Candied Whipped Sweet Potatoes are light, creamy, sweet, and a classic side dish recipe. They’re as perfect served as a holiday side dish as they are for weeknight dinners. They are made with just a few simple steps and with common ingredients. Naturally gluten-free and easily made vegan and dairy-free!
This post was originally written on August 11, 2022. It was updated with new recipe information on October 13, 2023.
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'Tis the season to eat all the delicious food! And this delicious candied whipped sweet potato recipe is at the top of my "to enjoy" list!
These potatoes are light, fluffy, warmly spiced, and make for a comforting side dish everyone will love. They are ready in just a few steps, and are a great recipe to make ahead and warm up before serving.
Wondering how these are considered "candied" sweet potatoes without having marshmallows? Roasting enhances the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes, 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.
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, creamed peas, and brussels sprouts slaw!
Why You'll Love This Candied Whipped Sweet Potato Recipe
- Simple: With just a handful of easy-to-find ingredients, this great 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 is definitely a key dish for holiday meals, it's also versatile enough to enjoy throughout the year. It's delicious with everything from grilled steaks or shrimp to rotisserie chicken or roasted veggies.
- Festive: Nothing says the holidays like a lineup of delicious side dishes! With the panache of a holiday side dish, these potatoes are a hit every year!
If you like these sweet potatoes, you'll also love my Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes, Dutch Oven Sweet Potatoes, and Honey Roasted Rainbow Carrots.
Ingredients
This easy mashed sweet potatoes recipe is made with simple ingredients you can find in almost any grocery store.
- Sweet Potatoes: The star of the show! Choose sweet potatoes that have smooth and unblemished flesh and are heavy for their size.
- Unsalted Butter: Just a few tablespoons add richness, moisture, and flavor to the recipe without making the dish too heavy.
- Brown Sugar: The sweet molasses flavor contributes classic candied flavors to these mashed sweet potatoes.
- Ground Cinnamon: Use cinnamon with a good expiration date. Saigon cinnamon adds extra warm and sweet notes, but any variety of ground cinnamon works.
- Salt: Brings out the sweetness of the potatoes and balances the flavors.
- Milk (optional): Is whipped into the potatoes if the potatoes are too dry for your liking. Choose dairy or unsweetened non-dairy milk.
Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes: Yams can substitute for the sweet potatoes if necessary.
- Butter: Substitute vegan butter, coconut oil, or even brown butter for unsalted butter.
- Brown Sugar: 3 tablespoons of maple syrup or ¼ cup coconut sugar can work in place of the brown sugar. Choose dark brown sugar for additional molasses notes.
- Milk: Add a rich finish to these easy mashed sweet potatoes by swapping heavy cream, coconut milk, or sour cream for the milk.
How to Make Candied Whipped Sweet Potatoes
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: Let the sweet potatoes cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, or until the skin is cool enough to touch.
Step 4: 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 or in a large mixing bowl.
Step 5: Add the butter, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar to the sweet potatoes.
Step 6: Whip the potatoes on medium speed in the stand mixer or with a hand mixer 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.
Step 7: Serve the sweet potatoes hot with a pat of butter on top, if desired.
Recipe Pro-tips
- Scrub the Sweet Potatoes Well. Remove any dirt from the potatoes before roasting by cleaning them thoroughly with a scrub brush or dishcloth.
- How to Bake the Sweet Potatoes: Bake the sweet potatoes without foil on a foil-lined baking sheet. When the sugars bubble out of the potatoes as they bake, the sheet will catch it, preventing a mess in the oven.
- Testing Baked Sweet Potatoes for Doneness. You will 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.
- Other Whipping Options. If you do not have an electric mixer, the sweet potatoes can also be whipped up in a food processor or mashed with a potato masher. If mashed, however, the potatoes won’t be as light and fluffy.
Recipe Variations
- Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes: For a less sweet version of mashed sweet potatoes, drizzle a bulb of garlic with olive oil and wrap it up tight in aluminum foil. Roast the foil-wrapped bulb on the baking sheet with the sweet potatoes. Whip in 3-4 cloves of roasted garlic in with the sweet potatoes and reduce the sugar to 1-2 tablespoons.
- Spices: You can change up the flavor profile of these creamy mashed sweet potatoes by substituting 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon. 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.
- Fresh Herbs: Add an herbal dimension to the sweet potatoes by sprinkling the potatoes with 1 teaspoon freshly minced rosemary or fresh thyme leaves before serving.
Serving Suggestions
This whipped potatoes recipe is a perfect side dish for holidays, special occasions, and even weeknight dinners. These sweet potatoes delicious served with regular mashed potatoes, blistered green beans, and almost any of your favorite main dishes.
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. Defrost the sweet potatoes in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours before reheating
- Reheating: Warm the sweet potatoes on medium heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes intervals, stirring the potatoes between heating intervals.
Dietary Adaptations
This whipped sweet potatoes recipe is naturally gluten-free and nut-free. To make them vegan and dairy-free, substitute vegan butter and non-dairy milk for unsalted butter and milk.
To make processed sugar-free mashed sweet potatoes, substitute 3 tablespoons of maple syrup or ¼ cup coconut sugar for the packed light brown sugar.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, sweet potatoes are naturally gluten-free as they do not contain any wheat products or by products (the source of wheat gluten).
Depending on the size of the sweet potato, you will need to bake the potatoes for anywhere from 60 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 425 degrees.
Whether you boil or bake your sweet potatoes depends on your desired texture. Roasting whole sweet potatoes allows for the potatoes to develop their sweetness while not absorbing any extra moisture, making them light and creamy. Boiling, on the other hand, adds additional water to the dish, making them a bit heavier and wetter. Also, the sugars don’t have the opportunity to caramelize when boiling so the natural flavors of the potatoes aren’t as sweet.
Tools Needed To Make This Recipe
More Sweet Potato Recipes
- 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
Recipe Card
Candied Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes or about 3 ½ - 4 lbs sweet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons milk optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 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.
- 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 (or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer).
- 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.
Notes
- 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. Defrost the sweet potatoes in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours before reheating
- Reheating: Warm the sweet potatoes on medium heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes intervals, stirring the potatoes between heating intervals.
- Vegan and Dairy-Free: Substitute vegan butter and non-dairy milk for unsalted butter and milk.
- Processed Sugar-Free: Substitute 3 tablespoons of maple syrup or ¼ cup coconut sugar for the packed light brown sugar to make these mashed potatoes without processed sugar.
- Other Whipping Options. If you do not have an electric mixer, the sweet potatoes can also be whipped up in a food processor or mashed with a potato masher. If mashed, however, the potatoes won’t be as light and fluffy.
I recently tried these sweet potatoes recipe and loved them! The combination of sweetness and smooth texture made it a hit among my fam. I'm curious for next time – do you think you could use a coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar? I just have a big bag of it and looking for ways to use it.