors.
• Milk (optional) - whip some milk into the potatoes if the potatoes are too dry for your liking. Any type of milk will do: dairy, nut, oat, etc.

Can you make this recipe with yams?

Yes, you most certainly can whipped candied yams with this recipe! To do this, simple substitute yams for the sweet potatoes. No different recipe steps are called for; just substitute the yams for the sweet potatoes and continue with the recipe as directed.

How to make candied whipped sweet potatoes:

For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Bake the sweet potatoes:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Clean the sweet potatoes well. Place the scrubbed sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet.
• Bake the potatoes for 1 hour - 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are baked through and are pierced easily with a fork.

Whip the sweet potatoes:

• Let the sweet potatoes cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, or until the skin is cool enough to touch.
• Being careful not to burn yourself, scoop the pulp out of the sweet potato skin. Place the sweet potato pulp in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
• Add the butter, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar to the sweet potatoes.
• Whip the potatoes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. If the sweet potatoes are too dry for your liking, whip in 2-4 tablespoons of milk on low speed or until your desired consistency. Serve the sweet potatoes hot with a pat of butter on top, if desired.

Baking the sweet potatoes: to wrap them in foil or not?

I tested the recipe both ways and found that when baking the sweet potatoes in foil, the potatoes had excess moisture, which made the potatoes thick and wet.

So, if you'd like your potatoes light and whipped, I recommend baking the sweet potatoes without foil. But, because the potatoes won't be wrapped in foil, you will want to bake them on a foil-lined baking sheet. When the sugars bubble out of the potatoes as they bake, the sheet will catch it, preventing a burnt sugar mess in the bottom of your oven!

How to know when sweet potatoes are baked through:

You know that the sweet potatoes are baked through when you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. That is, the fork will move easily through the flesh of the sweet potato with light-to-no resistance.

Another way to test the potatoes is to carefully squeeze them with a pot holder (be careful not to burn your hands!). When the potatoes easily give when squeezed and have no firm spots remaining, they are baked through.

Recipe variations:

• More savory - this candied sweet potato recipe is certainly on the sweeter side, like a classic but lighter Thanksgiving candied sweet potato dish. If you like your sweet potatoes more savory, you can reduce the sugar up to ½ (only 2 tablespoons), or to whatever suits your taste.
• Spices - you can change up the flavor profile of these sweet potatoes by substituting 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice blend. Or you can also stir in an additional ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg in with the cinnamon to add a deeper aromatic flavor to the potatoes.
• Herbs - to add an herbal dimension to the sweet potatoes (one of my favorite variations!), just sprinkle the potatoes with 1 teaspoon freshly minced rosemary before serving.

Can you make whipped sweet potatoes without a stand mixer?

Yes! To make this recipe without a stand mixer, you can just whip up the potatoes in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Easy peasy.

How to make these sweet potatoes recipe dairy-free and/or processed sugar-free:

To make this recipe dairy-free: substitute the same amount of virgin coconut oil or vegan butter for the unsalted butter and follow the directions as listed.

To make this recipe processed sugar-free: substitute 3 tablespoons maple syrup or ¼ cup coconut sugar for the packed light brown sugar.

Storage directions:

• Refrigeration: leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
• Freezing: leftovers can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months.
• Defrosting and reheating: defrost the sweet potatoes in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours before reheating on medium heat in the microwave, stirring the potatoes between heating intervals.

Recipe FAQs:

Tools needed to make this recipe:

• Baking sheet
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Silicone spatula

More sweet potato recipes:

• Dutch Oven Sweet Potatoes
• Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Miso Maple Glaze
• Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad
• Sweet Potato Scalloped Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Soufflé
• Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in the Air Fryer

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