Mashed sweet potatoes make a great side dish, but if you really want to sweeten the deal (and the dish), try them loaded with a cinnamon honey butter mixture that takes your sweet potatoes to a dreamy next level!

If you enjoy the sweeter side of potatoes, give our sweet potato casserole with marshmallows a try, or warm up with our sweet potato soup.

Why Our Recipe

  • A handful of ingredients is all you need to create the perfect bowl of butter mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon and honey.
  • Tips for getting perfectly smooth mashed sweet potatoes using a hand mixer.
  • Includes both boiling and roasting options, letting you choose between a softer or more caramelized flavor.
large white bowl of mashed sweet potatoes

Mashed sweet potatoes are easy to make and in this recipe they are sweetened with a delicious cinnamon honey butter for a mash that is sure to become a family favorite. To make this recipe, sweet potatoes are peeled, diced, and boiled in plain water until tender. The amount of time that they take to reach tender will depend on how small you dice your sweet potatoes. We recommend dicing them quite small.

Ingredient Notes

mashed sweet potato ingredients on table
  • Sweet Potatoes: Choose sweet potatoes with vibrant orange flesh for the best color and flavor.
  • Butter: This recipe uses salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted if you prefer more control over the salt level. You can also adjust the amount of butter to your liking.
  • Milk: Any type of milk works, but 2% or whole milk will give the creamiest texture and richest taste.

Method Behind the Madness

One of our biggest tips we built straight into the recipe is to place the sweet potatoes into the pot before you fill the pot with water. This will make it so there’s no unnecessary splashing which can be dangerous if you bring your water to a boil before adding the sweet potatoes.

Getting Smooth Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mashed sweet potatoes can be tricky to get perfectly smooth, but the secret lies in the preparation and cooking! Start by dicing your sweet potatoes into small, even pieces before boiling. Boil them for about 15 minutes, or until they’re very tender—super tender sweet potatoes are much easier to mash, giving you a smoother, creamier finish. You can also use a hand mixer or stand mixer to achieve an even smoother result.

hand holding spoon in bowl of mashed sweet potatoes

Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams

In America, the terms “Sweet Potato” and “Yam” are used interchangeably and refer to that potato looking thing with the red skin and orange flesh. Yet, you have probably seen something else in the grocery store labeled sweet potato with a light yellow skin, while your orange flesh variety is labeled yams. Guess what? Both of them are sweet potatoes!

The kind of sweet potatoes you think of as yams are simply dark skinned sweet potatoes. You won’t commonly come across true yams in an American grocery store. True yams have brown or black skin and the flesh is either red, purple, or off-white. Crazy, huh? You thought you’ve been eating yams all these years!

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Reheat portions in the microwave on high in 30-second increments until heated through.

More delicious sweet potato sides…

Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.